Chapter 7 - Unraveling the System
Later that morning, as pale sunlight finally broke through the heavy gray clouds over Columbus, Jonathan sat at his executive desk—not on the top floor of Caldwell Manufacturing, but in a private conference room at the hospital.
Before him sat David Vance, the head of Apex Cleaning Services, the third-party vendor contracted by Caldwell Manufacturing. Vance looked sweaty and uncomfortable under the CEO's ice-cold glare.
"Mr. Caldwell, I don't understand why you called me here at seven in the morning," Vance stammered, adjusting his tie. "We supply top-tier custodial labor—"
"Top-tier labor?" Jonathan interrupted, his voice dangerously low. He slid a printed report across the polished oak table. "Explain to me how a single mother of two is being forced to work eighty hours a week across three different shifts just to meet arbitrary cleanliness quotas, while your agency pockets seventy percent of the hazard stipends approved by my board."
Vance’s face drained of color. "Well, sir, that's just industry standard margins—"
"Not anymore," Jonathan cut him off sharply. He stood up, towering over the vendor. "Effective immediately, Caldwell Manufacturing is terminating its contract with Apex Cleaning Services. Furthermore, our legal team will audit every financial record from your company over the past five years. If I find a single instance of wage theft or intimidation against workers like Clare Bennett, I will personally ensure you spend the next decade defending yourself in federal court."
May you like
Vance opened his mouth to protest, but the look in Jonathan’s eyes told him he was finished. He grabbed his briefcase and hurried out of the room without another word.
Jonathan sank back into his chair, rubbing his temples. For the first time in his career, his multi-billion-dollar empire felt hollow. Success meant nothing if it was built on the backs of children like Norah carrying industrial vacuums in the dead of night.
