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colleague has overshared and is now embarrassed

260 replies

nearlyemptynes · 27/08/2026 13:49

A colleague at work has been very down and she confided in me the reasons why which are to do with her husband and relationship. My husband and I have been out with them socially and my DH guessed what the problem is. She asked me if he knew and i said yes and explained he had guessed. She is now fuming that I didn't keep her secret as she says it is not my secret to share. I did not knowingly share- mu husband guessed. She is being v difficult with me. AIBU to be annoyed with her.

OP posts:
Timespeeding · 29/08/2026 08:40

Once again I never, ever allow anybody to use me as a dumping ground for their grubby secrets.

If someone does ask can you keep a secret I always say "I don't know". I don't know if I will be able to keep your secret till I know what it is. And I do NOT keep secrets from my husband to please other people.

Those who slither around hiding things from their husbands without thinking twice won't understand that mindset of course, being honest and open is foreign to their nature.

I might not tell my husband something and, despite the attempts to strawman, at no point ever said I tell him everything or feel compelled to do so.

I might not choose to tell him something IF it is something that doesn't affect him and IF it doesn't cause me any angst to not tell him, or IF it is something I do not want to tell him.

I make that choice, not you, not anybody else.

Because I am not a doormat or a moron, I do not agree to being coercively controlled by anyone else into keeping grubby secrets because it suits the secretive person who flapped their gums when they should not have.

So always, with no exceptions, ask if people are willing to hold your secrets before vomiting them onto decent people. And always, without exception, assume your secret will be shared once you start blabbing about it.

Grubby secrets cause no end of hassles, and I do not allow people to coercively compel me to take part in their creepy, deceptive behaviour.

I choose, and only I choose, what to tell my husband.

It is absolutely never anybody's responsibility to lie to their husband by omission or hold their tongue just because you've flapped your gums and are now panicking you'll be caught out in some behaviour you shouldn't have indulged in - whether that is gossiping or anything else.

The standard benchmark is that normal people share whatever they like with their husband. If you aren't normal in that respect, that's a you problem.

Nobody is compelled to be silent because you were stupid enough to open your trap.

and if you think it's normal to automatically hide things from your husband because someone instructed you to do so, your relationship is shit, and doomed.

So, I will make the choice of what I tell my husband. You get no say in that. This is the normal, ethical stance.

Therefore, in future, if you want your behaviour (gossip, or anything else) to remain hidden, ask first before vomiting your overshare onto other people and do not simply assume others are as sly and unethical as you and will be happy to keep secrets on your behalf.

YW :)

(Cue frothing, screeching and ranting, and logical fallacies from strawmen to ad hominem abuse - which I will once again completely ignore :))

Jaimelefromage · 29/08/2026 08:41

Timespeeding · 29/08/2026 08:40

Once again I never, ever allow anybody to use me as a dumping ground for their grubby secrets.

If someone does ask can you keep a secret I always say "I don't know". I don't know if I will be able to keep your secret till I know what it is. And I do NOT keep secrets from my husband to please other people.

Those who slither around hiding things from their husbands without thinking twice won't understand that mindset of course, being honest and open is foreign to their nature.

I might not tell my husband something and, despite the attempts to strawman, at no point ever said I tell him everything or feel compelled to do so.

I might not choose to tell him something IF it is something that doesn't affect him and IF it doesn't cause me any angst to not tell him, or IF it is something I do not want to tell him.

I make that choice, not you, not anybody else.

Because I am not a doormat or a moron, I do not agree to being coercively controlled by anyone else into keeping grubby secrets because it suits the secretive person who flapped their gums when they should not have.

So always, with no exceptions, ask if people are willing to hold your secrets before vomiting them onto decent people. And always, without exception, assume your secret will be shared once you start blabbing about it.

Grubby secrets cause no end of hassles, and I do not allow people to coercively compel me to take part in their creepy, deceptive behaviour.

I choose, and only I choose, what to tell my husband.

It is absolutely never anybody's responsibility to lie to their husband by omission or hold their tongue just because you've flapped your gums and are now panicking you'll be caught out in some behaviour you shouldn't have indulged in - whether that is gossiping or anything else.

The standard benchmark is that normal people share whatever they like with their husband. If you aren't normal in that respect, that's a you problem.

Nobody is compelled to be silent because you were stupid enough to open your trap.

and if you think it's normal to automatically hide things from your husband because someone instructed you to do so, your relationship is shit, and doomed.

So, I will make the choice of what I tell my husband. You get no say in that. This is the normal, ethical stance.

Therefore, in future, if you want your behaviour (gossip, or anything else) to remain hidden, ask first before vomiting your overshare onto other people and do not simply assume others are as sly and unethical as you and will be happy to keep secrets on your behalf.

YW :)

(Cue frothing, screeching and ranting, and logical fallacies from strawmen to ad hominem abuse - which I will once again completely ignore :))

Edited

Once again, I doubt anyone is telling you anything anyway, so that weird rant was unnecessary.

Timespeeding · 29/08/2026 08:42

Timespeeding · 29/08/2026 08:40

Once again I never, ever allow anybody to use me as a dumping ground for their grubby secrets.

If someone does ask can you keep a secret I always say "I don't know". I don't know if I will be able to keep your secret till I know what it is. And I do NOT keep secrets from my husband to please other people.

Those who slither around hiding things from their husbands without thinking twice won't understand that mindset of course, being honest and open is foreign to their nature.

I might not tell my husband something and, despite the attempts to strawman, at no point ever said I tell him everything or feel compelled to do so.

I might not choose to tell him something IF it is something that doesn't affect him and IF it doesn't cause me any angst to not tell him, or IF it is something I do not want to tell him.

I make that choice, not you, not anybody else.

Because I am not a doormat or a moron, I do not agree to being coercively controlled by anyone else into keeping grubby secrets because it suits the secretive person who flapped their gums when they should not have.

So always, with no exceptions, ask if people are willing to hold your secrets before vomiting them onto decent people. And always, without exception, assume your secret will be shared once you start blabbing about it.

Grubby secrets cause no end of hassles, and I do not allow people to coercively compel me to take part in their creepy, deceptive behaviour.

I choose, and only I choose, what to tell my husband.

It is absolutely never anybody's responsibility to lie to their husband by omission or hold their tongue just because you've flapped your gums and are now panicking you'll be caught out in some behaviour you shouldn't have indulged in - whether that is gossiping or anything else.

The standard benchmark is that normal people share whatever they like with their husband. If you aren't normal in that respect, that's a you problem.

Nobody is compelled to be silent because you were stupid enough to open your trap.

and if you think it's normal to automatically hide things from your husband because someone instructed you to do so, your relationship is shit, and doomed.

So, I will make the choice of what I tell my husband. You get no say in that. This is the normal, ethical stance.

Therefore, in future, if you want your behaviour (gossip, or anything else) to remain hidden, ask first before vomiting your overshare onto other people and do not simply assume others are as sly and unethical as you and will be happy to keep secrets on your behalf.

YW :)

(Cue frothing, screeching and ranting, and logical fallacies from strawmen to ad hominem abuse - which I will once again completely ignore :))

Edited

Oopsie, sorry for typos 😘

sheisforrealatiger · 29/08/2026 09:07

Timespeeding · 29/08/2026 08:40

Once again I never, ever allow anybody to use me as a dumping ground for their grubby secrets.

If someone does ask can you keep a secret I always say "I don't know". I don't know if I will be able to keep your secret till I know what it is. And I do NOT keep secrets from my husband to please other people.

Those who slither around hiding things from their husbands without thinking twice won't understand that mindset of course, being honest and open is foreign to their nature.

I might not tell my husband something and, despite the attempts to strawman, at no point ever said I tell him everything or feel compelled to do so.

I might not choose to tell him something IF it is something that doesn't affect him and IF it doesn't cause me any angst to not tell him, or IF it is something I do not want to tell him.

I make that choice, not you, not anybody else.

Because I am not a doormat or a moron, I do not agree to being coercively controlled by anyone else into keeping grubby secrets because it suits the secretive person who flapped their gums when they should not have.

So always, with no exceptions, ask if people are willing to hold your secrets before vomiting them onto decent people. And always, without exception, assume your secret will be shared once you start blabbing about it.

Grubby secrets cause no end of hassles, and I do not allow people to coercively compel me to take part in their creepy, deceptive behaviour.

I choose, and only I choose, what to tell my husband.

It is absolutely never anybody's responsibility to lie to their husband by omission or hold their tongue just because you've flapped your gums and are now panicking you'll be caught out in some behaviour you shouldn't have indulged in - whether that is gossiping or anything else.

The standard benchmark is that normal people share whatever they like with their husband. If you aren't normal in that respect, that's a you problem.

Nobody is compelled to be silent because you were stupid enough to open your trap.

and if you think it's normal to automatically hide things from your husband because someone instructed you to do so, your relationship is shit, and doomed.

So, I will make the choice of what I tell my husband. You get no say in that. This is the normal, ethical stance.

Therefore, in future, if you want your behaviour (gossip, or anything else) to remain hidden, ask first before vomiting your overshare onto other people and do not simply assume others are as sly and unethical as you and will be happy to keep secrets on your behalf.

YW :)

(Cue frothing, screeching and ranting, and logical fallacies from strawmen to ad hominem abuse - which I will once again completely ignore :))

Edited

Cue frothing, screeching and ranting

Pretty sure that’s the only thing you’re really after and I can’t see anyone doing that, so feel free to move along.

NewFrock · 29/08/2026 10:28

Pretty sure that’s the only thing you’re really after and I can’t see anyone doing that, so feel free to move along

Indeed. I see only one person on this thread frothing and ranting.
I suppose it passes the time for some folks.

BySharpPanda · 29/08/2026 15:09

Wouldn't like to confide in you

thistimelastweek · 29/08/2026 18:01

Timespeeding · 29/08/2026 08:40

Once again I never, ever allow anybody to use me as a dumping ground for their grubby secrets.

If someone does ask can you keep a secret I always say "I don't know". I don't know if I will be able to keep your secret till I know what it is. And I do NOT keep secrets from my husband to please other people.

Those who slither around hiding things from their husbands without thinking twice won't understand that mindset of course, being honest and open is foreign to their nature.

I might not tell my husband something and, despite the attempts to strawman, at no point ever said I tell him everything or feel compelled to do so.

I might not choose to tell him something IF it is something that doesn't affect him and IF it doesn't cause me any angst to not tell him, or IF it is something I do not want to tell him.

I make that choice, not you, not anybody else.

Because I am not a doormat or a moron, I do not agree to being coercively controlled by anyone else into keeping grubby secrets because it suits the secretive person who flapped their gums when they should not have.

So always, with no exceptions, ask if people are willing to hold your secrets before vomiting them onto decent people. And always, without exception, assume your secret will be shared once you start blabbing about it.

Grubby secrets cause no end of hassles, and I do not allow people to coercively compel me to take part in their creepy, deceptive behaviour.

I choose, and only I choose, what to tell my husband.

It is absolutely never anybody's responsibility to lie to their husband by omission or hold their tongue just because you've flapped your gums and are now panicking you'll be caught out in some behaviour you shouldn't have indulged in - whether that is gossiping or anything else.

The standard benchmark is that normal people share whatever they like with their husband. If you aren't normal in that respect, that's a you problem.

Nobody is compelled to be silent because you were stupid enough to open your trap.

and if you think it's normal to automatically hide things from your husband because someone instructed you to do so, your relationship is shit, and doomed.

So, I will make the choice of what I tell my husband. You get no say in that. This is the normal, ethical stance.

Therefore, in future, if you want your behaviour (gossip, or anything else) to remain hidden, ask first before vomiting your overshare onto other people and do not simply assume others are as sly and unethical as you and will be happy to keep secrets on your behalf.

YW :)

(Cue frothing, screeching and ranting, and logical fallacies from strawmen to ad hominem abuse - which I will once again completely ignore :))

Edited

This is one of the most unpleasant posts I have ever read.

saraclara · 30/08/2026 09:51

What makes a confidence "grubby"?

I certainly don't see anguish at discovering that your DH is gay, as grubby.

Endorewitch · 31/08/2026 01:28

How on earth did he guess?Has he second sight?You must have been discussing it with him,which is breaking her trust. I don't blame her being angry.

rwalker · 31/08/2026 05:50

Endorewitch · 31/08/2026 01:28

How on earth did he guess?Has he second sight?You must have been discussing it with him,which is breaking her trust. I don't blame her being angry.

Some people come across as obviously gay by there mannerisms
no second sight needed

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