The Teacher's Affair

Chapter 7 Twin-Sister

The principal had already informed her of this—that Zeke should take a break from school. If something were to happen to the child, the kindergarten wouldn’t be able to take responsibility.

Ruby felt strongly that the root cause had to be addressed within the family. Sending Zeke back home without resolving these issues would only make things worse. This was why she had a particular concern for Zeke and Yosef, two children at the school dealing with psychological challenges.

Jack’s eyes were now fixed on Ruby, his earlier playful and seductive expression gone. He lit a cigarette, the white mist obscuring his face, making it difficult for Ruby to read his expression.

"So, what Teacher Red means is..." Jack began, his voice trailing off.

“I mean that your son needs proper attention, Mr. Beaufort. What you did earlier will not help him,” she stated directly, without fear. "If possible, have the child’s mother accompany him. His heart longs for maternal love. With his mother by his side, his situation could improve."

“That would be impossible, Teacher Red,” Jack immediately countered, his voice firm and unyielding.

Jack pressed his index finger against the cigarette, spilling the ash into the ashtray with a casual and chic motion. Ruby frowned, not fully understanding his statement. She leaned forward, placing her hands on the table, and asked, "May I know why, Mr. Beaufort?"

"Because his biological mother is no longer here," Jack replied in a cold, baritone voice. His jaw clenched as he pressed down the cigarette butt. He then imitated Ruby's posture, placing his hands on the table and closing the distance between them.

"You seem very worried about my son. So why not consider my proposal? Zeke likes you. If you can be his mother, he will definitely be happy. Problem solved for all of us," he said, as if it was the most natural thing to suggest.

They stared at each other in silence. Ruby was at a loss for words, her mind momentarily blank. Their gaze was only broken when they heard a sudden crash. The sound of porcelain shattering echoed through the house.

"Zeke!"

Thinking of Zeke’s fragile mental state, Ruby, despite the improvements she had seen in him recently, was still afraid something bad might have happened to him. The moment she heard the crash, she reacted instinctively, standing up quickly. In her haste, she forgot she was only wearing slippers, which caught on the edge of the sofa, causing her to fall hard to the ground.

With a loud thud, Ruby's knees hit the cold, hard floor tiles. The impact sent a sharp, intense pain shooting through her body.

“Hey, are you alright?” Jack asked, his voice laced with concern as he rushed to her side.

The pain was so severe that Ruby immediately broke out in a cold sweat. Despite the pain, her thoughts were still on Zeke. She stopped pretending to be fine and extended her hand toward Jack, who gently helped her up.

As soon as she stood, the pain in her knee intensified, but she masked it, not wanting Jack to worry. "I’m fine..." she lied, quickly making her way upstairs to check on Zeke, Jack’s gaze following her.

The house was decorated luxuriously, with famous paintings hanging in the corridor and precious porcelain pieces displayed on antique shelves. As Ruby reached the corridor, she noticed a little girl standing next to one of the shelves. The girl bore a striking resemblance to Zeke, wearing a complicated princess dress and a crown, but her expression was cold as she stared at Ruby.

Before Ruby could make sense of the girl's presence, Zeke appeared, coming down from upstairs. Ruby, overwhelmed with relief, immediately hugged him.

"Zeke... Oh my god..."

"Teacher Red, what's wrong?" Zeke asked, puzzled. He had just taken a shower, his hair still wet, and he smelled sweetly of fruit.

Seeing his soft, innocent face, Ruby breathed a sigh of relief. "I heard something. I was worried something might happen to you, so I came running here to check on you," she explained, her voice trailing off as her eyes shifted to the little girl who was still staring at them. "Who is she?"

Jack had just arrived and gently pulled the little girl closer, carefully checking her for any injuries. Once he was sure she was unharmed, he turned to Ruby. "She’s Zeke’s sister. Her name’s Zoey."

Ruby’s mouth fell open as she stared at the little girl. "Are they twins?" she asked, shocked. The two children seemed to be around the same age. Why didn’t they attend the same school?

More puzzling was the fact that Zeke had never mentioned having a sister, nor had any of his classmates. If Ruby hadn’t seen Zoey with her own eyes, she wouldn’t have known the girl existed.

Jack noticed Ruby's deep thoughts and cleared his throat, drawing her attention. "She only stays at home for personal reasons," he explained, almost as if he had read Ruby’s mind.

Ruby caught Zoey’s gaze on her. The girl’s eyes were dark and filled with a gloom that Ruby couldn't quite place, perhaps a mix of sadness and suspicion. It was understandable—the girl had just heard a stranger suggest replacing her mother. Ruby figured Zoey’s wariness stemmed from the fact that this was their first meeting. Who would want an outsider in their family, especially in such circumstances?

Ruby gave Zoey a small, reassuring smile before turning back to Jack. "Mr. Beaufort, I hope you will pay attention to what I just communicated to you. I need to leave now; it’s getting late. Take care of them, please," she urged him. She then said a quick goodbye to Zeke and smiled at Zoey once more, though the little girl did not return the gesture.

As Ruby made her way out of the house, Jack followed her to the car. The night wind was chilly, adding a cool edge to the evening. Jack’s figure approached under the streetlamp, and the light stretched her already slender silhouette.

"Wait, Teacher Red..." Jack’s voice was calm and cold against the night breeze.

Ruby reached for the car handle to open the door, but suddenly, a large hand from behind stopped her. The warmth of Jack’s palm, rough with calluses, contrasted sharply against her smooth skin.

As the night wind swirled around them, Jack stepped forward, pressing Ruby gently but firmly against the side of the car. His dark eyes locked onto hers, holding a deep, unreadable expression.

“Teacher Red,” he began, his voice low and intense, “I want to do something tonight…”

Ruby immediately reached out to cover her lips, shaking her head in refusal. "No. I have to go, Mr. Beaufort," she said firmly, attempting to step away. But Jack stopped her, gently taking her hand, a small, mischievous smile tugging at his lips.

“What I mean is, it’s late, and I want to take you home.”

Ruby’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment as his words sank in. She felt the heat spreading from her arms to her face. Why didn’t he just say that from the start? Why did he have to be so ambiguous?

“Thank you, Mr. Beaufort, but no. I’m your son’s teacher, and if we continue this kind of connection, I might lose my job,” she calmly declined, pulling her hand back.

“It’s late. You should rest too,” she added, before quickly getting into her car and driving away from Jack’s mansion.

That night, Ruby couldn’t sleep well. She was plagued by nightmares, and the fall she took the previous day made her knees and legs ache even more. However, her pain didn’t deter her from her responsibilities. She went to work the next day, as dedicated as ever to her job as a teacher. It was one of the reasons why her co-teachers and even the principal admired her so much.

In the quiet afternoon, Ruby sat beside Zeke’s bed in their classroom, patiently coaxing him to sleep. After a while, she heard Teacher Fiona’s voice coming from outside the classroom.

“I’m so mad at what your ex did to you!” Fiona exclaimed, but Ruby ignored her, focusing all her attention on Zeke.

“Let it go, Fiona. That was a long time ago. Right now, I just want to save up for myself,” Ruby replied calmly.

Once Zeke was asleep, Ruby returned to her desk and began writing. A little later, Fiona snatched the pen from her hand and shoved a mobile phone into her grasp, her voice filled with anger.