Coworker Stole My Work—and Paid the Price
I trained a new coworker for months, covering his mistakes and staying late countless times. He joked I was “the safety net,” and I didn’t mind—until promotion time. Suddenly, he acted confident, even smug.
When the promotion was announced, he got it. My heart sank. But then my boss called me in. Logs and security footage showed he had been copying my work, late at night, and claiming it as his own.
The next day, HR confronted him in a meeting, evidence displayed for everyone. He tried to lie, flail, and blame circumstances. Then he was terminated on the spot.
I was offered the promotion. A client I’d saved quietly months before reached out with a consulting opportunity—double pay, flexible hours. That “extra” job became the start of my own consulting business.
Lesson learned: people can steal credit, but they can’t steal character. Truth always wins.
