College admissions season was just around the corner. A few of my senior students were still completely slacking off. I was more anxious than anyone, so I decided to use the weekend break to drop off some study guides at their houses. "What is this?" I was completely frozen. On my student Chloe’s bed sat a life-sized doll! In terms of height, body shape, and face, it looked exactly like me! More importantly, the doll had... anatomical details. It was clearly made for *that* kind of activity... "Mr. Miller..." Chloe’s face flushed so red it looked like it would burst. "Actually, I... I’ve liked you since freshman year!" "Mr. Miller, I just turned eighteen last month. I'm an adult now! You..." "Stop, stop, stop!" I quickly cut her off. In my five years of teaching, I had never encountered something this insane! Chloe had opened the door wearing a maid cosplay outfit. I heard from other students that she was a minor influencer in the local cosplay community. As a male teacher, I had to protect myself and keep my distance. I originally planned to just say a few words at the door and leave. But her parents insisted on dragging me inside, asking me to help her highlight key topics for the final AP exam. "I have a fiancée, and we’re planning to get married this summer." "I need you to focus on your studies and get into a good college!" She looked incredibly excited. She pulled the ribbon at her waist, and the maid outfit slid down like wrapping paper off a gift box. "Chloe! What are you doing?!" I was terrified. She lunged at me, wrapping her arms around my neck, standing on her tiptoes to kiss me. No way in hell. I came here to tutor her, not to have an existential crisis! Her parents were right outside. If they saw this, my career, my reputation, and my relationship would all be destroyed. So, I gritted my teeth and pushed her onto the bed. "Leo~" Chloe thought I was giving in. She lay there obediently, her eyes full of anticipation. I frantically grabbed the pieces of her outfit, trying to put them back on her before her parents noticed. Chloe’s eyes welled with tears. "Leo, don't you like me? Don't men like younger girls? Or am I not pretty enough?" Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door. "Put your clothes on! What if your mom walks in and misunderstands?!" I didn't know which of my words triggered her. Chloe suddenly burst into loud, hysterical sobs. "Mr. Miller, why don't you stay for dinner? I bought some prime rib..." The door was pushed open by Chloe's mother, Beatrice. The smile on her face instantly froze. "What on earth is going on here..." I panicked. The clothes in my hand felt like a hot potato. I was caught red-handed, and no explanation would sound believable now. "Mrs. Vance, let me explain. It’s not what it looks like..." I stuttered, completely terrified.
In the living room, Chloe's parents sat on the sofa. Chloe and I stood in front of them. "...and that’s everything. That’s exactly what happened." After speaking, I looked at Chloe, hoping she would back up my story. Beatrice also looked at her daughter, waiting for her response. Arthur, Chloe's father, frowned. "Chloe, Daddy is right here. Don't be afraid. Tell us the truth." The atmosphere in the room turned suffocatingly tense. My heart was pounding like crazy. But Chloe seemed oblivious. She just stood there, sobbing quietly. We waited for five agonizing minutes. Just as I was about to lose my temper, Chloe finally spoke. "I didn't take my clothes off. Mr. Miller did!" "He said... he said he’d only tutor me if I was 'good' to him!" I was furious. "Chloe! Do you have any idea how much this lie will ruin my life?!" "Shut up!" Arthur snapped. He lunged forward, grabbing me by the collar. The veins on his forehead bulged. "Miller! Do you call yourself a teacher? I can’t believe you had the guts to come into my house and assault my daughter!" "You’re not a human! You’re a sick animal!" Beatrice joined in, screaming curses. She was so hysterical she just kept repeating the same insults over and over. Chloe, who had just completely twisted the truth, hid behind her father. Her eyes were calm, with a faint hint of smug apology. My mind went completely blank. My ears rang. "I’m telling the truth!" "If you don't believe me, go look in her room! There’s a life-sized doll that looks exactly like me!" Chloe's next words felt like a bucket of ice water poured over my head. "Mr. Miller forced me to buy that!" Maybe a long time passed, or maybe it was just a few seconds. I didn't know. My chest felt so tight I could barely breathe, and my temples throbbed violently. So this was what it felt like to be falsely accused. The police arrived quickly. I told them I did absolutely nothing. Beatrice screamed at the officers, "What kind of girl would ruin her own reputation just to frame a man?!" Wasn't that hilarious? Yes, hilariously tragic. It was just like the naive belief that "children don't lie." The logic was completely flawed. I pushed past the officer, rushed up to Chloe like a madman, grabbed her collar, and roared, "Tell them the truth! You are going to destroy me!" Within seconds, the police pulled me away, telling me to calm down and cooperate with the investigation. I thought that once the police got involved, things would get sorted out. But to my absolute horror, no matter what, Chloe stuck to her story: I forced her. Without solid physical evidence, the police had to let me go for the time being. "SHOCKING! High school teacher caught assaulting teenage influencer during home visit!" This kind of scandal didn't need any algorithm push—it immediately went viral on Ins and TikTok. In less than two hours, I received a termination letter from the school. The school’s official YouTube channel also posted a video announcing my firing, and they didn't even bother to blur my personal details. "You didn't even investigate! You just threw my private information to the wolves!" "I am innocent!" No one listened. At that moment, I learned how quickly people will kick you when you're down.
The video exploded. Countless people were tagging the local police department in the comments. I scrolled through the comments; they were filled with toxic abuse. My fiancée, Jessica, got the news. She called me immediately. I thought she knew my character and was calling to comfort me. But to my surprise, when I picked up, it wasn't Jessica. It was her mother, Mrs. Davis. "I am so disappointed in you! I will never let my daughter marry a predator! We are returning the wedding deposit, and the ring is in the mail! This is Jessica's decision too!" "I really misjudged you! How could you lay a hand on an eighteen-year-old student?!" "Mrs. Davis, please let me explain..." "You're a monster!" "Click—" The call went dead. During the entire call, I didn't even get to finish a single sentence. As soon as that call ended, my mother’s number popped up. She didn't accuse me right away. She just asked if the news online was true. I had worked diligently for five years as an ordinary teacher. I never expected to become "famous" overnight in the worst possible way. "Mom, others might not know me, but you do!" "...Okay, sweetie. I believe you." I heard muffled shouting on her end of the line. "Mom? Mom?" The shouting grew louder. Sensing something was terribly wrong, I decided to drive over to her house immediately. But as soon as I stepped out of my apartment, a man blocked my path and showed me his badge. "Where are you going?" "I'm going to see my mother. What, am I under house arrest now?" Officer Hudson shook his head. "I'm just doing my job, Mr. Miller." It seemed the police were worried I would flee. I was furious, but I didn't want to make things hard for him. So I proposed a compromise. "Then come with me. You can ride along. Is that okay?" Officer Hudson hesitated, saying he needed to check with his sergeant. In those few short minutes, I received the third piece of devastating news—my mother had collapsed from shock and was being rushed to the hospital. "What are you doing?!" Officer Hudson was still on the phone. Seeing me get into my car and start the engine, he quickly blocked the hood. "Calm down! You can't leave right now!" "My mom is in the ER! She has a severe heart condition!" He hesitated, but he didn't move. "Officer, please!" Tears finally spilled over. "Rules are meant to protect people, not kill them! My mother is dying!" Surprisingly, my desperate plea worked on Officer Hudson. Without waiting for his sergeant's reply, he jumped into the passenger seat and buckled up. "Let's go. I'm coming with you." We were still too late. When I reached the hospital, the doctor told me my mother had passed away. She had missed the critical window for resuscitation. "What happened? She was fine! How did this happen?!" I grabbed a neighbor who had accompanied her, shaking him like a lunatic. "Get off me! Are you crazy?!" The neighbor shoved me away, straightening his shirt with a look of pure disgust. "Blame yourself! You're the one who assaulted a student! You literally killed your own mother, you sick bastard!" "You shut your mouth!" Being insulted by the public, dumped by my fiancée, and now losing my mother—my mind snapped. I tackled him to the ground, pinning him down and punching him repeatedly like a rabid dog. If Officer Hudson hadn't dragged me off, I might have actually killed him. Seeing my raw fury, the neighbor didn't dare say another word. He just groaned from the floor, "You're going to pay for this! I'm suing you!" A nurse quickly wheeled him away for an examination. The doctor sighed and looked at me. "I'm sorry. You should prepare for the funeral." Three days later, at my mother's funeral, I finally learned the truth from her best friend. Because the school had doxed me in their video, some extreme internet trolls had dug up my home address and tracked down my mother.
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