Chapter 1

I was just leaving a charity auction when I unexpectedly saw my daughter, Keira Fraser, picking up trash by the side of the road. She was supposed to be in preschool. I asked her what was going on, but she just shook her head with tears in her eyes, too scared to speak. Sensing something was off, I gently lifted her shirt and saw her arms and back covered in bruises. My whole body trembled with rage. I quickly took a photo and sent it to the preschool parents' group chat, demanding, "Who did this?" Almost immediately, a woman named Teresa Evans, listed as "Darius Fraser's mom", responded smugly. "My son, Darius, did! She didn't call him 'Mr. Fraser' when she saw him, so I figured she might as well get a taste of the kind of life trash from the bottom should experience. What's wrong with that?" Then, she added, "My husband is Bradley Fraser, the richest man in the country. Do you have a problem with that?" Before I could even reply, Keira's homeroom teacher, Mariam Schultz, tagged Teresa and chimed in, "Darius really lives up to his status as Mr. Fraser's son. His way of teaching someone a lesson was totally appropriate. "From now on, Darius is our class' leader. Anyone who disrespects him gets kicked out and punished. Picking up trash will be the standard." Other parents started chiming in, praising Teresa like she was some kind of royalty. Some even said their kids were going to be Darius' loyal followers. One parent even tagged me and said, "Getting disciplined by the wealthiest man in the country is a blessing. Don't be ungrateful." I was stunned and furious. After all, Bradley was MY husband, and he had been bedridden and paralyzed for the past ten years. While holding Keira in my arms, I fired off a message to our corporate legal team. "Find out exactly who's going around impersonating Bradley and flaunting his identity. And also, Keira was beaten up at preschool. I need a team over there now—I want these people to pay for what they did!" Once that was settled, we drove straight to the preschool. The moment we arrived, I saw Teresa standing at the front gate, surrounded by a crowd of Keira's classmates' parents. Someone exclaimed, "Teresa, you really know how to stay low-key. If this hadn't happened, we never would've known your husband is Mr. Darius Fraser!" "I noticed your elegance at first glance! That's the kind of presence only true wealth can have!" Another chimed in, "We came today just to back you up. Darius is the class' leader, and we can't let any random nobody bully him!" "Exactly! If even Darius had to step in himself, then the other kid must be rotten to the core. I've already told my son to be Darius' loyal wingman and protect him at all costs!" Even Mariam bowed and scraped in front of Teresa like a servant. She said, "Mrs. Fraser, we've already added your brilliant discipline method to our preschool's student handbook. From now on, anyone who disrespects Darius will be dealt with in the same way." She continued, "And please let us know what Darius likes to eat. We'll make sure the school lunches are tailored to his tastes going forward." Teresa soaked in the flattery like a proud peacock, basking in her newfound fame. Before Bradley's illness, he was always tied up with work. Out of love and concern for him, I worked alongside him, pulling all-nighters, drafting proposals, and attending client meetings by his side. We spent years fighting tooth and nail together to build Zenith Group into the top corporation in the country. But just as we reached the peak, Bradley collapsed from exhaustion and suffered a stroke. He hadn't stepped out of bed in ten years. And now, the status and empire we built with our blood, sweat, and youth had somehow become Teresa's badge of honor. I was beyond furious. But more than that, I was confused as to who had the audacity to impersonate Bradley, giving Teresa the guts to act like a queen and bully Keira to this extent. The moment I showed up, the parents who had been sucking up to Teresa just seconds ago all turned cold. They frowned the instant they saw me and looked me up and down with disgust, regarding me like I was some kind of disgusting, unwanted filth.