The Light of My Life

During Edgar's two-week business trip, I had to find that elusive cell phone. I knew every corner of the house like the back of my hand, so he couldn't have kept it at home. There was only one other place it could be—his office.

I'd never been to his office or met any of his colleagues before. He'd said he didn't want work to affect his family. Well, he spent a third of his day at the office and could do anything he wanted during that time. I would be none the wiser.

Oh, right! His company…

I went online and found his company's open job listings. The first was for a business assistant. The main requirements included having at least two years of prior work experience and a bachelor's degree. Priority would also go to unmarried candidates.

Alas, I only met one of the criteria out of the three.

As I scrolled through the rest of the job listings, one in particular caught my eye. It was the listing for a cleaner. There were no age or education requirements. The cleaner would be assigned to keeping the general manager's office clean, so all that was needed was for the candidate to fulfill the task to the general manager's satisfaction.

Edgar had once grumbled to me that his company's general manager was a clean freak with a strong compulsive streak. He probably had extremely high standards to meet.

That suited me perfectly. After all, I had a bit of a compulsive streak myself. I might not have learned much in the last four years, but I was an expert when it came to cleaning and organizing things.

I swiftly updated my résumé to highlight the responsibilities I had as a housewife for the past four years.

It was a success. The very next day, I was asked to come in for an interview. The representative from the HR department led me to the general manager's office on the top floor and said he would be conducting the interview himself.

Edgar once told me that the general manager, Stuart Holden, was a young scion from a wealthy family who had just taken over the company's business division. He was a bold and driven man. Even from across the expansive desk, I could still sense the intimidating presence he seemed to exude by nature.

"You graduated with a degree from a prominent college, yet you're here to interview for a job as a cleaner?" Stuart asked doubtfully. He'd gone through my résumé and was now observing me with a quirked eyebrow.

"That's right. When it comes to cleaning, I have four years of experience. I'm certain I'll do a good job!" I replied with the utmost sincerity.

"Well, show me what you can do by cleaning up my office."

Once Stuart finished speaking, he exited the office, leaving his assistant, Alice Jennings, and me behind.

With the powers vested in me as a detail-oriented perfectionist, I tidied up every single nook and cranny of the office. I even rearranged the books on the shelves based on their respective categories and the knick-knacks in the corner based on their colors.

The moment I was done, Stuart came back. His eyes swept across the office before landing on his neatly organized desk. He seemed both startled and satisfied with the results. Nodding to me, he said, "Not bad. You can start on Monday."

I exhaled in relief. I'd succeeded in getting the job!

As Alice led me back to the HR department to handle the paperwork, I heard people whispering behind me.

"Plenty of young and pretty women came to interview for the cleaner job that Mr. Holden is hiring for. Why did he end up choosing her?"

"I heard Mr. Holden has exacting standards. It was obvious that all the other women only applied because they had their eyes on him. Meanwhile, this one looks like someone who's good at cleaning and doing manual labor…"

Thinking about how I was bare-faced and had specifically worn a loose outfit that was easy to work in, I wondered if I should thank that person for the compliment.

When I got back to the house, I spoke to Noelle Yarrow, a fellow mother and neighbor of mine. We often arranged playdates for our kids. Her daughter attended the same kindergarten as Nate, and the two were good friends.

I asked her to help me pick up and drop Nathan off at kindergarten every day, saying I would pay her for the help. Being the kind and friendly person she was, she readily agreed to it.

After settling everything, I finally felt like a burden had been lifted.

It was now time for me to tell my friend, Emma Forrest, about Edgar's cheating. I needed her help.