The Work Wife

I started my career within a few months of meeting my wife, so Kimberly has been with me for this entire adventure. I started out in an entry level position with a meager salary that barely allowed us to afford an equally meager apartment in a not so nice part of the city. But we were two kids in love and none of that mattered. She was there to help me follow my dream.

Through the years I probably put more of my time and effort into my job than I should have, but Kim was always supportive. I climbed the ladder quickly, advancing from an entry level position to team leader to team supervisor in just a few short years, bypassing many of my older and more experienced coworkers.

When I was recruited to take an entry level management position, our lives changed drastically. We traded our meager apartment for a condo in the trendy downtown district, and soon after welcomed our first child, a son named Mark Jr.

By thirty I had reached middle management and traded our condo for a house in the suburbs. It meant a longer commute to work, but it meant that Mark Jr and our second child, Anna Grace, could grow up in a nice neighborhood with a nice school. And have a yard!

Just a few short years later I reached the maximum apex of what had been a stellar climb through the corporate ladder, going from street level to the top of middle management by the age of thirty-two. I was at least fifteen years younger than every one of my superiors and none of them showed signs of retiring any time soon.

Kim remained supportive. My career had afforded is a good life, regardless of whether or not I continued to climb the ladder. I, however, was frustrated by suddenly finding myself stuck in middle management. I was a climber. I was a corporate wolf, always on the hunt. After two years of being stuck, I had reached the point that I was considering looking outside the company for a path to advance.

That was when an interesting offer arrived. There was an unexpected opening at the satellite office, located in the burbs, not too far from our house. The office was struggling and corporate wanted to right the ship. They offered me a two year contract to set the satellite office straight, and if I did so, a corner office and a Vice Presidency at the corporate office was mine for the taking.

I took the offer and resumed my climb up the ladder.

That was when I met Jodi and my life was never quite the same.