The Scammer, The Wife, And The CEO

My son, Leo, a quiet kid, called from his elite private school.

He' d been in a fight. As a busy tech CEO, I dropped everything and rushed there.

But instead of justice, I found a nightmare.

School officials sided with the bully, Dylan Thorne – whose father, Marcus, falsely claimed ties to my company and slandered me.

Then came the gut punch. My own wife, Isabelle, had been having a secret affair with Thorne and was siphoning money from my accounts to fund his schemes, even apologizing for Leo to protect her lover.

The betrayal burned hotter than any corporate takeover.

Thorne then had the audacity to hold a public press conference, painting me as a violent nobody trying to extort him.

My son was being used as a pawn, his reputation trashed.

This wasn't just about a schoolyard brawl anymore; it was a full-blown assault on my family and my integrity.

How could my wife betray me so completely? How could a con artist like Thorne think he could use my company's name and get away with it? And why were the so-called educators at my son's school falling for such blatant lies?

Enough. I arrived at Thorne's spectacle. He wanted a show? He was about to get one. "My name is Ethan Cole," I stated, calm as ice. "And I am Starlight Games. I founded it. I own it."

Ethan Cole was explaining the new engine for Starlight Games' next big title when his personal phone buzzed on the conference table, a harsh sound in the quiet room.

He usually ignored calls during board meetings, but this was Leo' s school, Oakwood Academy.

A knot formed in his stomach.

"Excuse me," Ethan said to his executives, his voice even.

He answered, "This is Ethan Cole."

"Mr. Cole, this is the school nurse. Your son, Leo, he' s been in a fight."

The nurse sounded worried.

"Is he okay?" Ethan' s voice was tight.

"He' s bruised, Mr. Cole. And quite upset. He' s asking for you."

"I'm on my way."

He hung up, his mind racing. A fight? Leo wasn' t a fighter.

He stood, grabbing his keys. "Something's come up with my son. We'll reschedule."

He didn't wait for replies, already moving towards the door. The billion-dollar projections could wait, Leo couldn't.

The drive to Oakwood Academy was a blur of red lights and angry honks from other drivers as Ethan pushed his car harder than usual.

He found Leo in the principal' s office, sitting on a hard chair, his face swollen on one side, a dark bruise already forming under his eye. His shirt was torn at the shoulder.

Ms. Davies, Leo' s homeroom teacher, was standing over him, her voice sharp.

"Leo, I've told you, Dylan Thorne is the son of Mr. Marcus Thorne, a very important man, connected to Starlight Games! You don't start fights with people like that."

Leo looked small and miserable, his eyes fixed on the floor.

Another boy, bigger than Leo, stood smirking by the teacher' s desk. Dylan Thorne.

"Yeah, loser," Dylan sneered. "Your dad' s a nobody, a leech living off my mom! You're the son of a leech!"

Then he added, "You try to take my mom, I'll beat you every time I see you!"

Ethan felt a cold rage build inside him. He stepped forward.

"Leo," Ethan said, his voice low.

Leo looked up, relief flooding his bruised face. "Dad!"

Ms. Davies turned, her expression shifting to disapproval when she saw Ethan. He wasn't dressed like the other Oakwood parents in their designer suits. He wore a simple jacket and jeans.

"Mr. Cole, finally. Your son has caused a significant disruption."

She gestured to Leo. "This kind of behavior is unacceptable. There's a clear lack of home training."

Ethan ignored her, kneeling beside Leo. "Are you okay, son?"

Leo nodded, tears welling. "He hit me first, Dad. He said you... you stole his mom."

Ethan' s eyes flicked to Dylan, then back to Ms. Davies.

As Ms. Davies continued her lecture about respecting "influential families," Ethan noticed something on her wrist.

A watch.

A very distinctive, limited-edition Chronoswiss watch, one of only fifty made. He knew, because he' d bought one for Isabelle, his wife, on their anniversary trip to Switzerland.

"Ms. Davies," Ethan interrupted, his voice dangerously quiet. "That' s an interesting watch."

She glanced at it, a flicker of something in her eyes – surprise? Guilt?

"Oh, this old thing?" she said, quickly pulling her sleeve down. "A gift."

Before Ethan could press further, the office door opened again.

A man strode in, oozing confidence, dressed in an expensive suit. Marcus Thorne.

He had an arm around Dylan. "What' s all this, son? Someone giving you trouble?"

Principal Peterson scurried in behind him, all smiles and deference.

"Mr. Thorne! So good of you to come. Just a small misunderstanding."

Marcus Thorne looked Ethan up and down, a dismissive smirk on his face. "So, you're the father of the boy who attacked my son?"

"My son was defending himself," Ethan said, his gaze steady.

Marcus laughed. "Defending himself? Dylan, what happened?"

"He started it, Dad," Dylan said, putting on a wronged expression. "He was jealous because Mom likes you more than his loser dad."

"Mr. Cole," Marcus said, his voice hardening. "You need to teach your son some manners. And you need to apologize. Starlight Games is a very big donor to this school, you know. I have connections there, very high up."

Ethan' s eyes narrowed. Starlight Games? His company?

Ms. Davies chimed in, "Yes, Mr. Cole. An apology is in order. For Leo' s sake. Otherwise, perhaps Oakwood isn't the right fit for him."

Principal Peterson nodded gravely. "We value our relationship with Mr. Thorne and, by extension, Starlight Games."

They were threatening his son. Based on lies. And that watch on Ms. Davies' wrist burned in Ethan's mind.

Ethan looked at Leo' s bruised face, at Dylan' s arrogant smirk, at Marcus Thorne' s condescending stare, and the fawning school officials.

Apologize? Transfer Leo?

"No," Ethan said, his voice calm but firm. "I don't think so."

Marcus Thorne puffed up. "No? What do you mean, no?"

"I mean there's a third option," Ethan said, helping Leo to his feet. "We're leaving."

He started to walk Leo out.

Marcus Thorne stepped in front of them, blocking the way. "You think you can just walk out of here after your kid assaults mine? You'll regret this."

Ethan didn' t break stride. He put a hand on Marcus' s chest and pushed him, not hard, but enough to make the man stumble back.

"Get out of my way," Ethan said, his voice like ice.

Marcus' s face turned red. "You'll pay for that! You have no idea who you're dealing with!"

Ethan ignored him, guiding Leo out of the office, past the stunned faces of Ms. Davies and Principal Peterson.

Once in the car, Leo looked at him, eyes wide. "Dad, are you in trouble?"

"No, son. They are."

Ethan pulled out his phone. First, he called his personal doctor to arrange a check-up for Leo. Then, he called his lawyer, David Finch.

"David, I need you. There' s been an incident at Leo' s school. Bullying, and the school' s covering it up, siding with the bully' s father who' s making some wild claims about Starlight Games."

"Starlight? Your company?" David asked, surprised.

"Exactly. I also need a PI. A good one. I want everything on a man named Marcus Thorne, and his connection to the school, specifically a teacher named Ms. Davies."

"Consider it done, Ethan. What about Isabelle? Does she know?"

"I' m calling her now." Ethan tried Isabelle' s number. It went straight to voicemail. He tried again. Voicemail.

A cold feeling spread through him. Isabelle usually answered.

He took Leo to the doctor. Leo had a mild concussion, several bruises, and a sprained wrist. The doctor documented everything carefully.

As they were leaving the clinic, Ethan' s phone rang. It was David.

"Ethan, you' re not going to believe this," David said, his voice grim. "Isabelle just left Oakwood Academy. She was there with Marcus Thorne."

Ethan felt like he' d been punched in the gut. "What? What was she doing there?"

"She signed some kind of 'mutual understanding' agreement. It basically says the whole thing was a minor scuffle, an unfortunate misunderstanding between the boys. And Ethan... she apologized on Leo' s behalf."

"She did what?" The words were a strangled whisper.

"She told Peterson it was to 'avoid any further trouble' and protect the family's reputation, especially given Mr. Thorne's supposed high-level connections at Starlight Games."

Betrayal, sharp and bitter, rose in Ethan' s throat. Isabelle knew he owned Starlight Games. She knew Marcus Thorne was lying.

"She apologized for Leo?" Ethan repeated, his voice dangerously low.

"Yes. Thorne was apparently very magnanimous about it."

Ethan' s hand tightened on the steering wheel until his knuckles were white.

"David," he said, his voice devoid of emotion. "That PI. Tell them to add Isabelle Cole to the list. I want to know everything about her and Marcus Thorne."