It started out as just an ordinary workday. I was busy at my desk following up on some orders. The secretary was working on the computer and filing some paid bills. The ten men we employed were downstairs in the shop working on the components we manufactured. It seemed like just another day at work.
Rob, my husband was at his desk trying to look busy, as was his usual manner. Oddly, though, when I walked over to his desk to ask a question about an invoice or something, I would see that he had solitaire on his computer screen. This always seemed a bit irritating as in the evening after I would pick up our child and go home to start dinner, he always called and said he would be late as he had more work to do.
My husband and I had been married for some 12 years. We had worked together at our business for most of those years other than the little time I took off to have our child. However, the love seemed to be lost between us anymore. He never took any interest in me, our child, or really much of anything.
For probably the first 6 years, I did everything I could think of to get him to understand that he would only get back what he put into his marriage and child. However, all was to no avail and after that 6 years, I just resigned myself to try and make it through until our child was grown and gone. Then maybe, I could go, too.
Yes, there were many times I was so angry at his attitude but I knew not what to do. However, as time went on, I found it was all just fruitless to even talk about the problems. I just prayed that someday I would be free of him and the empty, loveless, void we lived in.
Kate, the secretary was a nice gal and I was always glad to have another person in the office to at least make the day go by faster. We had had many secretaries but Rob somehow had lost most of them by the way he treated them so poorly. He always had a way of making a person feel like any mistakes that they made were incredibly stupid and then proceed to browbeat them unmercifully. I never blamed them for leaving. I often wished I could do the same.
The men employees were an interesting lot. Some nice, some quiet, some a little odd, but that was to be expected in any business with employees. Then, of course, there was always that unseen line between employer and employee that did not allow for much freedom of conversation. Then, my being the boss's wife made me definitely off limits.
I do remember, though, over the years finding more than one of those employees rather interesting in more ways than just a friendly curiosity. I never acted on such thoughts as my husband could be a violent man and that was definitely the last thing I needed to deal with. I allowed only my imagination to play.
As the day went on, I remember thinking, "Just another day at work with Rob, just another of many days to come." Yes, somehow, I wished the years would fly by and I could reclaim my spirit and fly away.
I was lost in my thoughts at my desk when I heard this odd commotion on the steps up to the office. It almost sounded like a herd of buffalo. Kate glanced at me with a perplexed look. Rob started to stand up to see what it was all about when suddenly 1 of 3 men burst through the door brandishing an automatic rifle in his hands.
Rob stepped back as Kate and I let out screams. Behind the first gunman, our men employees were being forced into the office area with their hands held high. Behind them followed two more masked men carrying weapons. What could they want? We carried no money on the premises and nothing else of value. Kate and I were both shaking almost uncontrollably. When I glanced at Rob, he looked almost like a cowardly dog backing into a corner.
The gunmen ordered the employees to sit in one corner of the office on the floor. They warned if anyone resisted their instructions, they would be shot. Nobody hesitated to do what they said. The third gunman turned to Kate and I and ordered us to take off all our clothes. What was happening? What did these men want? Why were they here doing this to us?
Kate and I had no choice but to do as they said. Embarrassed and shaking, we slowly pulled our blouses off, then our skirts until we had just our panties and bras and heels.