1 Chapter 1: Suspended

It was a beautiful day, and I was on my way to school when I realized I had forgotten something in my condo. I hurriedly returned to retrieve it, not realizing how much time it would take. Now, I find myself running late.

I'm Gaia (Gaya) Tan, 25 years old, and I'm a teacher. I've been teaching for a year, and I absolutely love my job. Being a teacher has always been my dream, and I wouldn't want anything else.

"Good morning, Teacher Gaia," my students greeted me as I entered the classroom. I teach high school students, and as an English major, I have a great passion for my subject and my students.

"Get one and pass," I instructed, handing out the test papers to the students in front of me. I'm quite strict when it comes to exams and discussions. I want my students to pay attention and learn from me. I want to share my knowledge with them.

An hour had already passed, and all but one student had completed the exam.

"What are you doing? Please hand me your test paper," I said, yawning, feeling the fatigue from my earlier rush.

The boy moved closer to me, and as I waited for him to finish, I stood up and reached out my hand to collect his paper. But he abruptly pulled back.

"Richie, what are you doing?" I asked, but he didn't respond. Suddenly, he tried to kiss me, and in shock, I instinctively slapped him.

"Pervert! What do you think you're doing?" I exclaimed, my heart racing.

"Ma'am, I need you. Can I just kiss you once? Please?" Richie's words surprised me. What was he thinking? Why did he want to kiss me? I took a step back, but he followed, cornering me. He had a firm grip on my wrist, trapping me.

"Richie, let me go. I'll go and tell the principal what you're doing," I threatened, but he just smirked.

He laughed. "Really? Did you forget? This school is owned by my father. Do you think they'll believe you? Because I am his son, he will believe whatever I say," he threatened. It was then that I remembered he was the son of the school's owner.

"Please, Richie, stop this," I pleaded, my voice trembling as he moved closer. He began kissing my neck, and I felt helpless, unable to defend myself as he continued. His grip on my wrist made it impossible for me to break free. He started undoing the buttons on my shirt. Suddenly, I saw an opportunity and swiftly kicked him, targeting his private area.

"Ugh!" he exclaimed, collapsing to the ground. As I walked out of the room, my legs were shaking, and I had to stop to catch my breath. Tears streamed down my face as I tried to compose myself.

As I continued walking, I accidentally bumped into someone.

I fell to the ground. "Watch where you're going, miss," the man said as he turned to face me. Still shaken by what had happened earlier, I looked up and saw Richie's face.

"Ahhh!" I screamed and immediately started running.

"What was that?" the man asked, bewildered, as he watched me running away.

I had to stop running eventually, as I was out of breath. I looked back, relieved that no one was following me. I was still startled by the encounter and found a place to sit and calm down. "What a jerk!" I muttered, wiping away my tears and trying to compose myself.

"Be prepared to face the consequences of your actions tomorrow!" I shouted as I made my way home.

When I looked at myself in the mirror, I wondered, "Did my choice of clothing provoke him? Why did he do that to me?" I examined my attire, realizing that I wasn't wearing anything inappropriate. I couldn't understand why my student would treat me in such a disrespectful manner. Why did he have the audacity to harass me? Tears welled up in my eyes once again.

With a heavy sigh, I collapsed onto my bed. I didn't know if anyone would believe me tomorrow, but I had to try my best. Richie needed to be held accountable for his actions. I was now a victim, and I couldn't let this go.

The next day was cloudy and rainy. It seemed like the weather was reflecting my mood. I sighed, opened my umbrella, and boarded the bus to school. As I walked down the hallway, I noticed students staring at me strangely, their eyes fixed on their phones instead of greeting me. They whispered and giggled, and it made me uneasy.

"What's going on? Why are they staring at me like that?" I wondered, feeling completely clueless. I was about to head to the principal's office to figure out what was happening when I noticed Richie leaving the office. He looked at me and smiled.

"You'll pay for what you did to me," he said as he passed by. A chill ran down my spine, and I felt a deep sense of fear. What if...?

"Paging Ms. Tan. Please report to the principal's office immediately," a voice blared through the intercom. I was taken aback. No way. That jerk! I hurriedly made my way to the principal's office.

"Sir? Why are you looking for me?" I asked, my voice filled with concern.

"You act all nice when I'm around, but when I'm not looking, you go around hitting students? Unbelievable! You've only just started working here, and your attitude is already this bad?" The principal's words hit me like a punch to the gut. Everything I heard was untrue. I clenched my fists, trying to remain calm as he accused me without knowing the full story of what had transpired.

"Sir, what are you talking about? I don't understand," I pleaded, and he handed me his phone. I watched the video and saw a clip of me slapping Richie.

I laughed. "That punk!" I exclaimed.

"What did you just say? Don't you realize that his parents pay your salary? How could you slap him?" the principal scolded. I couldn't believe it. He was completely biased. He was making judgments without knowing the full truth of what had happened between us.

"Principal, don't let money cloud the truth. You don't know everything that happened. He was harassing me! He was threatening me!" I tried to explain, but before I could finish, the door swung open.

"What happened to that teacher? Is that you?" I saw Richie entering the room with his mother. I laughed.

"How dare you?" she shouted and slapped me so hard that I felt the pain. But I couldn't help but smirk at Richie.

"Alright, I understand now. This is just like in the movies. Rich people use their money to cover up their bad behavior, while those without money and power, like myself, remain silent and abused. Richie, you can never make up for what you've done," I said.

"How dare you threaten my son?" his mother exclaimed.

"No, I'm not threatening him. I'm just stating the obvious," I replied.

"That's enough! Ms. Tan, you've had enough!" the principal yelled at me.

"But, Principal, I was only..."

"You're suspended. Once everything is resolved, you won't be allowed to return here. You can consider this your farewell," the principal declared, causing my world to crumble.

This couldn't be happening. How could I lose my dream job like this? I can't accept it.

"No! You can't suspend me like this. I'm not at fault. The video doesn't show the whole story," I protested.

"That's enough. Ms. Tan, you've had your chance. You may leave now. The door is right there," the principal said firmly.

I nodded and walked away. As I walked, I noticed the students staring at me, and it unsettled me. I couldn't believe that this was how my life was turning out. Just as I was about to leave, someone called out my name. I turned around.

"Ms. Tan, wait!" It was Alice, one of my favorite students. I smiled as I looked at her, feeling a glimmer of hope. She ran up to me, and we embraced tightly. I stroked her hair as we held each other.

"I know you didn't do anything wrong, and I'll take care of Richie. I'll find out everything that happened back there," she assured me. I gave her a grateful smile and then continued walking slowly towards the exit, leaving the school behind. "I'll miss this school, but I'll come back stronger than ever."

Earlier...

"This is my phone. Please make a video of us," Richie said, handing his phone to one of his friends. The friend started recording as Richie approached Gaia, and the camera captured Richie harassing his teacher.

The person holding the phone was trembling as they filmed the scene unfolding before them. They wished they could tell Gaia what Richie had done, but it was too late. Gaia walked out of the school.

"You're trying to say something to her, aren't you? Well, let me warn you. If you dare to speak up, you'll regret it. I suggest you keep quiet and forget about what happened there."

To be continued...

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