My phone buzzed during a board meeting with a notification from the kindergarten parents' group. The teacher had tagged me: Mrs. Daniels, your daughter is expelled. Pick her up now.
I typed, Why?
Leo's Mom replied arrogantly, Your daughter didn't call my son 'young master.' Isn't that reason enough? My husband is Liam Gomez, brother of the richest man, Miles Gomez. Got a problem?
Before I could respond, the teacher apologized to her: "Mrs. Gomez, I'm sorry I scolded Leo when he hit your daughter. My mistake! I'll award him in class tomorrow."
The chat flooded with fawning praise. Someone posted a photo of my bruised, tearful daughter, tagging me: "Being beaten by the wealthiest man's nephew is a blessing. Don't be ungrateful."
My blood ran cold. Liam Gomez was my brotherbut he died ten years ago.
I ended the meeting and raced to the kindergarten, messaging my legal team: "Find who's impersonating my dead brother. My daughter was assaulted there. Bring a teammake them pay."

1
When I pulled up to the kindergarten, I saw her immediatelyLeos Mom, holding court by the school gate, surrounded by a gaggle of other parents.
Mrs. Gomez, youre so modest! If it werent for this, we would have never known your husband was Miles Gomezs brother.
Exactly! The moment I saw you, I knew you had an air of nobility about you. Its that Gomez family aura!
Were here to support you today. Your Leo is the little prince of our class. We cant have him being bullied by just any riffraff!
Thats right! Any child who makes the young master resort to violence must be trash. Ive already told my son to be Leos loyal follower and protect him at all costs!
Even my daughters teacher was there, bowing and scraping before this woman.
Mrs. Gomez, the Daniels girl was insolent. She deserved to be beaten and expelled. Your Leo is a brave and powerful boy, unafraid to express his emotions. I will hold him up as a model for all the other students!
Also, the teacher added, her voice dripping with sycophancy, if you could send me a list of Leos favorite foods, we will adjust the entire kindergartens menu to his tastes.
Leos Mom preened under the flattery, a proud peacock puffing out its chest.
My brother, Liam, had been a humble, kind, and decent man. We were inseparable, working side-by-side to build the Gomez Group into the empire it was today. But the work took its toll. He fell ill and passed away far too young. I honored his wish for a quiet, private funeral, then channeled my grief into my work, determined to fulfill his dream of making our company number one.
Now, after ten years of my relentless effort, my success had become this womans social capital.
I was furious, and utterly bewildered. Who was this man, this impostor, who had given her the audacity to act with such impunity and to allow my daughter to be so brutally bullied?
When the group of parents saw me approaching, their fawning smiles vanished, replaced by scowls of disgust, as if I were something vile theyd scraped off their shoes.
The teacher marched up to me, her face a mask of contempt. "The director himself ordered your daughter's expulsion. I suggest you learn to control her, and teach her to know her place."
I stared at her, my voice dangerously low. "My daughter was assaulted in your school. Instead of seeking justice for her, you expel the victim to curry favor with the powerful?"