My Student Claimed I Ruined Her

I had just returned to the teacher's dormitory when a group of people blocked me at the door.

It was Rachel Morgan, the mother of one of my students, Vivian Morgan.

The moment she saw me, she lunged forward, screaming at the top of her lungs.

It's him! This scumbag assaulted my daughter! She just started freshman year. What's going to happen to her now?

I was stunned!

"What? That's absolutely impossible!"

The hallway filled with people. Some were filming videos, others were whispering among themselves, and some colleagues lowered their heads and slipped into their rooms.

"What are you talking about? I've never done anything like that!"

A young man burst out from the crowd.

He threw a punch aimed right at my face.

"What kind of teacher are you? You ruined my sister's innocence."

Rachel slapped a piece of paper right onto my face.

"Stop pretending! My daughter said it herself."

Principal Hayes pushed through the crowd and pulled me aside.

"Just apologize. Compensate them one million dollars. Don't let this blow up."

"Principal, what exactly am I apologizing for?"

Principal Hayes's expression darkened, and he lowered his voice.

"Shane, now's not the time to be stubborn. The parents are emotional. Show them the right attitude first."

"Attitude?"

I looked at him.

"You want me to show an attitude for something I didn't do?"

Rachel rushed over shrieking.

"You're still pretending! My daughter was almost driven to suicide by you, and you still dare say you didn't do it?"

Ethan Morgan clenched his fists, veins bulging on his neck.

"Shane Lawson, if you don't kneel and apologize today, I'll kill you!"

"Kneel?"

I looked toward Vivian Morgan standing behind the crowd.

She kept her head down, her school uniform sleeves crumpled from gripping them.

I was Vivian Morgan's class advisor.

The first time I entered the classroom, all the other students looked up to listen.

Only she didn't dare make eye contact with me.

At the start of the school year, she could only score in the thirties on math tests.

When others laughed at her, she would bury her head in her books.

After I took over the class, I discovered she would secretly copy her mistakes three times.

I had tutored her, explained functions to her.

And when classmates mocked her, I once said:

"Poor grades aren't a crime. Giving up is."

As a teacher,

I didn't want any student to fall behind.

Rachel was crying and wailing, sitting right on the floor and slapping her thighs.

"My daughter is only a freshman! How will she live from now on? How will she get married?"

"Shane! We're the county's top high school here!"

"If this blows up, it'll seriously damage the school's reputation!"

"Just admit to this first, then we'll discuss it properly with the parents."

Principal Derek Hayes put his arm around my shoulder, trying to persuade me in a low voice.

I shook off Derek Hayes's hand.

"Principal, I never did anything like this!"

Derek Hayes's expression turned grave.

"Shane! I know you feel wronged."

"But think about it. You're just an intern teacher with no permanent position, no connections."

"If this blows up, you won't even be able to keep your teaching certificate."

"Just appease them for now!"

Appease?

By admitting guilt?

I took a step forward.

"Vivian Morgan, look at me."

Rachel immediately blocked her.

"You still want to threaten my daughter?"

"Everyone saw it! He's still trying to intimidate the child in public!"

Vivian's shoulders trembled.

Ethan immediately shouted.

"You dare question her? Look how scared you've made her!"

Derek Hayes quickly spoke up.

"Mr. Lawson, don't agitate the student."

"Vivian, don't be afraid. The principal is here. No one can hurt you."

"Let me ask you, did Mr. Lawson often tutor you alone?"

Vivian nodded.

"Did he sometimes tutor you until very late?"

Vivian nodded again.

"During tutoring, was it just the two of you in the classroom?"

I immediately said:

"The door was always open, and there are cameras in the classroom."

"Vivian Morgan, when I tutored you, did I ever close the door when we were alone?"

"Did I ever touch you? Did I ever say anything inappropriate?"

Tears fell from her eyes, but she still didn't speak.

Derek Hayes sighed, as if deeply pained.

"Shane, what's the point of pressuring a child like this?"

Rachel cried even louder.

"Everyone hear that!"

"Private tutoring!"

"Staying late!"

"This inhuman monster!"

I stared at Derek Hayes.

My heart went cold.

Derek Hayes asked again:

"Did he buy you bubble tea and bread?"

Vivian said quietly:

"Yes."

I was almost laughing from anger.

"evening study session runs until 9:30. She's not the only one with low blood sugar. I bought bread for the entire group."

Derek Hayes ignored me and continued questioning.

"Did he ever write on your test paper, 'Don't be afraid, I'm here'?"

Vivian closed her eyes and nodded even more slightly.

In that moment, I finally understood.

Someone was taking all normal teacher-student care, breaking it into pieces, and assembling it into a knife to stab me with.

Rachel rushed over, her fingernails nearly poking my eyes.

"You still trying to make excuses? Why would a male teacher treat my daughter so well?"

"Because I'm a teacher."

"Bullshit!"

She turned around and cried while slapping her thighs.

"Everyone look! He still says he's a teacher. He's just a scumbag in human skin."

"He targeted my daughter because she's timid!"

"She didn't dare speak up, so you bullied her!"

Derek Hayes spoke again:

"Mr. Lawson did that kind of thing to you, didn't he?"

Vivian Morgan lifted her head slightly to look at me.

Then she glanced at Rachel.

Rachel pinched her arm hard.

"Say it! What are you afraid of! I will stand up for you!"

Vivian picked at her clothes without speaking.

Rachel pressed down on her head.

She stiffly nodded.

Ethan rushed forward and threw a punch at my face.

I dodged to the side.

His fist hit the doorframe.

"Fuck, you dare dodge?"

I stepped back half a step.

"Accusing me without evidence! If you attack again, I'll fight back."

Ethan roared:

"You ruined Vivian's innocence. Even if I beat you to death, it wouldn't be enough!"

Derek Hayes stepped between us.

"Everyone calm down!"

"Mr. Lawson, your attitude right now is critical."

"Apologize immediately."

"Pay the compensation first and stabilize the situation."

"One million dollars. Transfer it today."

Rachel climbed up from the floor.

"One million? You trying to send away beggars?"

"My life is so miserable. I raised a daughter, her grades just started improving, and a teacher preyed on her."

"My daughter's innocence is ruined! Her whole life is over!"

Ethan sneered coldly.

"My sister still has to get married, go to college, and be a person. Your school thinks one million can shut us up?"

"Three million! Not a penny less!"

Derek Hayes patted my shoulder and said:

"One million is indeed too little, but three million is too high. How about this---I'll make the call. Two hundred fifty thousand."

"No way. Three million is already cheap for that bastard. My sister was a virgin."

Ethan pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket and threw it at my feet.

"Three million is for emotional damages. You admit to hurting my sister and can't go back on it!"

"When Vivian graduates from college, you must pay us another five hundred thousand and marry her. Otherwise, you'll pay a penalty of two million in damages."

I thought I'd misheard.

"What did you say?"

"You ruined my sister. You have to take responsibility to the end!"

Rachel took over.

"Our Vivian---if you hadn't defiled her, she could have married a rich man in the future and earned way more than five hundred thousand. Now you've ruined her. You have to compensate!"

I looked at that guarantee letter.

"Where's the evidence?"

Rachel froze for a moment.

"What?"

"You say I committed a crime. You want money, a guarantee letter, a marriage promise. Where's the evidence?"

Rachel pulled a piece of paper from her bag and slapped it onto my face.

"This is the hospital's examination report! It's written in black and white that my daughter is no longer a virgin! You still want to deny it?"

I looked down at the report.

The seal of City General Hospital, the red stamp neatly pressed.

The name on the report was Vivian Morgan, dated three days ago.

The conclusion section had several glaring words.

But what did this prove?

"This only proves she had sexual activity. It doesn't prove it was me."

Principal Derek Hayes cleared his throat lightly and stepped in front of me.

"Shane, the examination report is right here. You're Vivian's class advisor. When something happened to the child, you're the most suspicious."

After speaking, he gave Rachel a subtle glance.

Rachel picked up the cue.

"Fine."

"The principal has spoken. We'll show some respect."

"Two hundred fifty thousand. We need an answer today! If not, tomorrow I'm going to the Board of Education, TV station, and court. I'll sue you to death!"

Rachel wiped her tears.

"Once the money arrives, we won't make a scene."

"We'll all be family from now on."

I almost laughed out loud.

"Family?"

Rachel glared at me.

"You ruined her. You have to support her for life."

Derek Hayes leaned close to my ear.

"Shane, things have come to this point. It's out of your hands."

"Just pay to settle this!"

I stared into his eyes.

"Principal Hayes, you're twisting the truth! You're planning to force this onto me!"

Ethan lost patience.

"What the fuck are we wasting words for? This kind of person just needs a beating!"

He suddenly kicked toward my abdomen.

I stepped to the left, grabbed his ankle with my right hand, and twisted and pushed in one motion.

Ethan lost his balance completely and fell hard onto the concrete hallway floor.

He gritted his teeth and got up, rushing forward to throw a punch again.

In my four years of college, I trained with a coach from the sports academy for three years in boxing.

I even won second place in a boxing competition.

Against this punk, I could win with my eyes closed.

I dodged his straight punch, deflected his forearm with my left hand.

My right fist landed precisely under his ribs.

Ethan bent over and stepped back three paces, unable to catch his breath.

Before his second punch could come out, I'd already gripped his wrist.

I twisted it backward, pinning him against the wall.

"Don't move. Move again and your wrist breaks."

Ethan refused to submit and struggled hard.

I suddenly released my hand and pushed with the momentum.

He stumbled forward, lost his balance.

His face hit the ground first, knocking out his front teeth.

Blood began seeping out densely across his face.

Rachel hugged Ethan's head, kicking her feet against the concrete floor, wailing.

"He's hitting people! He's hitting people!"

"Everyone saw it! First he raped my daughter, now he's beaten my son! God! Is there no justice? Is there no law?"

"He's trying to silence us! Murder to silence witnesses! Everyone saw it! Everyone saw it!"

Vivian Morgan walked out from the corner.

She picked up the bloody tooth from the floor.

Then turned to look at me.

Her eyes were full of anger.

"You really are a scumbag."

I had tutored her for three months.

Every night from seven to ten, rain or shine.

Questions she couldn't solve, I explained one by one.

Concepts she didn't understand, I explained in five different ways.

The day she scored 89, I was happier than she was.

Now, she was calling me a scumbag.

"Shane, now you have another charge---assaulting a student's family member."

Derek Hayes shook his head, his face full of regret.

"Tell me, how do we resolve this?"

At the end of the hallway, someone was holding up their phone.

Comments were scrolling frantically.

"I'm warning you one last time."

Derek Hayes's tone became completely cold and hard.

"If you won't take a friendly offer, you'll have to face the consequences. Your intern evaluation, teaching certificate, even your future employment records---you won't be able to keep any of them."

"You're just an intern fighting against the entire school? You think you can win?"

He leaned closer, lowering his voice to a minimum.

"I heard your aunt is quite wealthy. Hurry up and raise the money!"

"Two hundred fifty thousand to buy your lifetime reputation. You're getting off cheap."

The person livestreaming with their phone---the viewer count on their screen had already shot up to 23,000.

The comments went crazy.

"Predator teacher!"

"This kind of person should be sentenced!"

"How did the school let this kind of person become a teacher?"

"Beat him!"

Everyone was cursing me.

Someone in the crowd shouted:

"No smoke without fire."

"Why didn't they go after other teachers, but specifically you!"

"You definitely did it and won't admit it!"

I turned to look. It was my colleague, Marcus.

Just last week he'd borrowed my lesson plans.

Meeting my gaze, Marcus showed no guilt whatsoever.

"Mr. Lawson, I'm not targeting you. I'm just calling it as I see it!"

"Everyone, am I right!"

The crowd echoed in agreement!

Not a single person asked---where's the evidence?

Rachel had somehow gotten up from the floor. Her hair was disheveled, the tear tracks still visible on her face.

"I'm telling you, Shane Lawson."

"As long as you sign today and transfer the money, this matter is settled."

She looked smugly at Derek Hayes.

"We're not unreasonable people, right Principal Hayes?"

Derek Hayes nodded repeatedly.

"Right, right. Mrs. Morgan's family is very reasonable. Shane, as long as you settle this two hundred fifty thousand and sign the guarantee letter, Mrs. Morgan will treat you like her own son-in-law going forward. Let's keep it in the family."

Rachel nodded cooperatively.

"That's right. Once the money arrives and you sign, we'll treat you as one of our own. We'll let bygones be bygones. From now on, my daughter is yours."

Ethan chimed in too.

"Right, brother-in-law. Just pay up. Transfer the two hundred fifty thousand now, sign the guarantee now. I'll go to the hospital to fix my teeth myself."

Vivian looked at me shyly, her face red.

"Principal Hayes, you're saying as long as I apologize and pay the money, this will all be over, right?"

Derek Hayes nodded, his expression relaxing a bit, thinking I was softening.

"Then I'd like to confirm once more."

"If I sign this guarantee letter and pay this two hundred fifty thousand, can you guarantee the Morgan family won't pursue this further, and the school won't keep any records?"

Derek Hayes and Rachel exchanged glances.

"Of course. You can rest assured. I'll make the call."

Derek Hayes said, his voice more certain than before.

I watched this farce coldly.

They were extorting me.

I pulled out my phone from my pocket.

Derek Hayes, Rachel, Ethan, and Vivian all looked over.

Their eyes full of hope, greed, and the satisfaction of a scheme about to succeed.

"Hello, Sean!"