How do I deal with this with some dignity??

[OkilyDoke]

Someone at work was "kind" enough to tell me that a group of workers from the same department had been discussing me and erroneously blaming me for something really bad that was most definitely not my fault. The whole thing was extremely unkind and really upset me massively. I'm still reeling. Unfortunately I now have to walk past these people every day knowing what they have been saying and I can barely look them in the face. I hate confrontation, and confronting them is a bad idea if I want to keep my job, and I do need my job unfortunately. How do I keep my dignity and rise above it? I can get behind "turning the other cheek", but honestly it really hurts, badly.

Is whatever you've been accused of something work or personal? Is it something you can prove you didn't do?

Why would you turn the other cheek to people who have lied about you? You do need to speak out and say what really happened.

It's very complicated, but to explain as best I can without outing myself:
Somebody at work did something bad.

Because I did something (meaning to be kind) for that person prior to the bad incident happening some people have put 2 and 2 together and come up with 25, and decided that it's what I did that has set the other person off and caused the bad incident... purely, I think, because they are unable to understand why I was trying to be kind.

And if they have been discussing it among themselves chances are it has spread all through my work and everyone could know, and be wrongly blaming me too.

Your language is giving you away.

What do you mean?

Beware those who pass on information about others talking about you as if they are doing it as a favour or being kind to make you aware.
I find these people either lie, embellish or pass on this 'information' for less than genuine reasons. So don't be too quick to take things at face value.

For what it's worth, it may be a better tactic to 'confide' in one member of the group that you have been told/heard that you have been blamed for this but that it is untrue and you are rather furious about it but unsure where it originated.
That way it reaches the group but not as s direct confrontation and may make them aware that if they have said anything it has and will get back to you. Then I'd give them s very big smile and breezy good morning as I wafted past.

You need to speak up!!

I don't even know how to.

I really think you need to say something , confiding in one person is a good idea that way it's bound to get repeated .

Bear in the mind person who told you could be a shit stirrer

And do not necessarily have your interests at heart

ime, the best thing is to talk to them all directly & publicly, in a group ideally.
"I know people are saying things so this is my side of the story. I can't stop what you say about me but here is what I know happened." Tell the story as simply & bluntly as possible.

Try not to answer questions afterwards; odds are they will be too embarrassed to ask anything anyway.