5
"Well then, could you wait out here for a moment? I need to tidy up first. The office is quite messy. The cleaning staff didn't get to it earlier."
Why was she so afraid to let me in? Something had to be wrong for her to be this protective of her boss's office.
"It seems you won't let me go inside. What exactly is in there?" I fixed my eyes on the young woman, crossing my arms. "Do you even know who I am?" I snapped.
"I do, ma'am. But sir instructed me not to let anyone enter without permission. Besides, there was a meeting here yesterday, so it's still very messy," she said, looking down.
"Who dares hold meetings in the CEO's office? And my husband was out of town all day yesterday, wasn't he? I am the legal owner of this company, so I don't need permission from anyone to come in here. And remember, I can easily fire any employee who makes me uncomfortable," I said, opening the unlocked door handle. "Oh, and what is your name?"
"Linda, ma'am," she replied.
"Linda, such a pretty name. Don't worry, I won't fire you. In fact, I appreciate how dutifully you follow your boss's orders. You may return to your work now. Please call the cleaning staff for me. One more thing, don't even think about telling your boss about this. If you do, I'll fire you without reference, and I can guarantee no other company will hire you again."
"Yes, ma'am," she said.
The office wasn't messy at all like Linda had claimed. In fact, it was spotless and smelled fresh. I knew Chandra was very particular about cleanliness.
I examined his desk, it was neat and organized as always, but a small photo frame on top made me freeze. There he was, embracing Raisa in an intimate pose. So this was what Linda had been hiding from me. My husband was truly outrageous. He lives off my family's wealth and still has the nerve to do this. May he face the consequences of his actions.
I opened the desk drawers and was shocked by what I found. There were several male contraceptive devices stored inside. Why would Chandra keep so many of these here?
I needed to ask Linda about this, so I called her through the office phone. Within a minute, she was sitting across from me.
"How can I help you, ma'am?" she asked, still looking down.
She seemed terrified to face me. I was certain she knew a great deal about Chandra's affair. I would make her my right-hand woman here.
As I crossed my legs under the desk, my foot bumped into something. I looked down to see a small trash bin had tipped over, scattering its contents across the floor. I was horrified by what I saw, used male contraceptives and dirty tissues stained with a yellowish fluid.
Oh my God, what is this? I began to doubt Chandra was only involved with Raisa. I didn't want to jump to conclusions, but who else would leave trash like that here besides the office's owner? It was possible he had been unfaithful with multiple women this entire time. I've been such a fool, letting him lie to me so easily. I felt disgusted and quickly moved to the sofa.
"Linda, come sit here. I can't stand looking at that mess under the desk," I said.
Linda sat beside me, still keeping her head bowed.
"Did you call Mr. Chandra?"
"No, ma'am. As you instructed," she said.
"Can I trust what you're saying? Because lying to me would be useless," I said.
"I'm not lying, ma'am."
"Hmmm, alright. I'll trust you this time. By the way, how long have you worked here?"
"About two years, ma'am," she replied.
"So you must know a lot about my husband then?" I got straight to the point.
Linda said nothing, just fidgeted with her fingers.
"Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me, and I'll make sure no one finds out. You must know why there are so many contraceptives in this office."
"I don't know, ma'am."
"Let me make you an offer. If you agree to be my eyes and ears here, I'll double your salary. Your only job will be to report everything Mr. Chandra does at the office. But if you refuse, I'll fire you right now. What do you say? Answer me."
"Yes, ma'am. I agree and will tell you everything truthfully. But is it really true? Will my salary be doubled?"
"Do you doubt my authority in this company? Let me be clear, I am the sole heir to this business. Your boss is merely someone I trusted to manage it, and he happens to be my husband at home. With my authority, I can get anything I want," I said calmly.
"I'm sorry, ma'am. Mr. Chandra did ask me to control who enters this office. And he often brings women here."
My suspicions were correct. How could you behave this way behind my back?
"So you know about the photo of that woman on his desk?" I asked, pointing toward the desk.
"Yes, ma'am. That's Raisa, one of Mr. Chandra's girlfriends."
"Girlfriends? Why do you say that? What about the other women?"
"That's just my observation, ma'am. Raisa comes here very often, but the other women usually only come once."
"How often does Mr. Chandra bring women here?"
"It varies, ma'am. Usually twice a week."
"Do all the employees know about this?"
"Yes, ma'am. But who would dare confront the boss? So we just stay quiet and keep working as usual."
You've gone too far this time. I'm terrified my husband might have a sexually transmitted disease, given how many partners he's had.
"Okay, that's enough for now. I believe what you've told me. Starting today, you must report any information I ask for. Now go back to work, and tell all the managers to meet me in the conference room in one hour. You may leave."
"Thank you so much, ma'am."
As Linda stood up, I noticed her uniform was cut too low.
"Linda, why do you dress like this? Your appearance doesn't reflect a proper professional woman," I said.
Linda sat back down and began to cry.
"Why are you crying?" I asked, surprised.
"I don't feel comfortable dressing like this either, ma'am. But Mr. Chandra insisted on it. If I didn't do as he said, he would fire me."
"What? Is that true? Are you also one of my husband's mistresses?"
I was shocked when Linda nodded, still sobbing.
"Oh my God!"
"I'm so sorry, ma'am. Mr. Chandra forced me and took advantage of me. When he needs someone and there are no other women around, he demands it from me."
"Did he pay you for this? And why did he choose to marry Raisa instead?"
"Yes, ma'am. He gives me money afterward. I don't know about that part, ma'am. I'm sorry again. From now on, I won't do it anymore. I promise."
I felt dizzy and disgusted listening to everything Linda told me about my husband. This time, I wouldn't get angry at her, she was just obeying my husband's demands, and I knew she could provide more information later.
"Okay, you may go now. Don't forget what I asked of you."
"Yes, ma'am. Thank you so much. From now on, I'll be loyal to you. It's my way of making amends for what I've done." She then left the room.
Chandra has been cheating on me for over a year. During that time, we've been intimate as husband and wife, while he was also with many other women. I'm terrified he might have given me a disease. I need to see a doctor as soon as possible before it's too late.