Adam and I clicked when he interviewed me for the job. He was very good-looking – tall and broad-shouldered. The week I started, we drove to Liverpool to meet clients. We laughed all the way back. When he dropped me off I almost kissed him goodbye. Although I was single at the time, I had to remind myself that he was my boss – and married with three children.
Two months later, we had an event in Morocco. On the first evening, when we were out for a meal, Adam accidentally touched my waist and left his arm there. I remember thinking “This is weird…it’s wrong.” But by the time we got back to the hotel, it was a question of “My room or yours?” From the very first time, it never felt like I was his bit on the side. Adam was tender and warm and totally focused on me. Sex wasn’t the main part of the evening – we were up most of the night talking and touching each other. When I woke up next morning, he pulled me to him and said “I’ve been watching you for hours, just sleeping, and you’re so beautiful…” No one had ever said the things he said to me.
Our affair lasted seven months and I fell utterly in love. I used to say, “You know I’ll lose my job,” and he’d reply, “I’d never let that happen.” A lot of very naughty MSN messages were sent, lots of texts, and we’d disappear together at lunch – it sounds seedy but there were lots of fields in that area and Adam had a big car! We saw each other a lot. We went to networking events together and there were openings in London where we’d have to stay overnight in a hotel. At work he’d say he needed to meet with me in the boardroom just so he could steal a kiss! The fact that it was behind everyone’s back added excitement.
No one suspected anything for a long while, but then one Sunday Adam texted to say the boss wanted to meet him and all his meetings for Monday were cancelled. I was terrified. When I got to work the next day, I tried to log on to my computer but they’d taken me off the system. It was humiliating and scary. They’d started checking our emails and that’s how it was uncovered.
‘I was called into the boardroom where a lawyer, the boss and another senior staff member presented me with transcripts of all our emails and MSNs. They’d downloaded everything off my hard drive – including my personal Hotmail account, as I’d accessed it from work.
I hated the way they were looking at me – like I had some nasty disease. One of those guys had slept with another employee the night after his son was born. The boss – who was telling me I’d wasted company time – was known to sit at his desk watching porn and sometimes send it round to staff as a laugh. But I was so shocked I could barely speak, let alone throw back accusations.
I was told to clear my desk and sent on “gardening leave” while they carried out a “full investigation”. I was eventually sacked for sending “lewd and explicit messages”, which contravened their internet policy. I was terrified my colleagues would think I was evil. People always blame the woman. But they were really upset. They thought we made a good couple – and Adam obviously wasn’t happy at home. His wife found out, of course, and he decided to stay with his family.
They didn’t sack Adam, but he left to start his own company. Professionally, I’ve now got a better job that I love. Romantically, it’s hard. I’m heartbroken and haven’t had a partner since. I’d say to anyone else in a similar position – don’t go there.
