Today was my first day at the office, I had to arrive early because there was a briefing with all the division heads from various branches this morning.
With natural makeup, a turquoise green tunic top, and a white skirt, my outfit today looked elegant and classy. I paired it with a white headband and a crystal bracelet.
I smiled, satisfied with my reflection in the mirror.
âMommyâ¦â
âYes, sweetheart?â
âWhy doesnât Daddy live here with us?â
Oof. How should I answer Gillianâs question?
âDaddy has to stay with Grandma, honey!
âMommy⦠I miss Daddy and Grandma.â Gillian looked sad.
âWeâll visit Grandma when I have some time, okay?â I consoled her.
âNow, off to school. Letâs go,â I continued, Gillianâs face lit up instantly. After all, she was really close to her grandmother.
âSofia, pick Gillian up at the lobby this afternoon. Donât be late, okay?â
âYes, Maâam.â
âCome on, Gillian. Iâll take you to the lobby so your ride doesnât have to wait too long,â I urged.
âOkay, Mommy.â
In the lobby, Joshua was already waiting for me.
âGood morning, Maâam,â he greeted.
âGood morning, Joshua. Letâs wait until Gillian leaves for school first.â
Joshua nodded.
Charles U Shortly after, the van for Gillian arrived, âBye, Mommy.â Gillian waved from inside the van.
After Gillianâs van disappeared from view I approached Joshua, âLetâs go, Joshua. Iâll wait out front.â
I got into my Land Rover and sat in the back seat, opening my laptop to read. some emails.
An email from the head of HR caught my attention. It listed employees with poor performance, and Derrickâs name was among them. His attendance was poor, and he frequently left the office for long periods during work hours.
Next, I checked on Kendallâs performance. While her attendance was fine, the homewrecker had received several warnings for leaving the office without. permission.
I exhaled sharply, the pain resurfacing. Theyâd been sneaking around together for a long time.
Gillianâs words echoed in my mind. Poor kid. Divorce was hardest on the children. Gillian wasnât very close to her father anymore, but the bond between, a child and their parents would always be there.
There was no way I could continue being in that marriage when I had been. cheated on. I needed to make Gillian happy, even if it meant not being with her father.
We arrived at the office. Joshua dropped me off at the lobby, and a security guard opened the door for me.
âGood morning, Ms. Johnson.â The security guard, John, greeted me politely.
âGood morning,â I replied.
John helped carry my laptop and followed me. With confident steps, I headed to the elevator, where two female employees were already waiting. They nodded at me in greeting.
As the elevator doors opened, I entered. An office girl stood in the corner with her cleaning supplies.
The office girl kept her head down, not wanting to meet my gaze. Her body. language was familiar. I chuckled Inwardly. âIs that all the courage you have, Lorraine?â
The elevator reached the third floor, and Lorraine still hadnât looked up. I confidently stepped out and headed to my office.
Bradley had done a great job with my requests. He was always fantastic to work with.
âBrad, come to my office later,â I called as I passed Bradleyâs desk near my office.
He nodded.
I entered the office that was now . I used to be Uncle Bennyâs, but Bradley had transformed it. He knew my taste perfectly.
I smiled, pleased with the blackâandâwhite theme and the live plants in every.
corner.
âSarah, youâre here early,â Bradley remarked, entering my office.
âI wanted to catch any latecomers.â
âThatâs HRâs job. You donât need to bother with that,â Bradley advised.
âItâs my job too. I wonât tolerate poor performance,â I explained.
âAlright, itâs up to you,â Bradley conceded, âTell HR to send any latecomers to my office,â I requested.
âGot it, boss!â
âOh, what time is the division headsâ briefing?â I asked, opening the documents. on my desk.
âAt ten, boss.â
âWhy donât I have a drink yet? Please send an office girl to my office.â
Bradley left, and a moment later, there was a knock my door.
âGâgood morning, Sarah.â
Wow, whoâs this person âCall Ms. Johnson! Got it?â
Lorraine nodded quickly.
âSarah⦠isnât there a more suitable position for me here?â she whispered, barely audible.
âHey, call me Ms. Johnson!â I insisted.
âAnd if youâre unhappy with your current position, feel free to resign! Youâre lucky to have been hired at all,â I snapped.
Lorraineâs face went pale.
âNow, get me a drink!â I ordered.
She quickly left.
âSorry, Lorraine, this isnât like me. But you need to understand what it feels like to be mistreated and bossed around like you did to me.
âSo you realize that life can change at any moment. Not everyone stays at the top forever Lorraine returned shortly with a glass of water.
âHâhereâs your drink, Ms. Johnson,â she said nervously.
âThanks,â I replied without looking at her.
It was already 8:30 a.m.. As I reviewed Bradleyâs reports, I waited for the latecomers.
There was a knock on the door.
âYes, come in.â
âMs. Johnson, these are the latecomers,â the head of HR announced.
JS BONUS Two people stepped into my office.
Without even looking. I knew who these two would be.
Well, Derrick, what were you up to last night with this homewrecker to make you late?â
I glared at them. How disgusting. I was sick of seeing them.
âPrepare warning letters for both of them. If theyâre late again, fire them!â I ordered.
âYes, Maâam,â the head of HR said, then left.
I The despicable pair turned to look at me. I deliberately returned their with hatred.
atares The pain of their betrayal hit me again. That morningâs scene replayed in my mind.
âSarah⦠Can we talk in private?â Derrick asked suddenly.
Kendall glared at Derrick, clearly disapproving.
âYou should be addressing me as Ms. Johnson,â I retorted.
âBut youâre my wife, Sarah,â he insisted.
âNot for long,â I corrected him.
âAnd now, I am your boss! Got it?â
Derrick fell silent and lowered his head.
âNow, get back to your office!â
I couldnât stand seeing them even a second longer.