This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.
The original was posted on /r/tifu by /u/Odd-Occasion-3528 on 2025-11-19 16:03:44+00:00.
I'm only now realizing how fucked I actually am.
I'm a freelance translator, mostly Spanish to English for various companies. Last week I had two projects from pharmaceutical companies, both translating clinical trial documents. Company A is a big name, Company B is smaller.
I'm working on both, keeping them in separate folders. Very organized. Company A's file labeled CompanyA_Clinical_Nov.docx and Company B's is CompanyB_Clinical_Nov.docx.
Finished Company A's translation Tuesday morning. Had my coffee, did a final proofread, went to email it. Attached the document, wrote a professional email, hit send.
Except I attached Company B's file. To Company A. A document with confidential information about Company B's drug trials that Company A definitely shouldn't have.
Didn't realize until Wednesday when Company B asked for their translation. I went to send it and the file was still in the folder. That's when it hit me - if Company B's file is here, what did I send to Company A?
Checked my sent folder and felt my soul leave my body.
I immediately emailed Company A asking them to delete it without reading, that I sent the wrong file. Got an out-of-office reply. The manager's on holiday until next week.
So now somewhere in Company A's inbox is Company B's confidential document that I translated and sent them. Can't recall it. Can't confirm if anyone read it.
Company B doesn't know. Company A doesn't know I know. I'm just waiting for the shitstorm.
I've probably violated like fifteen NDAs and might've given Company A competitive intelligence worth millions. My career might be over. Can't sleep.
TL;DR: Mixed up files and sent Company A their competitor's confidential drug trial translation, potentially violating NDAs and creating a legal nightmare that I can't fix until someone gets back from holiday.