Chapter 5 Not Qualified
784 Words
Ethan stood tall and imposing in front of Emma as he spoke.
Today, he wore a black shirt, and perhaps due to just waking up, only the lower buttons were fastened.
The open collar revealed his well-defined chest muscles and sun-kissed skin.
The chaotic scenes from the previous night replayed in Emma's mind.
She recalled the feeling of being held tightly in his arms, his weight pressing down on her, and his restrained plea for her to stay still.
And now, this man was standing before her, teasingly asking if he was indeed old and frail as if exposing a crude joke.
"Mr. Brooks, I was merely trying to assure Phillip that I have no inappropriate intentions towards you," Emma explained, flustered.
"Yes, and you certainly demonstrated that with your actions last night, didn't you?" Ethan's tone was laced with irony.
It was another moment of extreme embarrassment.
Emma opened her mouth, but words failed her.
Fortunately, the gracious Mr. Brooks didn't seem inclined to make things difficult for her. Instead, he sat down at the other end of the table.
"Phillip, speaking to your teacher like that is very disrespectful. Apologize to her."
Emma was about to sit down but froze again.
"Mr. Brooks, didn't you tell me yesterday that you wouldn't hire me?" she said, recalling how she had actually refused him, though she couldn't bring herself to say that now after the previous night's events.
Emma awkwardly sat opposite Ethan.
He didn't seem to want to expose her lie and instead spoke first.
"I apologize, Ms. Foster. It was just a test. Many women have tried to use the position of Phillip's tutor to get into my bed."
"So when you said you wanted me to comfort you..." Emma hesitated.
"That was a lie. As you know, I'm married and very loyal to my wife."
Emma let out a sigh of relief.
"That's good to hear, Mr. Brooks. Rest assured, I will do my best to educate Phillip."
Ethan nodded, saying nothing further, and began to enjoy his breakfast.
Phillip was unhappy that this woman had actually become his tutor. He immediately ran over and tugged at his father's arm.
"Dad, how could you decide on a tutor for me without asking for my approval? I don't want this woman. I hate her!"
Phillip pointed rudely at Emma.
Ethan pulled his hand down, his face darkening.
"Philly, don't you know that this gesture is very rude? And your French and math scores last month were horrible. If you continue like this, I'll have to send you to your grandfather."
His serious warning quickly deflated Phillip.
"Okay, Dad. I promise I'll improve my grades in those subjects this month. But can you promise me that once I do, you'll replace this woman?"
Phillip pointed at Emma again.
Before Ethan could respond, Emma spoke up.
"Of course, Phillip. If you improve your grades and wish for me to leave, I will."
Ethan gave Emma a meaningful look.
"You don't have to be so accommodating," he said.
"Tolerance is also a form of education, sir," Emma replied with a smile.
"Fine, suit yourself," Ethan chuckled and then added, "By the way, you can call me Ethan. There's more than one Mr. Brooks here."
After agreeing on the primary subjects and schedule for the lessons, Emma excused herself and left.
Returning to her company to report the situation, Emma was surprised to find her stepmother, Rita, blocking the office door of her boss, Ricky Bryan.
"Mr. Bryan, you must fire my daughter. She's completely unfit to be a tutor," Rita declared loudly.
"Last night, I saw her get into a man's car. She spent the night with several men and hasn't even come home yet. You all know she's married, right? Yet she still acts so wildly. How can she be a teacher? How can she educate children?"
Rita's voice echoed through the office, attracting a crowd of onlookers eager to witness the spectacle.
"Rita Davis, you know exactly why I didn't come home last night and why I got into that car," Emma said through gritted teeth as she approached.
Rita wasn't surprised to see Emma. Instead of calming down, she became even more agitated. "Mr. Bryan, did you hear that? She admits it herself! Look at her. She's limping! Just imagine what kind of wildness she was involved in last night!"
With more and more people gathering, Emma didn't want to cause a scene.
Apologizing to Ricky, she grabbed Rita's arm, attempting to drag her out.
But Rita refused to leave quietly. She yelled louder and more rudely, "Let go of me, you brat! If you don't, I'll expose all your dirty secrets!"
- Writer
