My mother-in-law doted on my husband's mistress's child like a precious treasure, while my son crawled on the floor with a terrified look in his eyes like an abused animal. They thought I would cry... but it was my smile that made them all pay the price. / Chapter 22 / 67

Chapter 23 - The Supply Chain Crisis

Running a multi-million dollar international tech corporation wasn't without its massive, stressful challenges. By late spring, Vale-Tech hit a severe logistical roadblock.

I was sitting in the executive boardroom, staring at a flashing red deficit projection on the main screen. Marcus stood beside me, looking unusually frustrated.

"Titanium-Core, our primary microchip vendor in Taiwan, has suddenly halted our shipments," Marcus reported, tapping his tablet aggressively. "They are demanding a forty percent price increase to release the cargo currently sitting in the harbor. It’s blatant extortion. If we don't pay it, our entire manufacturing line shuts down by Thursday."

"Dominic used to pay these extortion fees to keep the line moving, didn't he?" I asked, analyzing the vendor's aggressive contract history.

"He did," Marcus confirmed. "He considered it a standard cost of doing business. But paying it now will completely wreck our quarterly profit margins and severely limit our foundation donations."

"We are not paying a single cent to a bully," I stated firmly, standing up and grabbing my phone. "Get me the CEO of Titanium-Core on a video call immediately."

Ten minutes later, the arrogant face of the vendor’s CEO appeared on the massive conference screen.

"Ms. Vance," the CEO smiled condescendingly. "I assume you are calling to authorize the updated invoice?"

"I am calling to inform you that you are in breach of our legally binding annual contract," I replied coldly, my voice an absolute razor. "And I do not negotiate with corporate hostage-takers."

"If you do not pay the updated fee, your shipments rot in the harbor, Elena. You cannot survive without our chips."

"Actually, I anticipated your greed," I smiled sharply. "While you were holding my cargo hostage, I contacted Apex Dynamics in South Korea. They offered to match your original price, and they can expedite a massive shipment by Wednesday. I just signed the contract five minutes ago."

The vendor’s smug smile instantly vanished.

"You are officially fired," I continued ruthlessly. "And my legal team will be suing your company for breach of contract and damages by the end of the day. Have a terrible afternoon."

I cut the video feed, leaving the screen black. Marcus stared at me, a massive, highly impressed smile breaking across his face.