The Pill That Failed

Chapter 3 Support Under the Table

The boardroom held polished mahogany, expensive suits, and very little warmth. I had slept for three hours. The relief from Victor's touch was already wearing thin.

Marcus presented the Asia-Pacific projections with his name on the cover slide. He had changed a few numbers. The rest was mine.

"Elara's initial groundwork was commendable," he said, "but it lacked the aggressive foresight required."

He paused and looked straight at me. His name still filled the cover slide behind him.

Then he walked around the table, stopping right at my shoulder. That foul, cloying oud scent hit me again.

"Some people become emotionally compromised under pressure. We need stability at the helm."

The room went quiet. He had stolen my work and was using my silence to call me unstable.

Heat climbed my spine.

The edges of my vision blurred. Around that table sat everyone who could end my career, and I was losing control in front of them.

Then something firm touched my calf.

An Oxford shoe pressed against my leg beneath the table.

The polished shoe belonged to Victor. The pressure stayed firm and steady.

I kept my eyes on Marcus. Beneath the mahogany, Victor held his shoe against me without drawing a glance from the board.

The heat faded. My vision cleared, and the anger remained.

I waited for Marcus to finish.

When he sat, I raised my hand.

"If I may."

Victor, from the head of the table, gave a curt nod.

I tapped a key on my laptop. The main screen flickered to my own display.

"Marcus's 'aggressive foresight' misses the Q4 tariff shifts in the Singaporean sector. That means a seven-percent net loss. My original model, timestamped at 4:17 p.m. yesterday, accounts for them."

I clicked again. A side-by-side comparison of the two models filled the screen.

"His Tokyo projections also rely on a supplier under federal investigation for fraud."

Someone inhaled sharply. The color drained from Marcus's face.

"My report is accurate. His is a liability. The board can decide which it prefers."

No one answered. I leaned back, and Victor withdrew his shoe.

The meeting adjourned. People filed out until only Victor and I remained.

Victor Sterling rose and crossed to the only glass door on my side of the room. He turned the lock. The click carried across the empty boardroom.