When Guilty.....

I made the right call, retreating positively. I'm glad I did, because days later, the beans got spilled without the need for lengthly conversations.
In a situation where someone goes over your head and then either apologises or denies, and swears never to repeat it, AND repeats it, either knowingly or unknowingly, it calls for a major re-think - especially if it borders around professionalism and ethical behaviour - work.
Not many are aware that our mind leaves many trails as we go about our daily life - consciously or unconsciously. It's how things are.
That no matter what our verbal cues are to the situation, something will give us away - in time.
There is no escape from guilt, when we are discussing average people - regular people.
Just like the cliche of the guilty buying small tokens for the offended, whether or not they are aware that they have been wronged. We try to buy ourselves out of situations not favourable to us. It's survival - yet, that alone gives us away.
So, when guilty, best is, to sincerely apologise and make up for it by ensuring that it never happens again. It's much better than buying lunches or gifts, because some people just cannot be bought over like that. I'm one good example.
Unfortunately, this distinguishes the well-brought up and the pseudo-cultured. The well-brought up lives with a minimal of guilt - the pseudo will have to make costly mistakes and hopefully get away with it.