Chapter 11

For the next two days, Blake didn't show up. I ended up spending a pleasant weekend with Willow. We spent the two days doing nothing other than immersing ourselves in the library. I thought that Blake would now stop bothering me after the incident.

Thus, finding Blake downstairs early on Monday morning came as such a surprise that I failed to react. Blake must have been a bad penny in my past life!

"What are you doing here?" I calmly asked, suppressing the impolite remarks in my heart. Why was this man here again? How annoying—did he have any shame at all?

Blake seemed to sense my inner frustration but chose to ignore it. He shot me a helpless smile and said, "I'll leave after dropping you off at the school, okay?"

He was cautious with his words, as if he were seeking my approval.

Unsure if it was because Blake looked particularly pitiful today, I found myself softening. I had to admit that I couldn't bring myself to remain aloof or chastise him.

"Fine. Let's go, then!" I said, climbing into the car.

The ride to the school was silent. When we arrived, I bid him goodbye and turned to leave. In return, Blake only offered a barely audible hum.

I wished Blake could put more distance between us—figuratively or, better yet, physically. Therefore, it wasn't unexpected that I didn't notice Blake's odd behavior that day.

As Blake watched me walk farther and farther away, he fought the urge to pull me back into his arms. The scene of me in tears, clutching my chest and screaming at him to leave, looped in his mind.

A single tear rolled down his right cheek. The thought of giving up crossed his mind, but how could he just let go after so many years?

His car stayed parked by the school gates for a long time before it drove away. From then on, Blake never bothered me again.

At first, I was a little uncomfortable adjusting to my new norm. Every morning, when I left for work, I would subconsciously look out for Blake at the entrance of the building. Upon leaving work in the afternoon, I would scan the car park for the familiar SUV. But Blake simply never reappeared.

I eventually caught myself searching for Blake around my neighborhood. I fiercely reprimanded myself, "You useless bastard! Why can't you just enjoy your life now that it's finally peaceful again?"

For years, Blake had always been this way. I should have gotten used to it by now.

Even without Blake's interference, my life wasn't any less busy.

Soon, I no longer had the time to worry about Blake's affairs. A troubling situation had arisen in my class. Students had been reporting loss of their pocket money, with the total amount nearing a thousand dollars. I had been at the core of the investigations for this issue.

After a week on this case, I finally uncovered the truth behind the thefts. The result truly shocked me.

Never in a million years would I have guessed that the culprit was the most well-behaved Jenna Young, who was top of the class. Had I not witnessed it with my own eyes, no one would have believed a word I said.

When I caught her red-handed, she elicited no sign of fear or shame for her actions. She merely halted mid-action and followed me out of the classroom. I took her to a quiet spot for a private conversation.

I initially planned for her to return the stolen money, alongside a good lecture. If she showed genuine remorse, I intended to organize a class meeting to address the matter and let it go. After all, they were all still kids.

But she explained in tears that she had spent all the money on her ill grandmother's medical expenses. As the sum grew larger day by day, she resorted to stealing from her classmates.

Per my guidance, Jenna repeatedly promised not to steal again. I assured her that I would keep the matter confidential and even offered to help repay the stolen money.

Though I helped her resolve the aftermath of the case, I couldn't quite shake the unease in my heart. My salary wasn't notable, and there was only so much I could do to help.

I wanted to make sure I understood Jenna's situation. I wanted to see if I could help her apply for some assistance from the school. So, I took half a day off on a school day and set out to visit her home.

When I arrived at a small villa, my first reaction was that my cab had the wrong address. Watching the scenery outside change from urban to remote, I was initially convinced that Jenna's family was indeed impoverished. I didn't expect my destination to be a villa.

I pulled out my phone to double-check the address I had photographed. I was certainly at the right location. The student records were filled in by the students themselves when they enrolled—there was no way it could be erroneous.

Before I could try to make sense of this, the main door to the villa opened. A middle-aged woman who seemed to be the housekeeper stepped out.

"Hello, you've been out here for a while now. May I ask if you're here to see someone?" she asked in a polite tone.

I figured there was no harm in asking. "Is this, by any chance, Jenna Young's house?"

"Yes, it is! May I know who you are?"

I felt like I had been struck hard on the head. Her voice echoed in his mind, her words consuming me. I struggled to understand how a girl living in such a lavish villa would steal her classmate's allowance.

"May I know who you are?" repeated the housekeeper, seeing me lost in thought.

"I'm Jenna's teacher, Mr. Shaw. I'm here for a home visit!"

"Oh, you're her teacher. Please come in! You're in luck, Mr. Young happens to be in today."

In a daze, I followed her into the villa. At one glance, everything inside screamed of wealth and privilege.

Half an hour later, I left the compounds. I never imagined that such an obedient girl could spout such a big lie.

Not only was her family well-off, but there was also no terminally ill grandmother in need of money for treatment. So where had all the money actually gone?

I was still new to society and had never encountered such a tricky situation. My youth and inexperience meant it didn't take Nigel Young, a seasoned conversationalist, long to persuade me to spill everything.

Upon learning the full story, Nigel was furious. He vowed to discipline Jenna properly as soon as she arrived home. When I got up to leave, Nigel politely paid the stolen sum to me. He even offered to have the family chauffeur take me home. I had to decline multiple times before he stopped insisting.