Page 70 of Faking it with my Bad Boy Crush

Before I could decide, my phone rang again. Marcus Campbell.

I almost didn't answer. But curiosity—or maybe the need for confrontation—made me pick up.

"What do you want, Marcus?"

"To offer you one final chance before this gets worse." His voice was controlled, calculating. "Victoria filed her complaint. The ethics board is leaning toward permanent disbarment based on preliminary findings. The media coverage is destroying your reputation. And my civil suit is moving forward—I've documented half a million in damages from your disclosure of confidential information."

"The prosecutor is building a criminal fraud case against your investment group."

"With evidence you obtained illegally. That case will fall apart the moment you're discredited as a witness." Marcus paused. "Here's what I'm offering: settle the civil suit for two hundred thousand dollars, publicly apologize for ethical violations, and testify that you exaggerated the fraud allegations. Do that, and I'll recommend the state bar show leniency. You might keep your license with a suspension instead of permanent disbarment."

"You want me to lie about the fraud?"

"I want you to acknowledge that you let your emotions cloud your judgment. That you made the case bigger than it was because you developed feelings for Maya Romano. That your disclosure was motivated by romantic involvement rather than legitimate whistleblowing."

The implication was clear—turn this into a story about a lawyer who broke rules for love instead of a lawyer who exposed fraud for principle. Undermine my credibility, weaken the criminal case, protect the investment group from prosecution.

"No," I said simply.

"Then you'll lose everything. Your license, your savings, your future. Was it worth it, Ethan? Destroying your entire life for some small-town baker?"

"Yes." I didn't hesitate. "It was worth it. Every sacrifice. Every consequence. Because I finally became someone I can respect. Someone who builds instead of destroys. Someone who protects instead of exploits. That's worth more than any career I lost."

"You're a fool—"

"Maybe. But at least I'm an honest fool." I stood, gathering my things. "The fraud was real, Marcus. The criminal investigation will prove it. And when the prosecution succeeds, everyone will know what your firm did. What you personally authorized. You can try to discredit me all you want, but the evidence doesn't lie."

"You'll never practice law again—"

"Good. I don't want to practice the kind of law you taught me. I want to do something that actually matters." I headed for the door. "See you in criminal court."

I hung up before he could respond.

Outside the coffee shop, Seattle rain had started—the constant drizzle that defined Pacific Northwest winters. I stood in it for a moment, letting the cold water clear my head.

My phone rang again. My mother this time.

"Mom?"

"Ethan, honey, I saw the news coverage about the ethics investigation. Are you okay?"

"Honestly? I don't know." I found shelter under a storefront awning. "The investigation is going badly. They're probably going to recommend permanent disbarment. Marcus is suing me for half a million dollars. My entire career is collapsing."

"But you exposed fraud. You protected that bakery. You did the right thing."

"That doesn't seem to matter much to the ethics board. They care more about how I obtained evidence than what the evidence proved." I watched rain puddle on the sidewalk. "I'm sorry, Mom. You worked so hard to help me get where I am, and I feel like I’m throwing it away for some naive ideals that I don’t even—”

"Stop." Her voice was firm. "You didn't throw anything away. You chose to be someone with integrity over someone with money. That's not naive, honey. That's heroic."

My throat tightened. "I might lose my license. Lose everything I built."

"Then you'll build something else. Something better. Something you can actually be proud of." She paused. "When your father left, I was terrified. Didn't know how we'd survive, how I'd raise you alone, how we'd make it through. But we did.Because we chose to keep fighting even when everything seemed impossible. And you're doing the same thing now."

"What if I can't rebuild? What if I'm unemployable and broke and—"

"Then you start small and work your way up. Just like I did. Just like you did once before." Her voice softened. "Ethan, I'm proud of you. Not for being a successful lawyer—though I was proud of that too. But for being someone who does the right thing even when it costs everything. That's the man I raised. That's who you've always been, under all the corporate polish."

After we hung up, I stood under that awning for a long time, watching Seattle rush past, thinking about choices and consequences and the difference between success and integrity.