Undercover as an Intern, I Caught His Mistress and Went Nuclear

As part of a deal with my husband, Shane Ford, I went undercover and spent a week interning at his company. On my very first day, I walked into the lobby and found a woman waving a certified copy of a marriage certificate in the receptionist’s face like she owned the place. “Do you understand what this proves?” she demanded. “I’m Shane Ford’s wife. The one and only Mrs. Ford.” She looked the receptionist up and down. “Why are you slouching? Stand up straight. And when I’m speaking to you, show some respect. Keep your head down until Mr. Ford gets here.” Then she turned her attention to the company cafeteria. “You actually expect people to eat that food? I’ll have a Michelin-starred chef brought in to redo the entire menu.” I was about to step in when the coworker beside me grabbed my arm. “Don’t. She’s Mr. Ford’s first love. I heard he proposed 100 times before she finally said yes.” She nodded toward the marriage certificate and lowered her voice. “If you offend Mr. Ford, you’ll probably just get fired. But if you offend Mrs. Ford, you could disappear without a trace.” I nearly laughed. I pulled out my phone and called my brother. “Tell Shane to come down here, and have him bring divorce papers.” I checked the time. “I want him on his knees begging me within five minutes.” Chapter 1 It was my first day at the company as an intern. I was standing near the reception desk, getting ready to report to HR, when a woman in a tailored designer suit stormed into the lobby. She slapped a certified copy of a marriage certificate onto the front desk. “A new intern? No wonder you don’t know how things work around here.” Her eyes dropped to the stack of files in my arms. “Why are you holding those so high? Are you trying to hide your face, or are you blocking my view on purpose? Put them down. Stand up straight and keep your hands at your sides.” Following the employee handbook, I lowered my head slightly and replied in an even tone. “Good morning. How may I help you?” That simple greeting seemed to set her off. She stopped directly in front of me, her voice turning shrill. “What’s wrong with HR? Do they hire people without teaching them basic manners now?” She tapped the badge pinned to my chest, then pointed at the marriage certificate on the desk. “Look at that little intern badge of yours, then look at this. What makes you think you’re in any position to speak to me so casually?” Her expression hardened. “You address me as Mrs. Ford.” The other intern beside me went pale and quickly tugged on the hem of my jacket. Then she hurriedly bowed her head. “We’re so sorry, Mrs. Ford. She’s new and doesn’t know how things work yet. Please don’t be upset.” The woman gave a dismissive snort, rolled her eyes at us, and marched straight into Shane Ford’s private office. As soon as she was gone, the other intern leaned closer and whispered urgently. “Her name is Wendy Jasper. She was Mr. Ford’s first love. Whatever you do, don’t cross her. One word from her to Mr. Ford, and neither of us will make it through our internship.” I was genuinely surprised. As far as I knew, the certified copy of Shane’s and my marriage certificate was still locked in the safe at our apartment. So why was he allowing a woman named Wendy Jasper to wave around a forged certificate and parade through his company as Mrs. Ford? I pushed the question aside for the moment. My priority was to complete the internship assignment and evaluate Shane’s ability to manage the company. Besides, this was the perfect opportunity to see just how far this self-proclaimed Mrs. Ford would go with Shane protecting her. Chapter 2 The moment lunch break began, Wendy called the administrative office directly. I answered, and her sharp voice came through the phone. “Bring me a cup of hand-ground Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee. The water needs to be exactly 185 degrees. Deliver it to the executive office. I want it now.” I went straight to the break room to prepare it, but grinding the beans by hand took time. I was five minutes late. That was all it took for Wendy to lose her temper. When I hurried into the office with the coffee, she flung out a hand. “Is everyone in your department incompetent? Look at the time! You’re five minutes late! “Do you have any idea how much that changes the temperature and ruins the flavor? “If this puts me in a bad mood, are you prepared to deal with the consequences?” Every eye in the administrative office turned toward me. Wendy’s makeup was flawless, and her designer suit fit her perfectly, but her vicious tone made everyone visibly uncomfortable. I forced myself to remain professional. “Ms. Jasper, I apologize for the delay, but freshly ground coffee does take time to prepare.” She snatched the cup from my hand and deliberately poured the scalding coffee over the back of my hand. “With how slow and useless you are, I have no idea how you got hired by Ford Corporation.” Her eyes swept over me with contempt. “Then again, maybe I do. Who did you have to sleep with to get in here? “You’re disgusting! Start packing. You’re getting fired.” My nails dug into my palms as pain shot through my burned hand and anger surged inside me. I was seconds away from snapping when the administrative supervisor rushed over and stepped between us. “I’m so sorry, Ms. Jasper! She’s new. I apologize on her behalf. “Please don’t upset yourself over something so minor. It isn’t worth ruining your day.” As she spoke, she gripped my arm and whispered under her breath. “Don’t react. Think about who she is. She could cost our entire department its year-end bonuses. “She isn’t worth it. Let me handle this.” Wendy finally looked satisfied by the supervisor’s groveling. She slowly pulled out a sanitizing wipe and cleaned her fingers. “At least the supervisor knows her place.” Then she lifted her chin. “Come on. I’m going to inspect the company cafeteria.” Inspect the cafeteria? What right did an outsider have to inspect anything inside the company? “Ms. Jasper, access to the employee cafeteria is restricted. Visitors aren’t allowed inside without authorization,” I said. Before I could finish, the supervisor yanked my arm again. “Don’t you understand? She’s Mr. Ford’s favorite. “If you offend him, you might still be able to explain yourself. But if you offend her, you could lose your job before you even know what happened. “Mr. Ford gives her anything she wants. Everyone here says she’s basically the boss’s wife around here. “One word from her could cost all of us our jobs. You’re still an intern. Don’t take that risk.” The boss’s wife? That was news to me, considering I was his actual wife. When Wendy saw me standing there silently, she assumed I’d finally been scared into submission. She gave me a mocking smile. “What’s wrong? You heard Mr. Ford’s name and suddenly lost your nerve? “Let me make something clear. A man like Shane Ford is completely out of your league. “You’re nothing but a low-level intern. “All he has to do is make one phone call, and no company in this industry will ever hire you again. Understand?” Chapter 3 While I stood there in silence, Wendy strutted into the employee cafeteria like she owned the place. “Oh my God. Is this seriously what you feed your employees?” She picked up a piece of pork belly from one of the serving trays, pinching it between two fingers before dropping it back in disgust. Then she pulled an insulated container from her luxury handbag and slammed it onto the counter. “Judging by this pathetic food, I doubt any of you have ever tasted a decent meal.” She smiled smugly. “I’m feeling generous today, so I brought lobster bisque from one of the best restaurants in the city. Consider it an upgrade.” She opened the container and started to pour it into the cafeteria’s communal soup pot. “Ms. Jasper, you can’t do that!” The cafeteria manager finally stepped in and blocked her way. “Company health regulations prohibit outside food from being mixed with anything served to employees. The rule is there to protect everyone. Please put the container away.” “Health regulations?” Wendy laughed as though he had said something ridiculous. “You think my lobster bisque is less safe than this greasy cafeteria slop?” She tapped the container with one perfectly manicured nail. “This cost more than you make in a week. Now move.” The cafeteria manager stood his ground. “Ms. Jasper, this isn’t negotiable. If anyone gets sick, the company could be held responsible. Please don’t put us in this position.” Wendy’s expression darkened when he continued to defy her. She pulled out her phone and started a video call. “Shane, look at this! Your employees are completely out of control! “All I wanted to do was give them something better for lunch, and they won’t let me. They even raised their voices at me!” Shane’s gentle voice came through the phone. “Wendy, don’t get upset. Put the cafeteria manager on.” Wendy gave us a triumphant look before holding the phone in front of the manager. Shane’s voice immediately turned cold. “Everyone involved is going to apologize to Wendy. Right now. “Anyone who refuses will be written up for insubordination. You’ll forfeit this month’s bonuses, and I’ll decide whether you still have a job by the end of the day. “Am I clear?” The cafeteria manager’s lips trembled. My supervisor and several coworkers went pale, exchanging helpless looks. When no one responded, Shane’s voice turned even colder. “Do I need to repeat myself?” Wendy shifted the phone, deliberately angling the camera so we could see where Shane was. He was seated at the head of a table in a private room at an upscale steakhouse, surrounded by several executives. Judging by the setting, he was in the middle of an important business dinner. When Wendy pouted at him through the screen, Shane shook his head as though she were a spoiled child. But he didn’t look annoyed at being interrupted. If anything, he looked amused and indulgent. “Shane,” Wendy whimpered. Despite knowing he was in the middle of a business dinner, she immediately turned on the tears. “Look at them. They’re all ganging up on me. “I was only trying to do something nice, but they treated me like I was causing trouble. They completely humiliated me.” Her voice began to tremble. “You have to stand up for me.” She squeezed out a few tears as she spoke. The wounded expression on her face made her look nothing like the arrogant woman who had been ordering everyone around just moments earlier. Shane’s expression immediately hardened. He didn’t ask what had happened. He didn’t ask to hear anyone else’s side. His attention remained fixed entirely on Wendy. “Hey, don’t cry,” he soothed. “You’ll ruin your makeup. “This isn’t worth getting so upset over. As long as I’m here, no one gets to bully you.” Only then did he turn his attention to the rest of us. His voice turned ice-cold. “Was I not clear? “I’m ordering all of you to do exactly what Wendy says and apologize to her. Now. “If I don’t see the right attitude in the next three seconds…” Before he could finish, I stepped directly in front of the camera. My face filled the screen, along with the bright red burn on the back of my hand. “Shane Ford, are you sure you want me to apologize?” Chapter 4 “Xena?” Surprise flashed across Shane’s face, but it was quickly replaced by irritation. He barely glanced at the burn on my hand before pinching the bridge of his nose. “What are you doing in the cafeteria? “Aren’t you supposed to be working in Administration?” I looked at him calmly. “What do you think?” Shane glanced past me at the cafeteria manager and the other employees, his expression darkening. “Enough. Just do what Wendy asked and apologize. “We’ll deal with the rest when I get home tonight.” The entire cafeteria went silent. Even my coworkers stared at him in disbelief. Wendy immediately lifted her chin, looking smugger than ever. “Shane, so this is the new intern everyone’s been talking about? “She was incredibly rude to me. The cafeteria manager only stood up to me because she put him up to it!” Shane’s expression softened as he turned his attention back to Wendy. “Wendy didn’t mean any harm. She was only trying to share something nice with everyone.” Then he spoke to me in the patient tone someone might use with an unreasonable child. “Just apologize, Xena. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.” I stared at him for a moment, then laughed. “Shane, you remember what you promised when we made our deal? “It’s time for you to hold up your end of the deal.” Before he could respond, I ended the call. I turned away, pulled my personal phone from my pocket, and called my brother, Tom Lincoln. “Tom, someone forged a marriage certificate and is causing a scene at Ford Corporation. “Tell Shane to get down here immediately. “And have him bring the divorce papers we already had drawn up.” I glanced at the time. “I want him on his knees in front of me within five minutes, begging me to sign.”