{"id":8101,"date":"2026-09-19T20:29:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-19T20:29:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/awestories24.press\/?p=8101"},"modified":"2026-09-19T20:29:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-19T20:29:11","slug":"on-my-first-day-as-ceo-my-husbands-secretary-called-me-an-intern-by-sunset-i-learned-the-company-and-my-marriage-had-been-built-on-a-lie-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/awestories24.press\/?p=8101","title":{"rendered":"On My First Day as CEO, My Husband\u2019s Secretary Called Me an Intern. By Sunset, I Learned the Company\u2014and My Marriage\u2014Had Been Built on a Lie."},"content":{"rendered":"

The first person to insult me on my first day as CEO was my husband\u2019s secretary.<\/strong><\/h1>\n

She stood in front of the executive elevator, looked me over, and smiled as though she had already decided my value.<\/p>\n

\u201cCustodians and interns use the service elevator.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

For a second, I thought she was joking.<\/p>\n

Then I noticed the employees behind her dropping their eyes.<\/p>\n

I wore a plain beige dress and low heels. For six years, I had managed overseas projects where hard hats and laptops mattered more than designer bags. Apparently, headquarters had turned clothing into a caste system.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not a custodian,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen you\u2019re an intern. Interns use the service elevator too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her nameplate read JANG CHIN TONG \u2014 EXECUTIVE SECRETARY TO PRESIDENT SHIAO.<\/p>\n

My husband\u2019s office.<\/p>\n

My husband\u2019s secretary.<\/p>\n

I had been married to Shiaoza for ten years and had never met her.<\/p>\n

A woman near the elevator whispered, \u201cPlease. Just take the service elevator. Secretary Jang can make your life difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDoes it go to the sixty-eighth floor?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. It stops at sixty-three.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what do employees do?\u201d<\/p>\n

She hesitated. \u201cTake the stairs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFive floors?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jang laughed. \u201cIf five flights are too much, maybe they don\u2019t belong at this company.\u201d<\/p>\n

The employee flushed.<\/p>\n

Something inside me went cold.<\/p>\n

Three days earlier, the board had voted to place company operations under me. The formal announcement was scheduled for ten that morning. Shiaoza knew I was returning, but he had been strangely vague, claiming he was \u201cburied in meetings.\u201d<\/p>\n

He did not know the board had finalized my title as Chief Executive Officer.<\/p>\n

Neither did his secretary.<\/p>\n

I moved toward the elevator.<\/p>\n

Jang blocked me again.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is for executives.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI heard you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen why are you still here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause I\u2019m going upstairs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her face tightened. \u201cDon\u2019t dirty the elevator.\u201d<\/p>\n

I pressed the button.<\/p>\n

When the doors opened, I stepped inside.<\/p>\n

Jang followed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re finished,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ll have your internship canceled before lunch.\u201d<\/p>\n

I watched her reflection in the mirrored wall.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince when does an intern\u2019s future depend on whether she obeys the president\u2019s secretary?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone under President Shiao passes my inspection.\u201d<\/p>\n

That told me everything about the culture my husband had allowed to develop.<\/p>\n

On the executive floor, Jang loudly repeated what had happened. Within minutes, strangers warned me that offending her was equivalent to offending President Shiao.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe trusts her more than anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe spoils her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s his right hand.\u201d<\/p>\n

One woman whispered, \u201cApologize before he finishes his meeting. He can make sure you never work in this industry again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then I noticed the watch.<\/p>\n

White ceramic. Diamond markers. A tiny silver crescent above the six.<\/p>\n

Only ten existed worldwide.<\/p>\n

A month earlier, I had asked Shiaoza to buy that exact limited-edition watch for his mother\u2019s birthday. I had been stuck in Boston closing a deal, and he promised to handle it.<\/p>\n

Now it circled Jang Chin Tong\u2019s wrist.<\/p>\n

The elevator suddenly seemed irrelevant.<\/p>\n

She caught me looking and raised her hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou like it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere did you get it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Her smile softened almost affectionately.<\/p>\n

\u201cPresident Shiao gave it to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ten years of marriage shifted inside my head.<\/p>\n

Late dinners. Weekend conferences. Urgent balcony calls. His phone always face down. His constant reassurance: \u201cDon\u2019t overthink it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jang misunderstood my silence.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh. I understand. You\u2019re after him.\u201d<\/p>\n

I stared at her.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou call him by his name. You ignore rules. You act special. You think you can seduce President Shiao?\u201d<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Someone laughed quietly.<\/p>\n

Jang raised her chin.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been with President Shiao for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before I could respond, the conference-room doors opened.<\/p>\n

Shiaoza emerged.<\/p>\n

He was still handsome in the way that had once made everything else disappear\u2014dark suit, silver tie, controlled expression.<\/p>\n

Then he saw Jang.<\/p>\n

His face softened.<\/p>\n

\u201cTong Tong,\u201d he said warmly. \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong? Who would dare mess with you?\u201d<\/p>\n

She pointed at me.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust a newbie. An intern.\u201d<\/p>\n

He followed her finger.<\/p>\n

And froze.<\/p>\n

For three long seconds, my husband said nothing.<\/p>\n

Jang mistook his silence for anger.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe ignored company rules, insulted me, and forced her way into the executive elevator. You should fire her immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked at Shiaoza.<\/p>\n

Then at the watch.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo ahead,\u201d I said quietly. \u201cTell everyone who I am.\u201d<\/p>\n

His face drained of color.<\/p>\n

Finally, he forced out the words.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s my wife.\u201d<\/p>\n

The hallway went silent.<\/p>\n

Jang lowered her hand.<\/p>\n

Someone whispered, \u201cOh my God.\u201d<\/p>\n

I should have felt triumphant.<\/p>\n

Instead, I felt hollow, because Shiaoza\u2019s first instinct was not to come to me.<\/p>\n

He placed a hand on Jang\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a misunderstanding.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhich part?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy not? She insulted employees here. She threatened people here. She told everyone you would destroy my career here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jang whispered, \u201cI didn\u2019t know who she was.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is exactly the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then I pointed toward her wrist.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd why is she wearing your mother\u2019s birthday present?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jang looked at him.<\/p>\n

He looked at the watch.<\/p>\n

Fear crossed his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s complicated.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. It\u2019s a watch.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe gave it to me,\u201d Jang said.<\/p>\n

Shiaoza closed his eyes for half a second.<\/p>\n

That tiny reaction hurt more than any confession.<\/p>\n

At ten o\u2019clock, the board announcement was released.<\/p>\n

Effective immediately, I was CEO.<\/p>\n

By ten-fifteen, I issued my first directive: all employee elevator restrictions were suspended pending review.<\/p>\n

My second ordered preservation of every security log, expense report, executive badge record, HR revision, and vendor contract from the previous five years.<\/p>\n

That was when Shiaoza stormed into my new office.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re humiliating me.\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked up. \u201cInteresting choice of words.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know what I mean.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. Humiliation is being told you\u2019re too low-ranking to stand in an elevator.\u201d<\/p>\n

He closed the door. \u201cJang overstepped.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou protected her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was trying to keep a scene from getting worse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou called her Tong Tong.\u201d<\/p>\n

He rubbed his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe watch,\u201d I said. \u201cTell me the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mother didn\u2019t want it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid she see it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Silence.<\/p>\n

I called Eleanor Shiao.<\/p>\n

\u201cDarling,\u201d she said. \u201cHow did your morning go?\u201d<\/p>\n

I kept my eyes on her son.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you receive the white watch I chose for your birthday?\u201d<\/p>\n

A pause.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat white watch?\u201d<\/p>\n

Shiaoza turned away.<\/p>\n

Something inside me broke cleanly.<\/p>\n

When I ended the call, he said, \u201cI can explain.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen explain.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJang has been under enormous pressure. I gave it to her as a bonus.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA sixty-thousand-dollar bonus?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen what was it like?\u201d<\/p>\n

He stared at me.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have never slept with her.\u201d<\/p>\n

That should have comforted me.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Because I had never asked.<\/p>\n

By noon, the audit team found the first irregularity.<\/p>\n

The executive elevator policy did not exist.<\/p>\n

Jang had invented it eighteen months earlier and instructed security to enforce it verbally, leaving no paper trail.<\/p>\n

The financial records were worse.<\/p>\n

Nine consulting vendors had received $18.4 million over four years.<\/p>\n

All nine had been approved by the president\u2019s office.<\/p>\n

Four were tied to addresses associated with Jang.<\/p>\n

At twelve-thirty, she appeared in my office.<\/p>\n

Without an audience, she seemed younger. Still proud, but afraid.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re investigating me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m investigating the company.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re punishing me because of this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf that were true, HR would already have your termination papers.\u201d<\/p>\n

I slid the vendor report toward her.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you own Meridian Strategy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNorth Axis?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

Continue reading <\/a><\/h1>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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