That caring, however, has begun to show cracks. Her other students have complained of shorter, distracted sessions. Her own grades have slipped. Last week, she found herself designing a practice exam just so she could spend two extra hours alone with him.
The temptation, Lia explains, isn’t just physical. It’s emotional. Ethan confides in her about his troubled family, his fear of failing, his late-night panic attacks. In return, she stays later than she should. She cancels other students to extend his sessions. Last Thursday, when he hugged her goodbye and lingered a second too long, she didn’t pull away. tempted tutor lia lin
For now, Lia Lin remains a tempted tutor. But she knows that the hardest lessons are the ones we teach ourselves. That caring, however, has begun to show cracks
“He’s not difficult,” Lia admits, pushing her glasses up with a sigh. “That’s the problem. He’s eager, funny, and when he looks at me like I’ve just explained the meaning of the universe after a simple calculus derivative… I forget to be professional.” Last week, she found herself designing a practice
“I know the rules,” Lia says, rubbing her temple. “No fraternization. No dating clients. But empathy feels a lot like love when you’re tired and lonely.”
As the semester barrels toward finals, Lia faces a final exam of her own: whether to refer Ethan to another tutor—or finally admit that some temptations are less about love, and more about losing yourself.