Woman gets call from office asking she return the 'maternity' gift she got when she quit in 2020
A woman was left startled after her former colleagues asked her to return the farewell gift she was mistakenly given as they thought she was pregnant. The 34-year-old woman said that she quit her previous job at the end of January 2020 and on her last day, her co-workers gave her gift card worth $1,000. However, in March, she ran into an old co-worker, who saw her bulging belly and asked her if she was having another child.
"Last week (mar. 2023), I see a former coworker who pats my stomach and asks if this is "my second". I internally die because OH SHE THINKS IM PREGGO," the woman wrote in the 'AITA' subreddit. "I know I'm ~20 pounds over where I'd like to be, and a lot of that is on my gut, coupled with a super curved lower spine that made my belly stick out even before I got fat. I tell coworker I don't have any kids, haha, I'm just fat, she looks awkward," the woman continued.
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The woman further noted that a few days after the meeting, she received a call from HR relaying a message from a different co-worker asking for the "going away" cash to be returned as it was intended as a maternity gift "for my baby." “It was meant as a maternity gift "for my baby" and that me "being fat" and "wearing shirts that emphasize my belly" was deceptive and I tricked that coworker into thinking I was pregnant,” the woman wrote in the Reddit post. She said that the HR told her that she took donations from the staffers because of the misconception and now “my fatness and lack of baby-ness is The Hot Office Gossip”
'Nobody thinks you look preggo'
The woman stated that her HR did not force her to return the gift but said it would be nice if she did. The user said that she no longer had the card and that it did not say anything about having baby but just featured a cartoon of two pandas. "It DEFINITELY didn't say anything like "bun in the oven!" or "your sex was successful!" or "We think you're pregnant!", I am CERTAIN I would remember that because that's a super big insecurity I've had for the past ~5 years since I started gaining weight (medicine side effect) and husband keeps saying "nobody thinks you look preggo" so HAHA sucks to be wrong hubby. this is a very hollow victory,” she wrote.
She went on to say that she did not want to give the money back as she was disappointed that the gift was not for her farewell. “I'm feeling crushed and upset that the going away gift actually wasn't, and not once did any of my coworkers actually ask if I was pregnant. I don't really want to return the money. The cash is long since gone, but I could pull 1k from my bank to give back,” she wrote.
'Your coworkers are idiots'
The post has garnered immense social media attraction, with many users supporting her decision to not return the money. “OMG NTA. That is harrassment. Their mistake in giving you a gift (that they never said was for your pg or baby) is not your issue to correct. It was 100% reasonable for you to think it was a "goodbye" gift,” one user wrote. “NTA. This is legitimately an insane thing for them to ask you. Delete the message and block everyone involved. You've done nothing wrong,” a second user wrote while a third said, “NTA. Your coworkers are idiots. They gave you $1000 for a baby they didn't even try to make sure existed.”
“NTA. It’s been three years! How many of your coworkers are even still there? How can they possibly know who donated what? HR is just going to pocket the money. It’s spent. It’s gone. Unless you would just gift $1000, then don’t. If it gets really bad, I would cry miscarriage and that you were too traumatized to say something earlier,” another user wrote.
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