She's the Boss Now

***All characters are over 18 and are fictional. Any resemblance to any real-life persons or places is purely coincidental.

***This story was recently removed for a rewrite to fix some errors in the story.

...

Marshall was excited about his new job; it was a major step up from his previous position. He did like his old company, City-Tech, but unfortunately, he was let go due to downsizing when the company was sold and the new owners needed to save money, and Marshall was on the chopping block. It didn't take long for him and the others who were fired to realize that they were only let go because of their bloated salaries and would be replaced with new people who could be paid less.

This pissed him off greatly as he worked his ass off for the company for many years and he was suddenly let go just so they could save money. Not only that, it was around the time he found out his wife, Lila, was pregnant with their first child, and they needed the money. Lila had a remote job, so she had some income for them, but it wasn't going to be enough to live on without Marshall's original salary.

Out of anger, he wanted a small act of revenge. When he got home, he found he still had access to his work email; he assumed it would be gone very soon, so he took advantage of the opportunity. He wrote out a scathing email to be sent out to everybody in the company, completely trashing his managers by telling them how incompetent they were and how they were partly to blame for how the company fell apart as it did. He also trashed many of his coworkers as being lazy bums who were also part of the problem.

He completely trashed his managers by telling them how incompetent they were, and he trashed his co-workers as being lazy bums who were driving the company down the toilet. He also singled out specific individuals for things he knew about them; he exposed someone as being an office snitch, a couple of others for gossiping about other people, exposed a few secrets about some people about mistakes they've made in their work, and revealed a few secret office romances, one of which was about to cause someone to be divorced. He liked a few people from his old job and left them alone because he thought they could still be friends, but even those people were very upset with him for what he had done and did not return his messages.

The next thing he did after sending that email was to send out as many resumes as he could to whatever company he could find. It didn't take him long to get a few interview requests and settle on the company, Metro-Systems.

On his first day, he walked into his new office building with a big smile on his face and without a care in the world. He went to HR and signed paperwork to make his position official, and then went to his floor to begin. He met up with his supervisor, Jim, an elderly man with large framed glasses, who showed him around. Halfway through showing him how the company worked and his position, Jim suddenly had a realization about Marshall.

"Wait, aren't you Marshal Goodman, who used to work at City-Tech?" Jim asked.

"Yeah, that's me," Marshal replied.

"Oh, my God," said Jim, with a shocked look on his face. "You're the guy who sent out that insane email on his last day. The one that ripped into everyone who worked there."

"Yeah, that was me. How did you know about that?"

"Everybody I know got that email and read what you wrote. That was some wild stuff."

This surprised Marshall. The email was only supposed to go to everyone who worked at City-Tech and not be seen by anyone who didn't work there. It was against company policy to share emails with other companies, but he realized there were no safeguards to prevent it from happening if it ever did.

"That was a ballsy move doing that on your last day of work," said Jim.

"Thank you," said Marshall, feeling a little pride in what he had done.

"But also, very fucking stupid."

"What?" he asked, suddenly confused.

"Everybody here got a copy of that email, and we all saw what you wrote," said Jim. "Not just us, but a lot of other companies as well. I know people from some of those other places who saw it. We've been texting a lot about it. People hate you."

"Seriously?" asked Marshall. He didn't mean for that email to get around to other places; it was just meant for the company he left.

"Oh yeah," Jim replied with a short laugh. "I mean, I can understand why you were upset with them. But a lot of what you wrote was very unnecessary. You kind of sounded like a sociopath. In fact, I'm sure if this company saw that before you officially became an employee, you would never have been allowed in this building."

"I just wanted a little revenge for them firing me."

"Oh, it did more than that," said Jim. "Not only does your old company hate you, no other company that saw that email would ever want to work with you. So, if I were you, I'd do everything I could to do well in this company and not get fired, because you'll have to move out of the city to find a company that will hire you."

They moved on from the subject, and Jim continued to show him around the office and how to do his work. Marshall had trouble paying attention. He kept thinking about what Jim said. He realized that he had definitely gone too far in his email. He was sure he would do well for this new company, but if he failed, that email could be his downfall, and he may never find a good job again.

When Jim was finished with him, he went to his new desk to set up everything. His first day was mostly orientation for him so he could learn how the company did its business so he could perform on his own. Around lunchtime, he went to the cafeteria, and when he saw some of his co-workers, he tried to introduce himself to them. Unfortunately, they didn't seem at all interested in being friendly with him, and as soon as they got the chance, they found excuses to get away from him. The only person who seemed willing to talk to him was Jim."

"It's that email," said Jim. "It was very bad, and it makes everyone here think they can't trust you, or else you may reveal some secrets about them."

"But you're talking to me," said Marshall.

"I'm retiring later this year. I'm already careful about what I do or say around people, plus I won't be here long enough for you to get to know me enough to ruin my life."

Marshall felt that was harsh but understandable. He now realized that not only had he screwed himself out of any other possible employment in the city, but he had also ruined his reputation among his new co-workers. Nobody wanted to talk to him; he was sure they would work with him because it's their job to make sure the company does well, which means teamwork, but other than that, he was going to end up a loner here.

The next day was a little bit better. He mostly focused on his work and learning about new services the company was providing to its customers. He noticed that a lot of people were in a frenzy because some news about the company had come up, but he wasn't sure what it was.

"What's going on with everyone?" Marshall asked.

"Read your emails," said one of his coworkers. "We got a new vice president; she starts working here tomorrow. She's coming over from another branch for her promotion. She'll be working here because this is the main office for the corporation, which means, unlike other branches, we have to be on our extra best behavior around her."

Marshall went back to his desk to search his email and found the one that everyone was talking about. It introduced the new VP of sales, all of her qualifications, and all the work she had done to improve the company. The woman seemed impressive, but that wasn't what Marshall was concerned about. He recognized that name instantly, and it suddenly gave him chills. The woman's name was Janice Harper, and if she is who he thinks she is, then he's screwed.

"No, it can't be her," Marshall muttered to himself. "It has to be a coincidence. Someone with the same name."

He looked up her name in the company directory and saw her picture right next to her name. He quietly cursed himself, seeing what bad luck he was already having with this new job. The new vice president, the woman who was now going to be his boss, was not only a former girlfriend of his but someone he had a bad breakup with. It wasn't so much of a breakup as he had completely ghosted her.

They met each other at the first job they both had right after college. They started dating a few weeks later and ended up staying together for three years. Things were going along very well for them, but she wanted more of a commitment from him. She was hinting at marriage, but she was willing to settle for just living together. Even just living together was hard for Marshall to commit to at the time, so he just ended things with her in the worst possible way. He quit his job to work for City-Tech, blocked her number and email, and just did everything he could to avoid her until she got the hint that it was over between them.

Marshall admitted that there was nothing wrong with her and that she had done nothing wrong to make him run off the way he did. The problem was that she wanted more of a commitment. She wanted to get married soon and have kids with him. But he just couldn't go through with it and took the cowardly way out of their relationship.

He was now worried about what would happen if he had a run-in with Janice and how things would be for them. It had been several years; she may have let it go. But on the other hand, what he did was bad, so he wouldn't blame her for holding a grudge.

"I am totally screwed," he said to himself.

The next day, Janice began working in the building, and from what Marshall could understand, she was too busy working on her first day to go visit any other part of the office building. But the next day, she was visiting everybody in every area of the building. From what Marshall could tell from Jim, she was making a good impression, and everybody seemed to like her a lot. It took her a while to get to Marshall's floor, and everybody was excited to meet her. Jim showed her around the floor and introduced her to everyone working there. It took a while, but she was just about to come around to Marshall. He decided the best course of action he could take right now was to just smile and be nice to her.

"And this here is Marshall," Jim introduced him. "He just started here two days ago."

"Oh, I know Marshall," said Janice, with a big smile on her face. "We go way back. How have you been?"

"Good," replied Marshall, and it looked to him like everything was going to be OK. "No complaints, just glad to be working here."

"How's the wife?" she asked.

"Good," said Marshall, still very nervous.

"And I heard through the grapevine that you're about to have your first baby. Congratulations."

"Thank you," said Marshall, now very relaxed because of how happy she seemed. "We're both very excited."

"I'm sure you are," she said. "I'm sure you're very... happy."

There was something in the way she said 'happy' that sent chills down Marshall's spine. He considered that he may have been just imagining things; it could've been that he was just nervous about having her as his boss. But just in case she was still mad at him, he knew he had to be on his best behavior.

At the end of the day, he grabbed his things and headed to the elevator. On his way there, he was approached by Janice, who was also on her way out for the day. They were both on their way to the elevator, so they walked together and had some simple small talk. Marshall began to relax around her again because she seemed genuinely OK with him, as if all was forgiven. He also couldn't help noticing how good she looked these days. She originally had short red hair, which was now very long. She was much slimmer than he remembered her, and that weight loss showed off her hourglass figure. But Marshall couldn't help remembering how great her breasts looked and how they felt in his hands.

In the elevator, Marshall hit the button for the ground floor, and they were on their way down.

"That was some crazy email you wrote," said Janice.

"Oh, you saw that," said Marshall, as he got a chill down his spine.

"Everyone has read it," she said. "That was... wow, I really don't know how to describe it."

He was already nervous about being around his ex-girlfriend, with whom he had a bad breakup. He was now concerned that his new boss would find out what he had done.

"It was a bad idea; I can see that now," said Marshall.

"Well, at least your old company got a breakup letter," said Jains. "I wish I had one."

That comment took Marshall by surprise. He tried to think of something to say, but before he had the chance, the elevator doors opened and Janice walked right out. She didn't say a word or look back at him, but Marshall was now sure that he was screwed.

The next six months were hard on Marshall. He did his job well, and over time he made a few more friends who were willing to give him a chance. Others were willing to talk to him, but even then, they seemed worried about what to say in front of him. Not only that, Janice seemed to give him an evil look whenever they saw each other in passing. She hadn't done anything to affect his job or make him uncomfortable in the workplace, but it was always the way she looked at him that showed she still hated him.

Then, one day, Jim announced that he was finally going to retire, and they would be looking for a new supervisor to take his place. Marshal thought about it for a while and knew he was a better fit for the position than everyone else. His coworkers were good, but they didn't excel in their positions as well as he did and there were many times where they asked him for his help on what to do. It was the reason that many of them were starting to trust him more over time and were willing to talk to him like a regular coworker. He decided to talk to Jim about it to see if he could convince him to recommend him as his replacement. For the last six months, he noticed that Jim liked him and, for the most part, ignored his email scandal.

"You would be a better fit for this position," said Jim. They were in his office, discussing why Marshall should take his place. Jim knew the people who worked under him well, and even though there were a few people who could do the job well, he felt that Marshall was the best of them all.

"So, you'll recommend me?" Marshall asked.

"I will recommend you," Jim said. "But you won't get the position."

"What? Why? It can't still be about that email."

"Yes, it's about that email," said Jim. "You probably didn't hear about it, but a guy you used to work with tried to kill himself because of what you revealed in that email."

"What?" said Marshall, in total shock. "I didn't hear about that. Is he okay?"

"Physically, yes. But emotionally... no."

"Oh, no."

"And not only that, we're about to work with your old company on some new projects together for our clients," Jim revealed. "You'll be lucky if you still have a job if this happens."

Marshall was mortified. He was in a good mood, pleased that he might be promoted, but he was now considering how he might have to improve his resume. Then he remembered how that bad email would keep him from getting a good job and how he might have to relocate as a result.

"There is one thing that could help you," said Jim. "You could talk to Janice."

"What?"

"She seems to like you," said Jim. "I don't know exactly why, but she may be able to help."

A few days later, Jim called Marshall into his office and told him about he had talked to Janice on his behalf, and she agreed that he could be a good replacement for Jim. Marshal was excited, thinking his luck was turning. Then Jim revealed that Janice wanted to talk to him personally, like in an interview, and wanted to make sure his email situation wasn't going to affect the company in any way. Of course, this scared the hell out of Marshall; he was sure Janice was out to get him but couldn't prove it. This may be the thing that may actually get him fired.

The next day, he got a call from Janice's secretary saying she wanted to meet with him in her office at the end of the day. Marshal braced himself for his meeting with her, not only with questions about why he deserved the job but also with any discussion of their previous relationship.

At the end of the day, he went to her office just as her secretary was leaving for the day. Marshall figured she wanted to meet with him at the end of the day when no one was around to have a private conversation about his position and, if it came up, their old relationship. If things got heated between them, she didn't want people to hear them argue about it.

He entered her office, and she greeted him with a handshake. She sat behind her desk, and he sat in front of it. They made some simple small talk. She even asked him how his newborn baby was doing and congratulated him on the baby. Marshall seemed to think things were going well, but he thought otherwise.

"Listen, Marshall, you're not getting the job," she said. "That email situation was bad, but there are other things going on now."

"You mean how we'll soon be working with my old company," said Marshall.

"Yes, exactly," she said. "The topic of you has come up a couple of times. Have you heard about the suicide?"

"Attempted suicide," Marshall corrected her. "But still, it's very bad."

"I can try to keep you in your current position, but that decision could easily be overridden by a dozen other people above me who may want to fire you."

"Can you please talk to them?" he asked.

"Sure, I can talk to them," she said. "But first you have to talk to me."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Why in the hell did you run off on me like that?" she asked angrily.

"Oh, crap," he said, feeling very nervous. "I was afraid that was going to come up."

"Of course, that was going to come up," she yelled at him. "We were together for four years, and you completely cut me off because I wanted more of a commitment from you. So, tell me why you were such a coward in our relationship but willing to commit to someone later on?"

Marshal began by apologizing for everything he had done. He admitted he was a coward and that he should have found a better way to break up with her. Then he went on to say that his email was another bad idea of his and that he wished he hadn't done it. He then went on to tell her how none of this would affect the company or his position with them. He was basically begging her for her forgiveness and, essentially, for his job.

Janice just sat there listening with a big smile on her face. She was happy to hear him beg, something she wanted to see from him for years. She was devastated for a long time after Marshal abandoned her, but she eventually moved on in her career and is now a vice president. She had forgotten about Marshall and moved on with other men and a few women; she was having a great sex life. So she was happy for a long time and forgot about what Marshal had done to her. But when he saw her on her second day as vice president, her anger came back. She tried to let it go, but every time she saw him, she had to hold back her anger towards him. The only thing that made her happy was hearing how he was having a bad time after his email scandal. She wanted to move on like she had been doing, but she needed something from him, a form of revenge against him. So, as he was apologizing and begging for her help, an idea was forming in her mind.

Janice stood up from her desk and walked around it to where he was sitting.

"Ok, I can learn to forgive and forget," she said.

"Really? You can?"

"It has been many years, and I have done well for myself. Who knows where I would be if we did get married and have kids? It wouldn't be so bad, but I probably wouldn't be a vice president in this company."