My Fake Deadbeat Husband Is The CEO

I was driving out of Harbor City for our long-planned Fourth of July trip when my wife suddenly pulled over and forced me out of the car.
The dog got loose and bit the neighbor across the way, Seraphina said, her face tight with forced calm. I have to go handle it.
Before I could even speakbefore I could ask what dog, or what neighborshe hit the gas and left me stranded on the shoulder of the interstate.
Id just finished calling the State Police for help when my phone pinged with a notification: a bank transfer.
Withdrawal Alert: Rabies Vaccine Fee: 0-0,500,000.
I instantly called Seraphina. "Have you completely lost your mind?" I yelled into the phone, the sound of passing semis drowning out my own voice.
But she sounded frantic, not crazy. She claimed the neighbor was critically injured and would sue us unless we paid the absurd compensation immediately.
It was ridiculous. The entire complex belonged to my family. There were no "neighbors" across the way; the entire exclusive tower was reserved for my immediate family.
I hung up, dialed 911, and reported illegal trespass and suspected danger at my primary residence.
While waiting for the State Trooper to pick me up, I sent a text to my assistant:
Fire Seraphina Maxwell immediately. Then, have my attorney draw up divorce papers. I want her to walk away with nothing.
1
My fury was a physical weight, a hot, toxic energy that kept me vibrating the entire drive back.
The Olympus Estates, the most luxurious high-rise in the city, had been my parents gift to me for my thirty-fifth birthday. To avoid any hassle or intrusion, the entire building was designated for my private use.
So who was the ghost Seraphina was paying a million and a half dollars for a vaccine?
The patrol car finally dropped me near the security gate of The Olympus, but the armed guard stopped me cold.
"Hold it right there. This area is restricted. Ms. Sera Maxwell of Pinnacle Properties is hosting a major birthday party inside." He puffed out his chest. "Everyone here is high-levelthe citys elite. Unless youre her husband, you're not getting in."
My blood boiled over. I shoved my pass toward him. "The entire building belongs to me! Let me through!"
He didn't even glance at the card, smirking instead. "The whole building is yours? Look at you. You look like you slept in your car. Trying to run a scam?" He laughed, a cruel, short sound. "Everyone knows the complex belongs to Ms. Maxwell. Dont tell me youre claiming to be her husband."
I was shaking with rage. What exactly had Seraphina been doing?
"I am Seraphina Maxwells husband! Who else would I be? Let me in now!"
The guard threw his head back and guffawed. He looked at me like I was a genuine idiot.
"I know Ms. Maxwell's husband when I see him. He's inside celebrating his birthday right now! You should check your facts before trying to pull this kind of stunt." He leaned in, his voice dropping to a theatrical whisper. "Ms. Maxwell's husband is Rex Sullivan. He wears nothing but designer brands, and he tips us security guys with hundred-dollar bills and premium Cuban cigars."
"You look like you shop at a thrift store. You think youre Mr. Sullivan?"
He picked up his stun baton, gesturing me away. I felt the buzzing of electricity even before the baton was close.
Rex Sullivan.
The name hit me like a physical blow. I remembered him clearly: a notorious high school bully who, years ago, had been arrested and jailed after pushing a classmate to a suicide attempt.
How was he Seraphina's husband? And how had he moved into my private estate?
When the electric current was dangerously close, I reacted. I kicked the guards feet out from under him, snatching the baton as he fell.
"You should've kept your hands off me!"
I forced the security team to back up, the stolen baton held high, and burst through the gate toward the penthouse tower.
"Noah, tell Deputy Director Shaw thank you again! That Wellington University acceptance letter is yours! And be sure to thank Principal Harringtonhes the head of Wellington. If you ever need anything, go straight to him!"
I heard Seraphina's bright, ringing voice before I even reached the main floor. When I got inside, she was standing next to Rex Sullivan, her arm linked tightly through his. Next to them stood a tall, grinning teenagerNoahwho was shaking hands with a man holding a cocktail.
My appearance sucked all the air out of the room. The music stopped. Every single pair of eyes in the glittering ballroom turned to me.
I swept my gaze across the faces: the Deputy Director of the State Board of Education, the Principal of Wellington University, the manager of The Olympus Estates These people normally needed my fathers permission just to breathe. Now they were all gathered, enjoying Seraphinas hospitality, apparently allied with her.
And then I saw Rex again. The sight of him, dressed in expensive Italian silk, but still carrying the unmistakable menace of a thug, made my stomach clench.
"Seraphina," I said, my voice dangerously low. "What the hell is this gathering in my house?"
She paled immediately and rushed to grab my arm, trying to pull me aside.
"What are you doing here? Im in the middle of groveling for forgiveness! Get out, now!" She hissed the last word. "And by the way, the money wasn't enough. Ive already promised his son the early admission scholarship to Wellington."
A roar started in my ears, drowning out her voice. I flashed back to their earlier conversation. Wellington was the most prestigious university in Harbor City. The scholarshipthe one my son, Finn, had worked himself half to death to securewas the top academic honor in the state.
And shed just handed it away?
Before I could tear into her, the teenager spoke up, pointing at me.
"Mom, who is this man? He just barged in. So rude."
Seraphina's face shifted, her expression turning hard and fixed, a desperate resolve in her eyes.
"Hes a lunatic, Rex! Get him out of here, now! If he doesn't leave, call security to beat him out!"
I stared at her, genuinely shocked. It was as if I was meeting her for the very first time.
"Seraphina, what are you saying? I am your husband!"
She glared at me, her eyes vicious. "Stop spreading lies! Rex is my husband! I told you to get lost! How long are you going to keep harassing us?"
My entire body was shaking. I could barely stand.
"Seraphina, has a donkey kicked you in the head?"
The guests around us started whispering. "Is this guy for real? Cant he see this is Ms. Maxwells husbands birthday party?"
Rex let out a contemptuous snort and looked down at me from his superior height.
"Trash is trash. Trying to hit on my wife in front of me."
Just then, the security guard Id kicked, along with a team of backup bodyguards, rushed in.
"I apologize, Ms. Maxwell, esteemed guests! He forced his way in, but we have him now! Ill tie him up and haul him to the police station immediately!"
He waved his hand, and the bodyguards closed in.
I backed up two steps, my jaw tight. I focused my fury on Seraphina. "You need to explain yourself, Seraphina. Right now. Or you and I are done."
She frowned. "Noah is from a single-parent home, and I was just trying to entertain these leaders for him. What is your problem?" She suddenly changed her tone, her voice turning into a bark. "Get out! Don't push me to do something youll regret!"
Rex took a step toward me, a sneer of challenge on his face. "Seraphina, The Olympus is a high-class reserve. We can't let him just barge in and cause a scene like this. We cant let him off easy."
He addressed his security. "What are you waiting for? Beat him! Show him what happens when you trespass! The Principal and the Director are watchingwe can't let them think were lax on security!"
The bodyguards raised their batons and moved toward me.
I narrowed my eyes at Seraphina, shouting, "Think clearly, Seraphina! Tell them to stop!"
She hesitated for a brief second, lifting her hand as if to call them off. That's when Noah tugged on her sleeve, his voice a whine.
"Mommy that man is scary. If we let him go, what if he comes to my school and hits me?"
Seraphina looked down at the boy with a sickeningly tender gaze, her voice dripping with affection.
"My darling, Mommy will always protect you."
She looked up at the bodyguards, her voice chillingly cold. "Forget the slaps. Break his arms and legs. Make sure he can never hurt my son again. My beloved son!"
I stared at her, heart sinking with a terrible finality. I fixed her with a hard, flat gaze.
"I am your husband. Try and touch a single hair on my head."
"You not only gave my sons scholarship to this bastard, but youre ordering men to beat me for him? I suggest you wake up, Seraphina."
Noah immediately exploded, screaming, "Thats a lie! The scholarship was mine! I dont need your stupid sons leftovers!"
Principal Harrington watched me with a patronizing smirk. "Sir, slander is a serious offense. Noah is the City Valedictorian. His acceptance to Wellington is absolutely legitimate. Your fool of a son would be lucky to get into community college."
The surrounding guests joined in the mockery.
My eyes burned as I focused on Principal Harrington. "Youre lying! My son, Finn, is the City Valedictorian!"
That honor was the result of years of tireless work, a sacrifice on both our parts!
The Principal looked at me with open contempt and flashed his phone screen in my face.
"The Honor Roll is public. Look closely. Noah Sullivan is listed first. You're delusional if you think otherwise. Wellington is not for every stray dog off the street."
I roared, "Shut up! My sons name was on that list!"
But even as I screamed, the screen showed Noah Sullivan at the top, with a score that matched my son's perfectly. Finns name was nowhere to be found.
Seraphina wouldn't meet my eyes.
Principal Harringtons expression shifted, a predatory gleam in his eyes. He lowered his voice, the offer dripping with venom. "I can, however, give you a chance. Just get on your knees and knock your head on the floor one hundred times. I might consider having a conversation with you."
"You don't need to keep acting hysterical. Just kneel down and"
The rage became a blinding, white-hot fire. I snatched the stun baton from the nearest bodyguard and thrust it toward the vile mans chest.
"Say one more word, and Ill electrocute you where you stand!"
Seraphina stared at me, her eyes promising a thousand cuts.
"Leo Maxwell, where do you get the nerve to threaten Principal Harrington? Security! Bodyguards! Are you useless? Hold him down, now!"
Suddenly, a group of men swarmed me, wrestling me to the marble floor in three violent motions.
Seraphina immediately turned to the Principal, plastering a fake, appeasing smile back on her face. "Please dont be angry, Principal. Hes completely unhinged. I'll have him thrown out immediately."
The Principal was still shaken and furious at being shown up. His face was distorted with malice. "Ms. Maxwell, I can forgive the embarrassment, but to let a man who threatens me go free? That's not good form."
"Order your men to strip him naked, and make him crawl around the perimeter of the building, barking like a dog. Until I say stop." He paused, his smile sickening. "Otherwise, Noahs enrollment may become... complicated."
Seraphina wavered for a split second, then her voice came out like a shard of ice.
"What are you waiting for? Strip Leo bare! All of it!"
The bodyguards immediately went to work. Within seconds, I was down to my underwear.
Principal Harrington lifted his foot and pressed it down hard on my fingers, grinding them into the floor. He leaned in, his eyes narrowed.
"I understand youre upset. Just comply, and we can discuss the scholarship..."
Ignoring the searing pain, I screamed at Seraphina. "Seraphina! I am your husband! Tell them to stop, right now! Or"
My vision tunneled. A sharp, paralyzing jolt went through my chest. My face went chalk white.
My heart condition. My heart was giving out.
"Let go of me!"
I wrenched myself free from the bodyguards and scrambled toward the pile of my clothes, searching for my heart medication. I fumbled to twist the cap off the bottle.
I needed the pills. Right now. If I didn't take them, I could die.
But Noah, seeing his opportunity, grabbed his own chest. His eyes wide, his face a mask of pain.
"Mommy, my chest! It hurts so much!"
Rex instantly understood the play. He looked at Seraphina, his voice anxious. "Sera, Noahs heart condition! I forgot his medication..."
Seraphina glanced at Noah, then at my shaking, sweat-soaked body. She hesitated.
I couldnt delay any longer. I finally twisted the cap and started to pour the pills into my mouth.
Thats when Seraphina made her choice. Her voice was harsh and decisive. "Snatch the medicine! My son, Noah, needs those pills more!"
I clutched the bottle to my chest, crawling backward. "Don't come near me! If you try to take them, Ill crush them all! No one gets them!" I guarded the pills, my eyes darting nervously between the approaching security guards.
Seraphinas voice suddenly softened, a desperate plea. "Leo, dont do anything stupid! I was just kidding! Your safety is the most important thing"
I believed her. I relaxed my guard for one fatal second.
A wine bottle exploded over my head.
The world went dark and fuzzy. Seraphina had struck me with brutal force. I slumped to the floor, dazed, but the bodyguards pounced, seizing control of my arms and legs.
The pills were wrenched from my tight grasp.
"Give them back..." I gasped, struggling to calm my breathing and steady the runaway heart rhythm.
Seraphina didn't even look at me.
"Noah is a child! He needs them more! Youre an adultyou can take a little pain! You won't die if you wait a bit!"
The light went out of my eyes. The cold settled in my soul.
Rex looked at me, his eyes full of triumph. While Seraphina was fussing over Noah, he squatted down in front of me, grabbing a fistful of my hair and forcing me to look up at his cruel face.
"A heart attack won't kill you right away. It's just going to hurt for a while." He smirked. "You havent even barked for us yet. We cant let you die now."
I lunged, my teeth closing hard on his forearm until I tasted blood.
"You damned animal! Youre asking for it!"
Rex struggled, prying my jaws apart. He looked at the teeth marks, blood oozing through his shirt, and his face turned monstrous.
"Tear his mouth open! I want to see if he dares to bite again!"
I clamped my lips shut, refusing to give them the chance.
Enraged, Rex grabbed a pitcher of hot water and poured the contents directly onto my bare skin.
Blistering heat. Excruciating pain. I screamed, thrashing, the bodyguards barely able to hold me down.
Seeing me about to break free, Rex seized the guard's stun baton, flicked the switch, and jammed the pulsating tip toward my chest.
My heart seized up again. If he electrocuted me now, I would die. I lay on the floor like a landed fish, screaming.
Just as the baton was about to make contact, the ballroom doors burst open, and a squad of large, uniformed men flooded the room.
"Hold your fire! We are The Maxwell Group security detail! Were here to protect the Owner!"
Rex froze, then smiled in relief. "Sera, you called them? Perfect! Have them assist us immediately! I want to tear this bastards mouth open and break his arms and legs!"
Seraphina looked flustered, but she quickly recovered and gave the order.
"Don't just stand there! Help my husband! Hold that trash down and get revenge for him!"
The new security detail hesitated, taking a step toward me.
I lifted my head, my eyes locking onto the leader.
"Captain Miller, do you dare touch a single finger on me?"
Captain Miller stopped dead in his tracks, his face registering total shock.
"Young Master Leo, who did this to you? Who dared?"

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