Accused of something you didn’t do? Stay calm, lay out the facts, and let your record back you up.

False accusations make you want to react at the volume of the injustice, which is the one thing that makes you look worse. Heat reads as guilt to people who were not there, and it also crowds out the details that would actually clear you. The steadier version is slower and much stronger. Facts, dates, and a year of behavior do more than any amount of insisting.

Answer once, in order, with what happened and what can be checked. Say you understand why the question came up, even though the answer is no. Then stop repeating it and let the people who know you fill in the rest.