11/10/2026
STORY TIME.
SHOULD WORKMATES BE YOUR FRIENDS ?
A few years ago, a colleague of mine at the company I worked for was suspended. Honestly, I didn't blame him. As a creative, I know what it's like to be so passionate about a project that you end up bypassing standard procedures.
After a few months passed, I started a plea to have him brought back. I believed in his contribution to the team and felt it was my duty to be my brother's keeper and look out for him. A few weeks later, he was reinstated. I was genuinely happy for him and even went to his office to congratulate him.
The next day, he walked into my office, presumably to make small talk and catch up. I told him how glad I was to have him back. I mentioned that even though what he did wasn't procedurally right, it was beautiful, well-executed, and I understood why he felt the need to take ownership of such a big-picture passion project. During our conversation, he casually said, "I'm not even going to stay long at this company despite coming back. I actually have a resignation template ready." I laughed it off and, in a very lighthearted manner, joked, "You should send it to me as well!" I completely forgot about the comment the moment he left.
A few days later, my life at work completely changed.
Suddenly, no one was talking to me directly. Meetings I was supposed to attend started happening without me. This freezing out continued for months. I constantly wondered where this sudden hostility had come from, but because I am self-motivated, I kept my head down. I continued doing what I love, pushing the company brand, and delivering results—all without anyone explaining what had changed.
Then, one day, the owner of the business called me in. What he said shocked me to my core.
He told me he was deeply disappointed that I wanted to leave the company without informing him. He reminded me that he had an open-door policy and that a basic level of respect was expected. Bear in mind, I had absolutely no thoughts of leaving. Confused, I asked him why he thought I was quitting. He hesitated, saying he knew everything that happened at the company. I was completely lost, trying to piece my months of bad treatment together with this weird accusation, but it still didn't make sense.
Then, the owner said the words that made everything click: "Didn't you ask someone to send you a resignation template?"
I was floored.
The very same person I had treated like a brother—the one whose career I had just saved—had gone to management and tried to have me fired just so he could maneuver his way back into a position of power. I was furious. I went straight to him and confronted him, but the coward couldn’t even look me in the eye. He just stared at the ceiling like a zombie the entire time I called him out, completely speechless.
I haven’t spoken a single word to him since that day. Even when we run in the same professional circles now, I act like he doesn't exist.
The moral of the story is simple: workmates are not your friends, no matter how good your intentions are or how much you try to look out for them.
MAYBE I AM WRONG
