This Coworker Is Like The Crash After A Sugar High

To say [Coworker] has a sweet tooth would be a massive understatement. She always has sweets on her desk and I’ve seen her eat cake for breakfast more than once.

The problem is that she has since adopted the “crazy cake lady” persona, as she puts it.

She uses this to justify helping herself to whatever is around, whenever she pleases. I have to keep anything I want for myself in my desk. It’s ridiculous how this has become “normal” in the office.

I haven’t seen [Coworker] all day, so I take my chance and tuck into some amazing lemon drizzle cake at my desk. I’m barely on my third forkful when she appears. I slump down to try and hide. But as two people have already complimented it, I know the lemon smell carries and she will be over soon. I feel the uncomfortable awkwardness already.

Coworker: “Oh, I can smell something sweet. Come on! Who brought in the goodies?”

She starts looking around, making exaggerated shrugging, and then whining at others.

Coworker: “Aha!”

I actually jump.

Coworker: “You can’t hide from the cake lady. What is that, lemon cake?”

Me: “Yes, actually, it’s from my husb—”

Coworker: *Sharply* “Well, come on, then! Who brought it in? Where is it?”

Me: “Actually, I brought this piece in, and I—”

Coworker: “And where is it, then? Come on, my break is nearly over. “

Me: “And there is only one piece; it’s all that’s left. Honest.”

Coworker: *Disgusted* “How can you bring in one piece, when all of your coworkers would want some?! That’s… that’s so selfish.”

Me: “[Coworker], it’s leftovers. It’s hardly a slice.”

Coworker: “We share things in the office. You don’t just bring in a slice!”

Coworker #2: “Leave her alone, [Coworker]!”

Coworker: “I thought better of you!”

I admit that was intense! I complained, but our bosses laughed it off. “It was only cake,” and, “You know how [Coworker] gets.”

When they told me to just bring in an extra piece, I complained to Human Resources. They only took me seriously after I had another coworker back me up.

[Coworker] was disciplined but didn’t change, but small victories: we learnt that [Coworker] doesn’t like coffee cake — my favourite! Whenever she is really annoying me I bake a fresh one for everyone to share. Petty? Sure, but it is also fun.