Next time, I'll bring earplugs with me

I hate gossip and what I hate most about it is when I fall for it.

Case in point, I was covering a shift for a workmate because of some urgent family matters on her end. I wasn't planning to go to work that day but out of concern and in good spirits, I did it so my workmate could take care of whatever hooplas are going on.

I got to work and heard this ridiculous story which I bought (yeah, I know I could have been smarter than that), that my workmate is such a liar and that there's always a family emergency every week and this person had to miss work and (get this) that he/she just might be banging someone else.

At that point, I felt like I've been had. I felt like somebody used me and my free time so he/she can just do whatever he/she feels like doing.

It really pissed me off.

I told Ger about it and he says it sounds so gossip-y. I ignored it. I was pissed, after all.

Just this afternoon, I walked in the store and this workmate gave me a very sincere hug. Thanking me for covering the shift because if it hadn't worked out that way, things could have gotten worst on that family emergency she had to attend to.

For five minutes, I felt like sh!t. I felt like I have been so judgmental and I felt like I'm just one of those gossip mongers. I hated that feeling. I hate the guilt that's creeping inside of me.

It turns out, I've really been had. But by the wrong person.

Yes, I really hate gossip.