Business owner finds out they hired the ex of their biggest client as the new designer, client demands they fire him: 'My business feels like a reality show'

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Nov 15, 2025 1:00 PM EST

When a couple decides to call it quits and break up, both would do pretty much anything to avoid having to see each other ever again. They move cities, get new jobs, find new friends; anything to sever that tie and forget about that challenging breakup.

When a breakup is so awful that you have to get a lawyer, the very last thing you need is another encounter, which is what complicated matters for the business owner in the story below. A busy month at work led them to the decision to hire a new designer to help them out, and so they did. However, a week after the designer started, a big client reached out to the business manager and revealed that the new hire is her ex-boyfriend, with whom things definitely did not end well. 

That ex now has full access to the client's brand file and sensitive business information. Apparently, he knew about this connection and was not surprised when the owner brought up this delicate issue.

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  • Although the business owner could have never predicted this situation, they do feel responsible for the complication, and are now not sure what they should do next…

  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10575233792
    via Yan Krukau

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02

    TIFU by accidentally hiring my client’s ex without realizing it

    I run a small creative business nothing huge, a few clients mostly remote stuff. Last month i was swamped and decided to bring in some help for design work.
    via Illustrious_Day138
  • 03
    posted the gig, got a few solid applicants and hired this one person who seemed super professional.
    via Illustrious_Day138
  • 04
    For the first week everything was great. fast communication, clean work, no red flags. then one of my biggest clients calls me out of nowhere and says, "hey, weird question but is \[name\] working with you now?" I said yeah, they're parttime helping out with design.
    via Illustrious_Day138
  • 05
    silence. then she goes, "that's my ex. please tell me you're joking." Turns out they'd broken up a few months ago badly.
    via Illustrious_Day138
  • 06
    Like "lawyer- involved, blocked on all platforms" badly and i had just given the ex full access to our shared folders that included her brand files.
    via Illustrious_Day138
  • 07
    I froze. checked the access logs nothing shady but still a massive yikes. i called the new hire, explained the situation, and to their credit, they were polite but way too calm about it.
    via Illustrious_Day138
  • 08
    they said, "yeah, i figured that might come up eventually." ...what do you mean "might come up eventually." Anyway, now i've got a furious client an exemployee who didn't technically do anything wrong, and a week's worth of awkward damage control ahead of me.
    via Illustrious_Day138
  • 09
    tl;dr: hired a great designer, accidentally reignited someone else's breakup now my business feels like a reality show.
    via Illustrious_Day138
  • 10
    Cheezburger Image 10575234048
    via FatCamera

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 11
    Manifest Destinys Chld ...What does your client expect you to have done differently?
    via ManifestDestinysChld
  • 12
    Interesting_Worry202 Maybe it's just me, but i deal with conflict of interest a lot in construction as well. Simple solutions seems to be, throw the new employee every bit of work for other clients, lock access to that specific client and explain to the client every step you have taken to avoid any conflict between them and the new employee.
    via Interesting_Worry202
  • 13
    roundbadge2 How exactly were you supposed to know about their personal life? If they said, "Weird question, but..." then they already know there's no reason for you to know that. Restrict the access of the employee in question and then move on. You're under no obligation to understand the interpersonal relationships of all of your clients.
    via roundbadge2
  • 14
    NiemandSpezielles >an exemployee who didn't technically do anything wrong Not sure about that. Depending on the business that might be a compliance issue, especially since your employee seems to have known, and just decided not to tell.
    via NiemandSpezielles
  • 15
    Necessary_Bother3993 I think it's on the client to ask in advance about that kind of thing, she's the only one who knows that: 1. her Ex is someone she wants to avoid 2. her Ex is also someone who works in the same field as the service she's requesting. I understand the client being upset but I sure hope it's not directed towards you! That's a crazy unfortunate coincidence for sure though
    via Necessary_Bother3993
  • 16
    Hirstaang107 Surely you just remove your employees permissions to this client's files and they don't do any work for this customer but otherwise continue as usual?
    via Hirstaang107
  • 17
    SpiderByt3s "Yeah, figured that might come up eventually." If they wanted a chance to keep their job they should have brought it up the moment they realized it was a conflict of interest for them to have access to their Ex's business in anyway.
    via SpiderByt3s
  • 18
    ThePartyLeader welcome to why people should use and expect conflict of interests forms 101.
    via ThePartyLeader
  • 19
    NobodySpecific If the employee knew who the client was then he DID do something wrong by not declaring the conflict of interest.
    via NobodySpecific
  • 20
    Shiva- I mean the real f <-up here is you fired your employee... Like bro, it happens. Turns out my ex is in the same industry as me... I found out like 8 months later by pure happenstance. (Actually it's kinda funny, received an email from someone at ex's company with a name very similar. Wasn't the ex. But looked up the ex on LinkedIn and realized ex was actually also working at that company. Also it was a very common last name)
    via Shiva-

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boss workplace-stories employee fired drama manager job tales-from-the-workplace client reddit story ceo exes workplace Reddit company business
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