How to Apologize When You Accidentally Revealed Someone's Secret

Own it immediately and fully. The worst thing you can do is minimize -- "it just slipped out" tells the other person their trust doesn't matter to you. Instead: acknowledge the breach specifically, accept the consequences without deflecting, and ask what you can do to begin repairing the damage. Trust is rebuilt through consistent actions over time, not through a single apology. Don't rush them to forgive you -- that timeline is theirs, not yours.