Woman Confused After ‘Work Acquaintance’ Calls Her Rude for Not Telling Him She’s Married

A woman on Reddit is feeling awkward after a co-worker accused her of leading him on because she didn't tell him she was married.

She explained that a male co-worker in a different department, with whom she has chatted a "few times" but never exchanged names, struck up a conversation about their at-the-time upcoming holiday party in the office the day before the event.

"He told me what he was going to be wearing and showed me a photo of the new waistcoat he had bought, then told me that he had bought a top hat to wear because he's always wanted one but hadn't had a reason before. I told him his waistcoat looked nice," she shared on Reddit.

READ MORE: Woman Suspects Affair After Husband Says He Has to Share Room With Female Co-Worker

The next day, the woman and her husband attended the holiday party. Later in the evening, while leaving the event, the woman smiled and nodded at the co-worker, but he ignored her.

"I thought maybe he didn't see me after all and thought nothing of it. Today in the office Top Hat Guy spoke to me and told me it was rude to mislead him into thinking I was interested in him and should have told him I was in a relationship because I've embarrassed him and 'strung [him] along,'" she recalled.

Her co-worker was "really upset and borderline angry," so she apologized for any "miscommunication."

"I don't want to start gossiping in the office and my husband will take my side automatically. I didn't think I was in the wrong but he made me feel like I was," she concluded.

READ MORE: Woman Annoyed After Husband’s Co-Worker Calls Him Her ‘Work Husband’

Users in the comments backed the woman, with many suggesting she contact her HR department.

"Another guy that thinks that when a woman is polite with him, she's flirting. Don't feel bad, he's wrong. But talk to your husband and you might need to talk to HR if he misbehaves again. Just because he gives off many red flags so quickly. I would recommend to talk to HR right now but I'd understand if you don't," one person wrote.

"He’s so out of line. You don’t even know each other's names and he accused you of misleading him and stringing him along, just because you were work acquaintances who said hello… that’s not normal. I would definitely document this and address it with the proper people at work to cover yourself," another chimed in.

"You literally don’t even know his name and he’s complaining you’re being rude for not telling him you were married before he even knew your name? This dude is a total creep. You don’t owe anyone your relationship status. You don’t owe him anything. You didn’t string him along, you treated him like a normal semi-functional human being ... apparently this was too high of a bar for him," someone else commented.