I refused to join 'mandatory' Secret Santa at work—now HR calls me in

Every December, we get messages from readers who find themselves caught in holiday drama they never signed up for — not with family, but at work. This year, one story stood out. It came from a reader who thought declining a simple office activity would be no big deal... until it snowballed into group-chat gossip, manager backlash, and an unexpected meeting with HR.Here’s the letter she sent us.