After losing my job and the only person who truly supported me, I accepted the only position I could find: cleaning floors at my boyfriend’s company. He mocked me, calling it humiliating. What he didn’t expect was that I had a secret that would turn things around and make him regret every cruel word.
Being a woman has never been easy, regardless of the century, and the 21st century was no exception. I had recently lost my job due to downsizing, and it was difficult to find a new one.
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But I hadn’t just lost my job: two weeks ago, I had also lost the person most dear to me, my grandmother.
She had always been my role model. When I was little and people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I used to say, “My grandmother.”
She was the only one who truly cared about me and guided me through life. My parents had always been too focused on work to notice me.
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I sometimes wondered why two workaholics even bothered having a daughter, but I never got an answer.
My grandmother, on the other hand, was a successful businesswoman, but she always dedicated time to me.
He supported my hobbies, helped me with my studies, and comforted me when I needed to cry.
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Thanks to her, I became the woman I am, and I knew she was proud of me, of everything in my life. Well, everything except one thing.
He didn’t approve of my choice of partner. Adam and I had been together for seven years. I loved him. He loved me.
At least, that’s what it seemed. But Grandma frowned every time she saw him.
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“Dim your light, baby. A man should help you shine brighter, not dim you,” she would often remind me.
She believed that Adam held me back, made me smaller, although I had never agreed.
These last two weeks had been unbearable. I couldn’t get over his death, and Adam wasn’t supportive at all.
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He just kept asking me when I’d find a job. It was like he had no idea how much it hurt.
To top it all off, he started coming home later, always on his phone, hiding something from me.
One night, Adam launched into his usual lecture about job hunting. “I understand that losing your job is hard,” Adam commented, “but you can’t just sit at home forever.”
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” I’m looking! ” I blurted out. “But no one wants to hire a woman who’s ‘at that age,’ the age at which they assume I’ll disappear on maternity leave. They don’t care that I’m not even married.”
“That’s just an excuse,” Adam countered. “You always say it’s harder for women to find work.”
“Because it is like that! ” I insisted.
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“Bullshit. We just hired a new interim manager at our company. The owner died, and there’s some turmoil with the will, but this woman is only thirty and she’s already doing excellently. Meanwhile, you sit at home and complain.”
“My grandmother died two weeks ago! What do you want from me?” I yelled.
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“I want you to get a job. I’m not going out with a profiteer,” Adam muttered and left the room.
I buried my face in my hands and burst into tears. I didn’t know if it was from grief, anguish, or both. I was tired, tired of constantly proving my worth.
Adam’s sleepless nights became more frequent. He became more and more distant, and then one day, I caught a whiff of his scent. A woman’s perfume clung to him.
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I already had an idea of who owned it. He kept talking about his new director, Sandra.
He admired her so much that he seemed obsessed. I wanted to confront him, but I decided to act more intelligently.
So, while he was at work, I went to his company’s website and checked out their job listings. There wasn’t anything I was qualified for, except one. Janitor.
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I’d never been proud or demanding. Grandma taught me to respect all honest work. So I called right away and was told I could start that same day.
I arrived at the office, grabbed my uniform and cleaning supplies, and got to work, all the while keeping an eye on Adam.
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While scrubbing the hallway near the men’s restroom, Adam walked by.
“Kylie? What the hell are you doing here?” he blurted out.
“Working,” I replied, still scrubbing.
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“As a janitor? Have you gone crazy?” Adam barked.
“I don’t see the problem. You told me to get a job,” I reminded him.
Adam stopped me and snatched the mop out of my hands. ” Not this! You have a degree in finance! And you degrade yourself by scrubbing floors?” he snapped.
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“I’m not degrading myself. It’s still work,” I replied calmly.
“Don’t tell anyone here you know me. I’d be embarrassed if people found out my girlfriend works in cleaning,” Adam said, then disappeared into the bathroom.
I let out a long sigh, grabbed the mop, and continued working. Adam had become arrogant.
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He didn’t have a college degree, and landing a good position at this company was pure luck. But he seemed to have forgotten that.
I finished before Adam and went home. As much as I wanted to stay and see what he was up to, I figured snooping around on the first day would raise suspicions.
When Adam got home, he looked furious. He walked over and plopped down on the couch.
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“Tell me, are you trying to get revenge on me?” he asked me.
“Of course not,” I replied.
“So why the hell did you take a janitor job at my company?” he yelled.
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“I don’t understand why you’re so angry. It’s temporary, just until I find something in my field. You said you didn’t want to date a profiteer, remember?” I reminded him. “Even though I’ve never taken a dime from you and I’ve lived off my own savings.”
“You can’t work as a janitor! That’s humiliating!” he shouted again.
“Only insecure people think that,” I replied.
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“No, that’s what normal people think! ” Adam argued.
“I will work wherever and however I want,” I declared.
“So… so…” he stammered.
“So what? Will you leave me?” I asked.
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“Not yet, but you need to find something else. And I mean it: don’t you dare tell anyone at the office that we know each other,” Adam warned.
“Whatever you say,” I shrugged.
He entered the bedroom slamming the door.
After a week of working as a cleaner, I finally decided it was time to stay late and catch Adam red-handed.
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I texted the girl on second shift and agreed to cover for her. Most of the staff had already gone home. Everyone except Adam and Sandra.
I tried to remain inconspicuous, and it seemed to work. Adam walked into Sandra’s office, and they didn’t even bother to close the door. I waited a few minutes and then burst in.
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Adam and Sandra were kissing on the small couch in their office and barely noticed me walk in. Sandra saw me first.
“What are you doing here? Are you a pervert?” she yelled, leaping to her feet next to Adam. Adam looked terrified, but only for a second. Then his face went cold.
“I’m Adam’s girlfriend,” I stated.
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“You didn’t tell me you had a girlfriend,” Sandra snapped.
“I don’t have her anymore,” Adam replied. “It’s humiliating to date a janitor.”
Sandra laughed. “You’re right.”
“So, when are you coming to pick up your things from the apartment?” I asked coldly.
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“Why would I move?” Adam mocked.
“Because the rental agreement is in my name,” I explained.
“You can’t just throw me out!” he shouted.
“Of course I can,” I said. “You know what? Don’t bother. I’ll pack your things myself and leave them in the hallway.”
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“YOU…”
Adam started yelling every insult he knew, but I couldn’t hear him anymore. I was already out the door and heading straight for the elevator.
As the doors closed, tears streamed down my cheeks. I had tried to maintain my composure in front of him, but inside I was shattered.
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My heart ached, and all I wanted at that moment was for my grandmother to be there, to hug me, to comfort me. But that was impossible.
As soon as I stepped outside, my phone rang. A small spark of hope ignited inside me. Maybe it was Adam, maybe he was calling to apologize. At least he owed me that much.
But no. It was my grandmother’s lawyer. I took the call.
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“The will is clear. You can come tomorrow and sign the documents. He’s left everything to you,” the lawyer informed me.
“Thanks. I’ll come by first thing tomorrow morning,” I replied and hung up.
It couldn’t have come at a better time. Now he could show Adam what humiliation really felt like.
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The next morning, after signing all the paperwork, I headed to the office, but not dressed like a janitor. I was wearing an elegant business suit and prepared for revenge.
I took the elevator and walked around the office, hearing the staff whispering about the company’s new owner. I walked into Sandra’s office and left my bag on the desk.
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“Who do you think you are?” Sandra shrieked. “You’re a janitor!”
“Oh, no, honey. I’m the one who holds your future in her hands,” I replied, taking documents out of my bag and showing them to him.
Her face changed instantly. She turned pale, clearly frightened, and stood up. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea. Please sit down,” she murmured.
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I sat down and put away all her belongings. “Be a dear and call Adam,” I ordered her.
“Yes, yes, of course,” Sandra nodded and left the office. A few moments later, she returned with Adam.
“What the hell are you doing? Are you crazy?” he yelled at me. “Why are you letting her do this nonsense?! Call security, get her out of here!” he barked at Sandra.
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“Shut up, Adam,” she hissed through her teeth.
“Are you joking? Why are you shaking in front of a janitor?” Adam mocked.
“Because I know something you don’t,” Sandra murmured.
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“That’s right,” I interrupted. “My grandmother’s lawyer called me yesterday. Her will finally went into effect. I inherited her house, her apartment, some assets, and, most importantly, this company.”
“This has to be a joke,” Adam laughed nervously.
“It’s not, Adam. I’m the new owner of this company. Your boss,” I stated.
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“It can’t be. Your grandmother wasn’t that rich,” he argued.
“He didn’t like to brag, like you did. Do you really think you got this job on your own merits? Without a degree?” I asked.
“Why did you never tell me about this?” Adam stammered, fear creeping into his voice.
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“Because I didn’t want you to feel like you owed me or her anything. But now I realize that was a mistake. You started acting like a king when you were really just the jester,” I told him.
“No… I… this… can’t be real…” he stammered again.
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“Adam, I’ve reviewed your performance and experience, and I’ve decided you’re not a good fit for this position,” I announced. “And Sandra, your services are no longer required either. You were just filling in while I returned. But if you ask nicely, I could write you a glowing recommendation.”
“Yes, of course. Whatever you need. Thank you,” Sandra replied quickly.
“What about me?” Adam asked, his voice breaking.
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“Do what you want. Haven’t you realized it yet? You’re fired, Adam,” I said firmly.
Adam fell to his knees. I couldn’t help but laugh. Who felt humiliated now? “No, please! I’m so sorry. I’ll change. I’ll do whatever you want,” he begged.
“Well, that’s funny you should say that. We have an opening on the cleaning crew,” I said.
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Adam jumped up. “Go to hell!” he shouted.
“Okay, fine. Get lost. Or I’ll have security drag you out,” I warned.
“No, no. Okay, sorry. I’ll take the janitor job,” he muttered.
“Great. Sandra, please give Adam a uniform and all the cleaning supplies. Teach him the basics while I work on your letter of recommendation,” I instructed.
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“Yes, of course,” he agreed, and left the office with Adam.
I reached into my purse, pulled out a photo of my grandmother and me, and placed it on the desk.
I wanted to be a boss like her, kind and fair. But I would never tolerate the way Adam treated me again. I would learn my lesson. Just like I had learned mine. No one would ever look down on me again.
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