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Entitled Worker Belittled My Wife, Who Works as an Office Cleaner — I Was Furious and Put Him in His Place

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Nov 14, 2024 / 1867 Views

Evan Walker

Entitled Worker Belittled My Wife, Who Works as an Office Cleaner — I Was Furious and Put Him in His Place

Susan, a 61-year-old office cleaner, faced humiliation when a coworker, Mark, maliciously knocked over her mop bucket and belittled her. After HR dismissed her complaints, Susan and her husband Jack took matters into their own hands, exposing Mark’s abusive behavior and fighting for justice.

Susan enjoys reading | Source: Midjourney

My wife, Susan, is 61 and works as a cleaner in an office. She loves the job because it gives her some extra money and, with the flexible hours, she gets to spend more time with our grandkids. Plus, she can enjoy her favorite hobby — reading books. But recently, something bad happened at her job.

One evening, she came home looking upset. I noticed right away.

Jack notices Susan is upset | Source: Midjourney

“Susan, what’s wrong?” I asked, setting down my newspaper.

She sighed and sat down beside me. “You won’t believe what happened at work today, Jack.”

“What is it? Tell me.”

Susan tells Jack about her troubles | Source: Midjourney

She took a deep breath. “I was mopping the hallway floor, minding my own Business. Suddenly, I heard the company manager, Mr. Thompson, yelling at someone. He was really laying into them for missing a deadline. Said it cost the company an important sponsor.”

“That doesn’t sound good,” I said, leaning in closer.

Mark shouts at Susan | Source: Midjourney

“No, it wasn’t,” she continued. “The yelling was so loud that even people walking by stopped to listen.”

“Who was he yelling at?” I asked.

“I don’t know, I couldn’t see from where I was. But then, out of nowhere, this man with an angry face stormed out of the office. He looked furious.”

A bucket with dirty water | Source: Midjourney

“What did you do?” I asked.

“I just kept mopping, trying to stay out of his way. But then he came right up to me and kicked over my bucket of water.”

“He did what?” I almost shouted.

Susan tries to clean up spilled water | Source: Midjourney

“Yes, he knocked over the bucket and dirty water went everywhere. It even seeped into the neighboring offices,” she said, her voice trembling.

“That’s terrible! What did you do?”

“I started cleaning up the mess right away. But then he yelled at me, ‘What a klutz! You’re so old, you can’t even mop the floor right?’ And then he just walked off.”

Mark attracted the unwanted attention | Source: Midjourney

I could see the pain in her eyes. “That’s awful, Susan. Did anyone help you?”

“No, Jack. People from the nearby offices came out and started telling me to clean up the mess. They thought I had made it.”

“Did you explain what happened?” I asked.

Sad Susan | Source: Midjourney

“I tried. But later, my boss called me into her office. She told me that if anything like this happened again, I’d be fired.”

“Fired? That’s not fair!” I exclaimed.

“I know. I told her what really happened, but no one believed me,” Susan said, her eyes filling with tears.

Angry Jack | Source: Midjourney

I felt my anger rising. “This isn’t right. We need to do something about this.”

“What can we do, Jack? They don’t believe me.”

“I’m going to the office tomorrow. I’ll talk to the HR manager,” I said firmly.

Jack somes to talk to an HR manager | Source: Midjourney

The next day, I went to her office building. As soon as I entered, I asked to see the HR manager.

“Hello, I’m Jack Johnson. My wife, Susan, works here as a cleaner,” I said when I was ushered into his office.

“Please, have a seat, Mr. Johnson. How can I help you?” the HR manager asked.

HR manager | Source: Midjourney

I took a seat and explained the whole incident. “Yesterday, a man named Mark knocked over her bucket and humiliated her. She tried to explain, but no one believed her.”

The HR manager listened carefully. “Let’s check the security camera footage.”

We watched the video together. It showed the man leaving the manager’s office angrily and heading towards Susan. But the camera angle didn’t capture him knocking over the bucket.

HR manager looks up the video | Source: Midjourney

“I’m sorry, Mr. Johnson,” the HR manager said, shaking his head. “Without concrete evidence, we can’t hold Mark accountable. He’s been a respected employee here for ten years with no complaints against him.”

“So, my wife just has to take this? She’s the one who got yelled at and threatened with losing her job,” I said, my frustration growing.

Frustrated Jack | Source: Midjourney

“I understand your frustration, Mr. Johnson, but our hands are tied without more proof,” the HR manager replied.

Feeling defeated, I left the office. When I got home, Susan was waiting. She looked at me with hopeful eyes, but I had to tell her the truth.

“I’m sorry, honey. They said there’s nothing they can do without proof. The camera didn’t catch him in the act.”

Jack hugs Susan | Source: Midjourney

She nodded, trying to be strong, but I could see the hurt in her eyes.

I found it hard to believe that Mark had no complaints in ten years, so I decided to investigate further. I asked Susan to invite her colleagues over for lunch so I could get to know them better. Susan often shared how nice her coworkers were.

Jack explains his plan | Source: Midjourney

We had ten guests: eight women who worked as cleaners on different floors and two electricians. We had a wonderful time, but during the gathering, I had a plan.

Casually, I brought up the incident involving Susan and how HR had dismissed my concerns. “You know,” I started, “HR brushed off Susan’s complaint about Mark. Has anyone else had issues with him?”

Mark sabotages electricity in the office | Source: Midjourney

There was a pause, and then one of the electricians, Tom, spoke up. “Mark’s always been a jerk,” he said. “He’s sabotaged our tools a few times.”

A cleaner named Maria nodded. “He’s belittled me in front of others more times than I can count.”

Another cleaner, Linda, added, “He’s smart about it, though. He knows the blind spots where cameras don’t catch him.”

Mark looks at the camera’s blind spots | Source: Midjourney

It became clear that Mark had a pattern of bullying, targeting the cleaners especially, knowing their complaints were usually ignored.

With everyone shocked by Mark’s behavior, I devised a plan. “Why don’t we write a letter to the CEO?” I suggested. “Detail everything Mark has done.”

Susan and her colleagues agreed. They wrote a detailed letter, outlining how Mark had mistreated them. Not trusting HR, we sent the letter directly to the CEO. While we didn’t expect immediate action, we decided to gather more evidence.

Susan writes a letter to the CEO | Source: Midjourney

I bought a small recorder and instructed Susan on what to do. “Just get him talking,” I said. “We need his own words.”

The next day, Susan waited for Mark outside the office. When he came out, she approached him. “Mark, why did you humiliate me? What did I do to deserve that? What would your mother say?” she asked.

Mark smirked. “My mother would be proud of me for putting someone like you in your place,” he replied arrogantly. “Watch out, or I might spill dirty water again and blame it on you. You’re nobody here, while I’m an important employee.”

Mark shouts at Susan again | Source: Midjourney

I recorded the entire conversation from a distance, just in case. When he left, I saw a victorious smile on Susan’s face. “Got him,” she said.

The next day, we went to HR with the recording. “This is proof of what he’s done,” I said, playing the audio.

HR tried to cover it up. “This doesn’t prove anything substantial,” they claimed.

HR tries to cover everything up | Source: Midjourney

Fed up, I decided to take a different route. I uploaded the video online and included the audio from Susan’s recorder. The video quickly went viral, and various media outlets contacted us for interviews. Susan shared her story on camera, and we provided the evidence.

The following day, the company’s CEO issued a public apology. “I was unaware of the systematic abuse by my employee,” he said in a statement. “I apologize to Susan and her colleagues.”

The CEO makes an apologetic statement | Source: Midjourney

Mark and the HR manager were fired from the company, and Susan received compensation. She was happy that I had stood up for her in such a modern and effective way.

“I can’t believe it’s over,” Susan said, relief washing over her face. “Thank you, Jack. You really made a difference.”

I smiled at her. “You deserved justice, and I’m glad we could get it. Now, let’s move forward and enjoy some peace.”

Susan and Jack walk together | Source: Midjourney

Susan nodded, holding my hand tightly. “Yes, let’s do that. And maybe, finally, I can just enjoy my work and my books without any more trouble.”

We both knew it had been a tough journey, but seeing Susan’s smile made it all worth it.

My Husband Left Me Looking After Our Kids for His Female Best Friend’s Wedding — I Made Him Regret It

When my husband left me sitting at home with the kids to attend his best female friend’s wedding alone, I felt a familiar pang of suspicion. But I took action, and what I discovered that night shattered our lives.

Daniel had never been good at hiding things. You’d think after ten years of marriage, I’d be used to his poor attempts at deception, but that morning, he caught me off guard. I had just come back from a playdate with the kids when I found the note on the kitchen counter.

I took the gift and went to Jane’s wedding. Be back late.

— Daniel

I stared at the note, feeling the familiar burn of betrayal rise in my chest. The gift I had spent hours picking out, the one we had both agreed was from us, not him alone. And Jane — our friend. Or so I thought.

“Mom, where’s Dad?” Timmy asked, tugging on my sleeve.

Timmy asks Elly where his dad is | Source: Pexels

“He went out, sweetie. We’re going to have a babysitter today.” I forced a smile, already dialing the number of the babysitter we occasionally used.

My best friend, Sarah, had been suspicious of Daniel’s recent behavior. She was the one who first suggested he might be up to no good. I had dismissed her concerns, thinking it was just his usual lack of communication. But this? This was something else.

Elly calling a babysitter while trying to mask her growing suspicions | Source: Pexels

Balancing my dreams of returning to work and my responsibilities at home had been a struggle for years. As a stay-at-home mom, I often felt trapped while Daniel worked full-time, leaving early and coming home late.

My days were filled with diapers, playdates, and endless chores. I loved my kids, but sometimes I wondered what happened to the ambitious woman I used to be.

When we received the invitation to Jane’s wedding, I saw a glimmer of excitement. Jane was Daniel’s best friend, but also a friend of mine, so it felt like a chance to reconnect with our old social circle.

Daniel insists they are not going to Jane’s wedding | Source: Pexels

I spent hours choosing the perfect gift, picturing us attending together. But Daniel shot down my hopes, insisting we stay home because we didn’t have anyone to watch the kids.

“Can’t we find a sitter, just for one night?” I had pleaded.

“No, Elly. It’s too much hassle. We’ll send the gift and our regrets,” he said, brushing off my concerns.

As the wedding approached, he reiterated his stance, and my suspicions began to grow. Why was he so adamant about not going? What was he hiding?

Elly and Daniel at loggerheads about attending the wedding | Source: Midjourney

I couldn’t just sit and stew in my anger. I needed to see it for myself. I got the kids settled with the babysitter and grabbed my keys.

“Where are you going?” Sarah’s voice crackled through the phone. I had called her for a much-needed boost of courage.

“To the wedding. I need to see what’s really going on.”

At the reception venue — a wine estate — I kept a low profile. I saw Daniel almost immediately, laughing and chatting like he didn’t have a care in the world. And then there was Jane, her smile wide and dazzling, but her eyes — they held secrets.

Elly secretly attends the wedding reception, watching Daniel | Source: Pexels

I followed them discreetly. They slipped into one of the wine cellars, and I inched closer, peeking through the slightly ajar door. They were arguing, their voices hushed but intense.

“You said it was over with Jake!” Daniel hissed. “And now you’re marrying him!”

Jane shook her head. “I never promised you anything. But you’re here now, aren’t you, how about one last fling?”

I couldn’t breathe. I felt like I was going to be sick, but I couldn’t look away. Then, it happened — they kissed. A long, passionate kiss that confirmed my worst fears.

Elly catches Daniel and Jane in a passionate kiss | Source: Midjourney

I took out my phone, my hands shaking, and recorded a few seconds. Enough to capture the betrayal. Enough to use as evidence. I left as quietly as I had come, tears streaming down my face.

Back home, I sat in my car for a long time, trying to process what I had seen. I needed a plan. I couldn’t just confront him and let it turn into another round of empty apologies and broken promises. This was bigger. This was the end.

Elly sitting in her car, grappling with the shocking betrayal she just witnessed | Source: Midjourney

I called Sarah. “You were right. I saw them. I recorded it.”

“Oh, Elly, I’m so sorry. What are you going to do?”

“I’m calling a lawyer.”

***

The next day, I sat in the lawyer’s office, feeling both numb and fiercely determined.

“Infidelity is grounds for divorce,” the lawyer, Melanie, said, her voice calm and professional. “But we need to build a strong case. Do you have any other evidence?”

“I’ll get more,” I promised. “Whatever it takes.”

Elly meets with a lawyer, ready to take the first step toward reclaiming her life | Source: Pexels

I spent the next few days gathering everything I could — texts, emails, anything that hinted at their affair. Meanwhile, Daniel acted like everything was fine, like he hadn’t torn our life apart.

One evening, I couldn’t hold back any longer. “How was the wedding?” I said, launching the words at Daniel like a missile.

He looked up from his phone, surprised. “It was good. Jane looked beautiful.”

“I bet she did.” My voice was cold.

“Is something wrong?” He tilted his head, feigning concern.

“Don’t play dumb, Daniel. I know about you and Jane.”

Daniel’s face when Elly reveals that she knows about his affair | Source: Midjourney

His face paled, but he quickly recovered. “What are you talking about?”

“I saw you. At the wedding, in the wine cellar, with Jane. I recorded you. Don’t lie to me.”

His mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. For once, he was speechless.

“I’m done, Daniel. I’ve contacted a lawyer. You’ll be hearing from them soon.”

He tried to protest, to explain, but I had already turned away. I wasn’t going to listen to his excuses anymore. I had kids to protect, a life to rebuild. And I wasn’t going to let him stop me.

Jane finalizes the divorce papers with her lawyer | Source: Pexels

The fight was just beginning, but for the first time in years, I felt a surge of strength and clarity. This was my turning point. I was done being the passive, stay-at-home mom who let life happen to her. I was ready to take control.

That night, I waited for Daniel to come home. I had the video cued up on my laptop, the lawyer’s contact number scribbled on a notepad next to me, and the divorce papers ready.

He walked in, his face flushed with what I could only assume was guilt masked as nonchalance.

Elly cues up the offending video for Daniel to see | Source: Pexels

“Elly, we need to talk,” he began, but I cut him off.

“No, you need to listen,” I said, standing up and hitting play on the video. The sound of his voice, pleading with Jane, filled the room. His eyes widened, and he looked at me, panic setting in.

“I can explain —”

“Don’t bother,” I interrupted. “You had your chance. These are the divorce papers. I’m asking for full custody of the kids, the house, and child support. I’ve already spoken to a lawyer.”

Elly tells Daniel she is done and hands him the divorce papers | Source: Midjourney

He slumped into a chair, defeated. “Elly, please. Let’s talk about this.”

“There’s nothing to talk about, Daniel. You made your choice. Now you’ll deal with the consequences.”

He spent the night packing his bags. The kids were asleep, and I prayed they wouldn’t wake up to the sound of their father leaving. By the time he was ready to go, it was past midnight. He stood at the door, his eyes pleading one last time, but I didn’t waver.

“Goodbye, Daniel.”

Elly makes her last stand and says goodbye to Daniel | Source: Midjourney

The next few months were a whirlwind of legal battles and emotional turmoil. I filed for divorce and presented my evidence. The court hearings were grueling, but the video was undeniable. Daniel didn’t even try to fight it.

The judge granted me full custody and a favorable settlement. Daniel’s infidelity cost him not just his marriage but also his role in the home we had built together.

I returned to work, something I had put off for years. Balancing a career and raising two kids alone was tough, but I found a strength within me I didn’t know existed. I was driven by the need to create a stable and loving environment for my children.

Elly returning to work, finding strength and creating a new life for her kids | Source: Pexels

The kids adjusted to our new life quicker than I expected. They were resilient, just like their mom. And as I climbed the career ladder, I realized that I wasn’t just surviving — I was thriving.

One day, I ran into Jane at the grocery store. She looked away, her face flushed with shame. I didn’t need to say anything. My presence, my success, and my happiness spoke louder than any words could.

Elly sharing her triumph with her friend Sarah over coffee | Source: Pexels

“Elly, you look great,” Sarah said over coffee. She had been my rock through everything, always ready with a shoulder to cry on or a glass of wine when I needed it.

“Thanks, Sarah. I finally feel like I’m back on my feet.”

“You’ve done more than that. You’ve rebuilt your life from the ground up.”

She was right. I had reclaimed my life from the ruins of my marriage. My revenge wasn’t about making Daniel suffer — it was about proving to myself that I could stand on my own.

And I had. I provided for my kids, achieved my career goals, and found a new kind of happiness that wasn’t tied to anyone else.

I stood tall, knowing that no matter what the future held, I was ready. I had faced the worst and come out stronger. I was a symbol of resilience and empowerment, and I would continue to fight for the life and happiness we deserved.

Elly standing tall, knowing she has reclaimed her life and future | Source: Midjourney

What would you have done? If you enjoyed this story, here’s another one for you about a husband who is caught cheating on his wife and acts as if nothing is wrong.

This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.