I got parts of this story from both sides and pieced all the details together. Other people at my firm are putting the pieces together also and now rumors are beginning to circle the office. I don't think we've heard the last of it...
Susan is one of the more successful people in our department. She's also a royal bitch, but she gets away with it because she's so valuable to the company. She's in her mid-30's, I think. Her looks are slipping, but she's attractive and you can tell she was once a stunner. She has dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. She's about 5'7" and her figure is still pretty good. However, you forget about all this when you get around her. She's just not pleasant.
No one knows this better than her assistant of five years Tammy. Susan is really tough on Tammy. She has paid her well, which I guess is why Tammy has put up with the abuse. I mean, Susan has reduced Tammy to tears many times.
I saw one episode. It was mid-afternoon and Susan was prepping for a big meeting. Susan was barking orders at Tammy and poor Tammy was running around trying her best to keep her boss happy, but that wasn't going to happen. Susan decided Tammy just wasn't working fast enough. Susan berated Tammy in front of everybody, threatening to fire her because the meeting was going to be a disaster. When Susan retreated to her office, Tammy sat at her desk trying not to show her tears. Susan came out later and told Tammy she could begin to make up for her incompetence by helping Susan with her shoe straps. Tammy got down on all fours and fixed Susan's shoes while Susan looked down at her.
Tammy deserves better. Especially after five years of loyal service. Tammy has never skipped work, is always early, works late and does a fantastic job. She's the best assistant on the floor. She even helped Susan cover up an affair with someone in sales. I've only recently learned of the affair.
Tammy is very sweet also. She is only 24, and very attractive. She has long dark hair and dark brown eyes, and her smile makes you want to do the same. She's also about 5'7", and has an amazing body. I mean, she did some swimsuit modeling in college. I hear that one drunken night she was voted "hottest woman" on the floor by the guys. Anyway, hot or not, she deserves better. I've told her that often.
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Susan has been married for seven years. I saw her husband once. He is really cute. And a really nice guy too. We all wondered how Bill could put up with Susan. At first we thought maybe she was different away from work, but Tammy assured us she was just as bad to him.
Anyway, apparently Susan began to suspect that Bill was having an affair a few months ago. She decided not to confront him until she had the proof, so she gave Tammy the name of a private investigator to contact. Tammy was reluctant to get involved, but she had no choice. Susan didn't want to know anything except the final report. She gave her the investigator's info on a Tuesday. She told Tammy to tell the investigator to wrap it up and report back in a week.
Susan came in Wednesday and was in a really bad mood. She called Tammy into her office and told her to close the door.
"I want you to organize the bottom shelf of this bookcase by author's name" she told Tammy, pointing down at it.
Tammy pulled up her skirt a little to protect it when she would drop to the floor. When Susan saw Tammy taking the time to protect her clothes, Susan screamed "NOW!" so loud that even I heard it standing two offices away. Tammy knew Susan was just being mean to be mean, displacing her anger at other things onto Tammy. This was nothing new. Susan walked over and stood above Tammy.
"Did you call the investigator?" asked Susan, looking down at Tammy.
"Yes, I did" answered Tammy uneasily while shuffling books around.
Susan looked away. "That fucking asshole said no!"
Tammy could tell she wasn't talking about the investigator.
"I'm sorry, I don't understand..." Tammy started to speak.
"It's nothing," Susan said sternly and then turned away, "I just asked Bill to consider something and he said no."
Tammy didn't know what to say so she stayed busy with the books. Susan was looking out the window. She had a nice view of the river from her office.
"Aren't you done yet?!?" She finally turned back to Tammy.
"Yes, just finished. I'm sorry I took so long..."
"Just get out and leave me alone!"
Tammy didn't say anything. She just picked herself up and walked back out, closing the door behind her. I saw Tammy that day, and you wouldn't have known that Susan had just treated her so badly. If anything, she seemed to be smiling. I guess you get used to being treated so poorly.
Susan didn't mention the discussion the rest of the week, but her mood got worse and worse. She blamed Tammy for not getting her a business class seat on a flight, even though Susan had not told her about the meeting until the day before. As punishment, Susan told Tammy to order her lunch from this restaurant 10 blocks away and go pick it up. Poor Tammy had to run there and back to the office to keep the food from getting cold.
The weekend came and went. Susan had to travel Monday, then came in on Tuesday. Report day. Susan was in meetings away from the office all morning, and then came in for more meetings in the afternoon. She told Tammy not to leave until they had met to discuss the investigation. Susan went to her meetings, then went for drinks with some management types before coming back to the office. It was 6:30pm and Tammy was still there waiting.
Susan didn't care. She ordered Tammy into her office. Tammy went in and closed the door behind her.
"So?" Susan bluntly asked.
Tammy began to speak as she sat in her chair.
"I completed the investigation..."
"Tammy, you couldn't investigate a cardboard box! What did the investigator say?!?"
Tammy paused at the impact of Susan's insult.
"He is having an affair."
"I knew it! I'll kill him! Who is she?"
Tammy hesitated.
"Tammy, did the investigator figure it out?"
"Well...."
Tammy looked at the floor, unable to bring herself to speak. Susan grew increasingly impatient.
"What?!?!? Tammy, SAY IT!!!"
Tammy flinched at the order and then, without looking up, answered softly...
"It's me..."
She said it so softly that Susan paused in confusion.
"W-w-what did you just say?"
Tammy kept looking down but raised her voice a bit.
"It's me..." said Tammy.
"It's me what? What are you talking about Tammy?"
Tammy picked her eyes up from the floor, but she couldn't raise them to Susan's yet.
"I'm the woman..."
"You're the woman what? What does that mean, Tammy?"
Susan was raising her voice. Tammy gathered strength, sat up straight and looked Susan in the eyes.
"I'm the woman having an affair with your husband!"
Susan looked confused for a moment. Then it hit her.
"YOU are having an affair with MY husband???"
Tammy was calm. She paused and looked past Susan, out the window.
"Yes."
"Tammy, if this is a joke..."
Tammy's eyes turned back to Susan, confirming this was no joke.
"What about the private investigator?"
"I never called..."
Tammy's heart began to race as Susan raised her voice.
"YOU'RE the other woman!?!?!?"
Susan wrestled with the concept of Tammy as 'the other woman.' Tammy just nodded.
"This can't be true..."
Tammy said nothing. Susan grappled with the implications of this.
"Is this some way of getting more money from me?"
Tammy shook her head. "No."
"Then why? What is wrong with you???"
Susan began moving towards Tammy, who leaned back to look up at Susan.
"Because I like Bill, and he LOVES me!"
Susan hit the wall. She lashed out at Tammy.
