I called off my four-year relationship to marry my work husband (2024)

When it comes to the workplace, dating is a huge question mark. Some companies forbid it completely, leaving colleagues with blossoming foundations barred from exploring their feelings — at least, in front of HR.

Now, one couple have shared how their whirlwind office romance, which they both broke off their previous relationships for, worked out for the best in the end.

Liv Arnold had been in a relationship with someone else for four years when she realised that she’d caught feelings for her now-husband, Tim.

Now 37 and 38 respectively, they met while working in a call centre in their 20s, making up inside jokes and playing games with one another.

However, at the time, they didn’t see their ‘work wife and husband’ connection progressing.

One night, when it was just the two of them on a night out, their work-based ‘marriage’ appeared to take on a new meaning.

‘As a group, we used to go out for drinks after work and fantasise about quitting,’ Liv said.

‘We also used to go to the movies, for dinner or to the theatre – but our colleagues were so incredibly flaky. Most of the time it was just me and Tim.’

And, as the pair used to joke around, a lot of ‘office gossip’ was circulating about them. Liv says that, at the time, there was ‘no attraction’ and they ‘only thought of each other as friends.’

On the night in question, Liv, from Melbourne, Australia, had asked Tim to join her for a friend’s birthday party – and the drinks quickly began to flow.

‘He had a lot to drink and I was still with my boyfriend of four years, who was long distance,’ she recalls.

‘Tim said he didn’t know why my boyfriend wouldn’t move, because if he was with me, he would move in an instant. He also said I was one in a million.

‘It was unexpected. I was flattered and we already got along – probably more so than I ever did with my ex.’

Eventually, the pair both broke up with their partners for various reasons, which is when they began to realise that the ‘work wife and husband’ situation perhaps held more meaning than they thought.

They started dating in April 2013, and got engaged less than a year later, tying the knot in May 2016.

Now, they’re encouraging other people not to ignore feelings in the workplace if they’re mutual.

‘I had to move roles shortly after we started dating, as we were spending too much time together,’ Liv outlines.

‘But I’ve found my soulmate – and it was the hate of our jobs that brought us together.

‘If you’ve got a work wife or husband, my advice is to go for it. But always make sure to respect your current relationship, if you are in one, and break it off before exploring anything.’

So, is there a reason why people might end up falling for their colleagues?

As dating and relationships coachChristiana Maxionpreviously told Metro.co.uk, people prefer to form romantic bonds in person. And who do we spend more time with than our own families? Our co-workers.

‘What the apps have done is create a lot of distrust and zero accountability in the dating-verse,’ Christiana explained.

‘This then leads to loads of ghosting, planned and unplanned dates, and an inbox that resembles a graveyard of failed dates.’

When it comes to dating colleagues, Christiana recommended some dos and don’ts:

DO

• Be direct with communication and make a mutual decision to either continue or discontinue a romantic relationship.
• Be open and honest about your feelings, fears or worries about a possible relationship.
• Flirt in a discreet way. Remember, you are a professional.

DON’T

• Involve alcohol in your interactions too soon. This could lead down a sloppy slope of mistakes made.
• Be bitter if it doesn’t work out.
• Spread any gossip or hateful comments about the other person if you do split. It will be viewed as immature, unprofessional, and may hurt both yours and your former partner’s reputation.

So, all in all, the overwhelming message when it comes to dating (or not dating) a colleague appears to be: approach with caution.

But who knows, in a few years, you could be recalling memories of the early days in the office at your wedding — just like Liv and Tim.

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

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