The longest ti in the world is waiting.
On one hand, Jake was worried about his aunt's physical condition. On the other hand, he feared that seeing him would deepen her suicidal thoughts.
Jake believed his aunt's suicide attempt was entirely because of him.
But in reality, Jake's actions were rely the last straw that broke the cal's back.
It wasn't Jake's outrageous behavior that made Taylor entertain such thoughts, but the long-term ntal pressure and psychological burden that had already pushed Taylor to the edge of collapse.
And Jake, as the fuse, burned at an astonishing speed.
Thus, everything happened.
Jake's heart ached, and he wanted to gently rub the swelling on his aunt's forehead. However, the fingers on his right hand hurt too much to obey, and his left hand had to hold his aunt firmly, so he could only blow softly.
Dazed, Taylor only felt that the man before her was gentle and considerate, completely unlike the image of death in her mind. The shock in her brain was quietly subsiding.
When her vision finally returned to normal, allowing her to clearly recognize the man in front of her, she instinctively pushed Jake away in panic.
Being saved by soone who had hurt her was even harder for Taylor to accept.
Before, Jake would never have forced her. But now, fully aware of his aunt's ntal state and emotional fluctuations, he would rather be hated by her than watch her harm herself again.
Even as excruciating pain surged, Jake ignored it and held his aunt tightly.
"Let go," Taylor twisted her body, trying to break free from Jake's grip.
But how could Taylor, a delicate and graceful woman, be a match for Jake?
"Let go! Didn't I tell you to leave? How dare you barge into the bathroom!" Taylor's voice remained soft and sweet, though slightly louder.
Yet the more she struggled, the tighter Jake held her, their chests pressed intimately together.
When her warnings went unheeded, Taylor began pounding Jake's back with all her strength, but the force was no more than a tickle to him.
"Jake, let go. Haven't you humiliated enough? What else do you want?" Taylor's voice grew choked with sobs.
Her strikes grew weaker and weaker.
Jake remained silent.
"Jake, I hate you!"
"Let go! Jake!"
"Jake..."
"Jake... please, let go, okay?"
Taylor's voice grew smaller and smaller until it completely faded, tears once again welling in her eyes.
"Wuuu..." Silent cries drowned in the noisy sound of the shower.
Everything was left unspoken, including Taylor's eerily quiet "inner voices."
After a long ti, Jake spoke in a hoarse voice, "Aunt, you can scold , hate , even tear to pieces, I won't complain."
"But I can't bear to see you throw your life away like this. Teacher, you're my Teacher Taylor."
"From the day I t you, mories of Sunshine Middle School felt like they were just yesterday."
"You didn't give up on or look down on like other teachers. Instead, you patiently taught , guided !"
"You were beautiful, dignified, and approachable. Do you know what the students secretly called you? An angel!"
"You saved not just , but also the children who had long lived in the shadows."
"At that mont, I truly felt the motherly love I had lost for so long."
"You taught how to study, how to be a good person, how to live strong on my own. Teacher, do you know? Back then, you were my light. You illuminated , ward , healed ."
Taylor's tense body suddenly trembled. Hearing Jake's heartfelt words, she felt a stirring in her heart.
"Do you know how much I suffered after you left that sester?"
"I was lost, terrified, restless every day. I searched for you frantically, but I was too poor—I couldn't afford a phone, let alone get your number."
"When I saw your boyfriend that ti, my heart almost shattered. Thankfully, fate gave another chance to reunite with you."
"I was so happy, so happy!"
The more Jake spoke, the more emotional he beca, tears welling in his eyes.
Now sensing his aunt's calr emotions and body, Jake slowly released her, letting her face him.
Hearing Jake recount his childhood, Taylor also felt a mix of emotions. She never expected her casual actions could have such a profound impact on him.
When Taylor and Jake stood face-to-face again, bare and vulnerable,
Jake had already cried like a child, a grown man half a head taller than her, weeping with snot and tears. Instantly, her heart swelled with pity and maternal love. Taylor even forgot she was the victim.
"Teacher Taylor, do you rember what I told you last ti? There are plenty of n in the world. Please don't see as just a student anymore, I'm a real man too."
"I love you. I'm willing to take responsibility for my actions."
The sudden confession caught Taylor off guard. Only then did she rember the boy before her had long grown into a passionate man. Her damp eyes flickered with hesitation and confusion.
Before she could react further,
Jake pleaded in a tearful voice, "Teacher, I beg you, don't do anything reckless. If I could, I'd die in your place!"
His loud voice montarily drowned out the sound of the shower, echoing in the bathroom for a long ti.
Then ca a long silence.
The emotionally charged Jake realized his roughness and quietly released his aunt's shoulders.
Taylor finally broke free from the grip she couldn't escape earlier. She stood straight, instinctively covering her chest with her hands, her head slightly lowered, her ears and snow-white neck tinged with faint pink.
She seed to be thinking, or perhaps digesting Jake's "confession."
Ti passed minute by minute. For Jake, it felt like years. For Taylor, it was no less agonizing.
"Leave. I don't want to see you again."
Taylor's cold words finally broke the stalemate.
"Teacher..."
"Don't call teacher!"
"Then don't think about suicide anymore."
"Of course, I'll live well, for myself."
"Your injuries..."
"I'll take care of them myself. Leave!" Taylor's final words carried no emotion, and Jake couldn't sense any fluctuation in her tone.
"Perhaps this is the best outco." Jake sighed inwardly.
Reluctantly glancing at his aunt one last ti, he forced himself to take a step forward, then quickened his pace and left the bathroom.
"Hah..." Taylor exhaled as if releasing pressure.
Her reddened eyes gradually filled with determination and resilience. She closed the glass door, swiftly stripped off her clothes, grabbed the headscarf hanging on the tal rack, and tied up her hair neatly, covering it. She stepped forward into the steam-filled shower.
Outside the bathroom, Jake "witnessed" all of this. A relieved smile tugged at his lips. As the sound of running water grew louder, confirming that Taylor no longer had any suicidal thoughts, he reluctantly walked out of the house.
...
Back in the car, Jake sat quietly in the driver's seat, his hands behind his head, his gaze distant.
"Perhaps this is the last ti I'll see Teacher Taylor. Whatever, it's better than losing her forever." The low murmur escaped Jake's lips.
He was grateful for his newfound ability to eavesdrop on won's inner voices. In situations like today, it seed his power wasn't even at its full potential.
This level of perception had allowed him to stop his aunt's suicide attempt just in ti, sothing Jake secretly celebrated.
However, it also ant losing the last connection he had with her. The thought made him gloomy.
Shaking his head bitterly, Jake pulled out his phone. Earlier, he had set it to vibrate and placed it in his suit jacket pocket, so he hadn't noticed it during his intimate mont with his aunt.
But truthfully, his aunt's body was exquisite in every way, and Jake couldn't help but let his mind wander. Seeing one unread text ssage, five missed calls, and 99 unread WhatsApp ssages, he quickly snapped out of it.
No need to guess—most were from Mia, with a couple from Cabel and Lily mixed in.
Cabel: Don't worry, bro, I already got you covered with the leave. No need to thank .
Lily: Jake, the selection starts in two days. The team needs to et tomorrow.
Jake replied with a "Thanks" to each.
Then he focused on responding to Mia.
"Jake, what are you up to?"
"Hello?"
"Check out my outfit today."
"Why aren't you replying?"
"No calls, no texts, you wanna die? (emoji: joking)"
"Did sothing happen to you? Reply if you see this."
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