All Chapters of My Teacher Is Mine: Chapter 61 - Chapter 64

"I am not admitting anything. I'm saying hypothetically, if a student had feelings for a teacher, the right thing to do would be to maintain professional boundaries. Which I have done."Mrs. Chen pulled out more papers. "Let's talk about your employment history. You taught at Riverside High School for two years before coming here. Why did you leave?"My jaw tightened. "I wanted a change of scenery.""Or you were forced to resign?"I resigned voluntarily.""We contacted Riverside. They wouldn't provide details, citing confidentiality agreements, but they did confirm there were 'concerns' about your conduct with students there as well."That couldn't have been true. It had to be a lie. I'd left Riverside on good terms. Unless.Unless Emily had done something. Made calls, planted rumors, created a paper trail that didn't exist."I don't know what they told you," I said carefully, "but I left Riverside because I wan

Derek's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. "That's. an insightful observation."Emily stared at me, her face unreadable."Of course," I went on, unable to stop myself, "most of those stories end in tragedy. Because forbidden love can't survive in the light. It exists in the shadows, and eventually the shadows consume it.""Or," Derek said in a quiet voice, "it finds a way to step into the light. To transform into something that can survive. But it does take time. And patience. And often, sacrifice."We were talking in code again: The whole class could hear us, but only we knew what we were really saying."Mr. Hales?" Emily's voice cut through the moment. "What do you think happens to forbidden love? Does it ever actually work out?"Derek turned to her, and I saw the muscles in his shoulders tense."I think," he said slowly, "it depends on whether the love is genuine or just the thrill of breaking rules. If it's real, it might survive. If it's just infatuation or obsession masqueradin