I saw my boss at a restaurant with his wife. I went to say hi.
He had told us a day ago that he was going to become a dad, so I smiled and congratulated his wife. She turned pale. My boss grabbed my arm and whispered, “You idiot. I was talking about my girlfriend. My wife actually is incapable of getting pregnant.” Then he added, coldly, “You should be more careful with what you say next time.”
It was one of the most shocking situations I had ever been in. I felt my face burn as I realized what I’d just stepped into—something private, messy, and completely inappropriate to know. His wife excused herself from the table moments later, leaving an unbearable silence behind. I muttered an apology, though I wasn’t even sure who it was meant for, and walked away feeling sick.
The worst part was that he was my boss. I had to see him every single day after that. Our brief hallway greetings became stiff nods. Meetings felt tense, like every word carried a double meaning. I started replaying the moment in my head at night, wondering if I should have said nothing, or if he should never have said anything at all.
That night taught me a hard lesson: work announcements don’t always mean what they seem to mean, and sometimes the truth hides behind smiles and titles. Since then, I’ve learned to keep my congratulations neutral—and my distance even safer.
