There are certain joys when it comes to working freelance – primarily flexibility and choice when it comes to when, how much, and with whom you work.

But with downsides including lack of job security, lack of benefits, and lack of routine, it’s not for everybody.

And when the woman in this story had her freelance contract threatened by a higher-up co-worker, she was afraid for her own job security.

But his behavior was far from fair, and as the evidence against him stacked up, it became clear that his motives were not good ones.

Read on to find out how she ended up feeling like she was in the wrong.

AITA for being mean to my coworker?

I am a 20-year-old woman, and I am a sort of freelancer, since my last boss called me to ask me to come help for two weeks with pay.

My boss left for vacation a couple days ago, so one of my older coworker (30, male) just gives me the assignments.

However, the problem started a couple days ago when he gave me a ride and started touching my thigh.

Yikes! Let’s see how she felt about this.

Now, my industry is pretty male centered so I’m honestly pretty used to stuff like that, even though it made me incredibly uncomfortable.

A day later I finished all my assignments and my friends from work wanted to go for coffee together.

At that time my coworker decided to go buy lunch and told me to wait to show him my work so he could ok it.

He came back an hour later, and I told him I’d finished everything and was planning on heading out.

Let’s see what happened when she tried to leave.

He told me I couldn’t leave because he wanted to give me some of his work load.

I said ok, tell me what to do and I’ll do it fast. I’ll be honest I was probably visibly annoyed.

He told me to wait because he was eating.

So I waited for thirty minutes, my friends left, then another ten, after which point I went to look for him, and found that he was doing nothing.

I asked him to please just give me the work, because I don’t like just waiting and not doing anything. A

fter another ten minutes, he came and gave me the files. I finished the work in ten minutes, then I went home.

But when she went back to work the next day, everything was not okay.

A day later I came in early, and he told me to transfer all the files I worked on to him. I thought it was probably just so he could fix any mistakes to not waste time.

But then he took me aside to have a conversation, and he said he feels like I’m not being a good partner because yesterday I wanted to get the files done and go home.

I told him this is work, why wouldn’t I?

But then he said it looks like I don’t want to work.

I was baffled, and he said that if I don’t start acting like a “partner,” he will convince my boss to end my contract early, since they’re friends.

And things just kept getting worse for her.

I was terrified, and didn’t know what to say. I later found out that he told other people that I don’t work at all (I finished more projects than anyone in the office).

I cried on my way to work today because I realized that my memories of the place are now only uncomfortable and sad.

When I arrived I tried to just work, but he moved me from my station to sit with him so he could check on me.

Later my friend came to sit with us too.

When I tried to show him my work to get an ok, he didn’t even look at the screen. By then even my friend was uncomfortable because something just felt weird.

Eventually things came to a head for this woman.

The work day that was supposed to be six hours turned into ten, then before I went home he told me that tomorrow I needed to stay with him in the office late.

I told him I couldn’t as I have another job at that time (something my boss is very much aware of)

He said he doesn’t care and I have to do it.

Now I’ll be honest, in the last couple of days I have probably been way more passive aggressive than I should have been. I can’t perceive myself from the outside so maybe I even offended him.

AITA?

It’s clear that this woman is in a tricky situation with a potentially misogynistic co-worker who is taking the lead while her boss is away.

And his intentions are clearly nefarious, since he has been telling others that she doesn’t do any work, whilst pushing his own workload onto her.

He’s not a man to be trusted, and after his behavior in the car she absolutely shouldn’t be staying late with him, and certainly not alone.

Let’s see what folks on Reddit had to say about this.

This person agreed that he was dangerous, and she shouldn’t be alone with him.

While others urged her to try to get in contact with her boss.

And this Redditor gave some other practical advice for dealing with this predatory co-worker.

He’s not a good guy.

If you liked this post, you might want to read this story about a teacher who taught the school’s administration a lesson after they made a sick kid take a final exam.