Maternity leave was meant to be a time of bonding with my newborn, but it turned into a nightmare when my coworker, Emily, demanded more than just a ride to work. My name is Katie, and between adjusting to life with my husband, Mark, and our new baby, things were already overwhelming.

For a year, I’d been giving Emily rides to work since she lived near my old apartment. But once I started maternity leave, Emily insisted Mark drive her, even though it wasn’t practical. I firmly told her no, but she didn’t take it well.

Then one morning, Emily showed up at 5:45 a.m., begging Mark to drive her. He hesitated, but I put my foot down. Emily stormed off, but I knew she wouldn’t give up.

A few days later, when I went out early to run an errand, our car was gone. I panicked, but soon saw Emily returning with it, claiming she’d borrowed it to get to work. Shocked, I confronted her, but she didn’t seem sorry. Mark, ever the people-pleaser, surprised me by standing firm, telling Emily never to come back.

Later that day, after the police left, we discussed what happened. Mark suggested changing the locks and installing a security system. A few days later, Emily sent an apology message, but Mark said we should just move on. With the locks changed and our home secure, we focused on our growing family and the lessons learned.

As we settled into our new routine, I felt stronger and more confident, knowing that, together, Mark and I could handle anything life threw our way.