Shocked
Liz was shocked by what she was hearing. Every reason she could think of had been considered. She never considered this.
How could she have missed something so important? How could she have missed any of these things earlier? Despite the signs right in front of her, she didn't see what was happening until it was too late.
The Signs Were There
The more she reflected on everything that had happened, the more she felt like a fool. Then, her bad parenting made her feel like a lousy mother because many warning signs slipped past her.
It didn't escape her that she wondered if she could have stopped this if she had just acted sooner. Was there anything she could have done? Is her son likely to do it either way?
Assignment
It was a lie that he never had homework. Liz knew it. Nevertheless, she decided to wait at the time.
She would've been contacted if he failed to complete the work assigned to him at school. It seemed that way to her, at least. She knew now that a teacher wouldn't complain about her involvement.
Messages
Upon receiving the texts, she realized this was a much more severe situation than she had assumed. At that moment, she began to put the puzzle pieces together.
She was forced to act on what she found. Why was her son's teacher acting so strangely towards him? Having learned this, what would the single mother do?
Revelation
Her hands trembled as she pulled the recorder from Cody's bag. It was finally time for the single mom to find out what happened, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to find out.
It was too late to back down now, as she already had taken all the necessary steps. What she would do with the information she found was left up to her.
A New Year
Liz was nervous about the new school year, which had just begun. As a result of the divorce between his parents, Cody, along with her, had just moved to Dallas, where the boy was having trouble adjusting.
Aside from refusing to speak to or see his father, his mother also experienced his outbursts.
Not Yet
Liz had nothing to worry about at first. Cody was acting like a typical teenager who was depressed.
He would come home from school, argue with his mom, and lock himself in his room until dinner. There would not be much time left for that. It didn't take Liz long to realize what had happened.
Three Months Later
As far as the position they were in was concerned, the first three months were easy. Cody's behavior changed drastically after that.
Instead of arguing with his mother, he spent most of his time in his bedroom. His friends stopped hanging out with him, and it was obvious that something was wrong.
Arriving Late
The change, however, did not end there. He started getting home later, which was the most noticeable change in his behavior.
He was an hour late the first week. He was late by two hours the second week, and by the third week, he didn't get home after dark. In what sort of trouble did the teen find himself?
Extra Hours
As soon as Liz had enough of his behavior, she confronted him about it, particularly the times he had been coming home. She was completely caught off guard by what Cody said.
Cody said matter-of-factly, "I've been taking extra science lessons." He was grateful that his teacher had been so kind to give him a few hours of her time.
A Bit Of An Exaggeration
Liz quirked a brow. That was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard leaving her son’s mouth. Cody had never cared about his grades before, and asking a teacher for help wasn’t his style.
He would rather fail before spending an extra minute with a teacher, whether he liked them or not. So, what was he really up to?
He Hated School
Liz knew for a fact that her son hated school. He would prefer to spend his days playing video games and not caring whether there was a future in it or not.
There had been times when he had even faked illness to do exactly that. And science was the one subject he hated the most, even though he was very good at it. So, there had to be more to this story than he was leading her to believe.
Everything Was New
However, Liz was no stranger to what her son was going through. He was in a new town and in a new school.
He barely had a chance to make new friends, and he hadn’t even gone out to explore the area yet. It was all new to him, and she knew how scary new things could be.
Unlike Him
But when she peeked into his room that night, she was surprised to find that her son was actually studying. He was nose-deep in a science manual, and his desk was scattered with notes.
His mom would’ve been proud of his attempts if this strange behavior wasn’t so shocking. It was unlike him to pay so much attention to schoolwork. And that was what had his mother wondering.
Just The Beginning
But that was just the beginning of her son’s startling behavior. Things were about to get a whole lot stranger in the Harmon household.
And that was what really got Liz thinking. It was over the next few days that she realized that things weren’t as innocent as they seemed. And her son’s teacher was involved in whatever it was that was happening.
Something Strange Happened
Liz made this discovery late one night. That evening, she had cooked a nice meal for herself and her son, which they ate around the dinner table. She tried to speak to him, but he hardly responded.
But at 8 pm, something strange happened. Cody suddenly pushed his chair out and grabbed his empty plate from the table. “I’m going to bed, Mom,” he said. She was caught off guard. He never went to bed so early. But she had no idea that she would hear something concerning that night.
Going To Bed
Liz watched with worried eyes as her son placed his plate in the sink and left the kitchen, heading straight to his bedroom. She knew he was hiding something, but she had no idea what it was.
That night, when Liz went to bed, she couldn’t stop thinking about her son and his worrying behavior. She wished he would just open up to her. But as soon as she settled into bed, she heard the sound of her son’s voice from across the hallway.
The Sound
Liz quickly sat up in bed, confused by the sound of his voice traveling down the hallway. He had gone to bed hours ago, but he clearly wasn’t sleeping. But who could he be speaking to? Was this her chance to see what was really going on?
Liz quickly slipped out from under the covers and reached for her nightgown. Although she had always respected his privacy, she was concerned and had to know what was going on. But she had no idea what she was about to hear.
Eavesdropping
Liz slowly crept toward her bedroom door, hoping to find some answers by eavesdropping on her son. The hallway was dark as she slowly walked down it, desperate to hear what her son was up to.
But as soon as she reached his door, she could finally hear him clearly. “I don’t know if it’s a good idea. I’ve been lying to my mom about it,” she heard her son’s voice, but it only got worse from there.
Listening
Liz’s heart began racing as she listened to her son’s voice on the other side of the door. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She slowly pressed her ear against the door, her blood boiling in her veins.
“I told her that I’ve been taking extra lessons after school,” he said quietly into his phone, but Liz could hear his voice clearly. She knew that he had been lying, but that didn’t stop her from being furious with her son.
He Wouldn’t Tell Anyone
But why was he lying? What was he really getting up to until so late every single day? But what he said next made her blood run cold. “I told you I wouldn’t tell anyone about this. I don’t want to hurt your reputation. You’re one of my coolest teachers,” he said.
This nearly made Liz gasp out loud. Now she knew for a fact that her son had been spending time with one of his teachers, but why? What were they getting up to that no one else was allowed to know about?
A Tough Time
“I’ll come over tomorrow afternoon, but I can’t stay late. My mom is onto me, and I don’t want her to get too suspicious. Can I get a ride home with you tomorrow?” he said. Liz couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
She knew that her son had been going through a tough time, but she never could have guessed what was really going on. But little did she know that soon, she would have the full story.
She Heard Enough
Liz had heard enough. She now knew that her son had been lying to her all along, but what was she supposed to do about it? She couldn’t confront him, he would be furious if he knew that she had invaded his privacy.
“Alright. I’ll see you tomorrow. Goodnight,” she heard her son say. A second later, she heard him moving toward the bedroom door. She panicked.
Meeting In The Hall
Liz quickly bolted down the hall and toward her bedroom door, but as soon as she reached it, Cody opened his bedroom door, noticing his mother on the other side of the hallway. He looked like he had just seen a ghost as he looked at his mother with wide eyes.
“Mom?” he said, terrified that she might’ve heard his conversation. Liz knew she couldn’t let him know that she had heard everything. She tried to play it cool.
Casual
“Hey, honey. I thought you were asleep,” she said, plastering a wide smile across her worried face. Her heart was racing, but she refused to show it on her face. “I was just getting some water,” she said.
“Yeah, me too,” he said, watching his mother carefully as she walked down the hall and toward the kitchen. He followed behind her, unaware that she had heard his conversation with his teacher.
They Stood In Silence
Liz and Cody stood silently in the kitchen, each drinking a glass of water, but Liz could tell that Cody’s head was elsewhere. He was lost in his thoughts as she stared at him, wondering what on earth was going on.
Where was he going with his teacher after school, and why did he have to lie about it? She wished she could ask him, but she knew that it would only cause drama.
She Couldn’t Sleep
That night, as Liz lay in bed, she struggled to fall asleep. All she could think about was her son and the fact that he was hiding something from her. Her mind traveled to dark places, and she hoped that he was okay.
When her alarm went off early the next day, she was well aware that she had only gotten a few hours of sleep. But as soon as she opened her eyes, dread flooded her system.
What Could She Do?
She kept wondering if there was a way to talk to her son about what she had heard, but she didn’t know how to tell him. She could already feel that he was drifting away from her, and she didn’t want to make it any worse than it already was.
She greeted her son as he left for school, hoping that everything would be okay. That day, she couldn’t stop thinking about him.
Where Was He?
Before she knew it, it was well into the afternoon, and her son still hadn’t come home from school. She knew he was with his teacher, but where had they gone? Why was he spending his afternoons with her?
She tried calling him a few times, but all of her calls went unanswered. She knew something was seriously wrong.
Exhausted
That evening, Cody returned after dark. He was exhausted and hungry. Liz watched in silence as he ate the food she had prepared for them before heading up to his room once again. But why was he so exhausted?
Liz knew she had to do something if she wanted to get to the bottom of the mystery. Her son was hiding something, and she didn’t like it.
Next Few Days
Over the next few days, Liz picked up on the fact that her son didn’t do any homework. When asked about it, he would say that they weren’t given any, but Liz knew he was lying.
The exam season was about to start, and the teachers usually gave more homework during the time leading up to the exams, yet he claimed that there was nothing at all. What was he hiding?
Getting Suspicious
At this point, Liz was starting to get suspicious. Her son was lying to her face, and she wanted to know why. Was he really having such a rough time at school?
Was he struggling with his subjects? Was he even attending school at all? Liz decided to watch the situation for a while and see how things went.
How Was it Possible?
For the next two weeks, Cody came home with no homework. At this point, Liz was incredibly suspicious, and she was starting to wonder what her son was doing with his days.
At first, she was expecting complaints from his teachers, but none came. And that’s when she knew that there was more to this than met the eye. Something sinister was going on, and she was determined to get to the bottom of it.
A Text
A few days later, Liz received a text from an unknown number. The sender told Liz to check Cody’s science teacher’s dress.
This confused the mom even more, but she wasn’t going to let any information about her son slip through her fingers, especially not now when she needed it more than ever. But how could she check the dress without arousing suspicion?
What To Do?
Liz read the message multiple times while considering what she was going to do. She couldn’t just walk into the school and demand to see the science teacher, could she?
At this point, Liz didn’t know what to do. But she did know that something had to be done. It was clear that something was going on, and she needed to find out what that was.
Checking Things Out
Liz decided to start a little investigation of her own. She followed her son to school and saw the teacher that was mentioned in the text. She also saw the dress but didn’t see anything abnormal about it.
She hung around the school for a few hours but headed back just before the day finished. That was her first mistake.
Blue Marks
When Cody finally arrived at home that night, Liz got a glimpse of his back. It was covered in scars and bruises. It took all of her strength to just walk away.
But that was when Liz realized that her son might actually be in danger. Was that what was actually going on? And what did the dress have to do with this?
Something About The Dress
Liz returned to the school the next day and saw the teacher again. This time, she paid special attention to the dress, and that was when a few things caught her eye.
At first, she didn’t want to believe it, but the more time she spent looking at the dress, the more she began to understand why she had received that mysterious message. But what did that have to do with her son?
Every Single Day
Liz spent the next few days observing the school, and that was when she realized that the teacher had been wearing the same dress every single day.
But that wasn’t what had her attention, though. It was the stain that was on the hem of the dress that had all of Liz’s focus. She recognized that stain.
A Stain
The stain was the size of Liz’s fist. It was a weird orange color that manages to catch the eye immediately, and that was what bothered the single mom.
She had bought that exact color paint for Cody’s bedroom when they first moved to town. For some reason, he liked it, and he covered every wall with it. But it wasn’t as common as one would think.
Terrible Thoughts
Liz could feel her heart beating in her throat. She had to buy that paint online. It took three weeks for it to arrive. How did the teacher get her hands on that paint?
How did all this add up? The bruises, the paint, the extra lessons… Was there something going on between Cody and his teacher? Was that what all this was about?
Need To Act
The thought alone was enough to drive Liz mad. She knew she needed to act, but she also knew that she needed evidence if she wanted any form of authority figure to get involved.
With that thought in mind, she decided to do something drastic. It could be the one thing that destroyed her relationship with her son. But that was better than him being in danger.
A Recording Device
That night, after Cody went to sleep, Liz snuck into his room. She grabbed his backpack and slipped a recording device into one of the hidden compartments.
She hoped that her son wouldn’t find the recorder before she had a chance to figure out what was going on. But at that point, it was the only option she had.
Normal Routine
When Cody came home the next day, he dropped his bag in the corner next to the front door and went to his room. Liz knew this would be her only chance, so she quickly grabbed the recorder and went to her bedroom.
She started the device, hoping she would finally have the answers she sought. At first, it was a normal school day, but after his science lesson, something happened.
Something Different
“Are you coming to my place this afternoon?” his teacher asked. “Yeah. I’m nearly done with the baby room, and I think my mom’s starting to get suspicious, so I’d like to get this done.” When Liz looked up, she saw her son standing in the doorway. His expression was a mix of sadness and disappointment. “Care to explain?” Liz asked, holding up the recorder.
Turns out his teacher was going through a rough patch due to a divorce. She was pregnant, poor, and inexperienced. So, she traded extra lessons for some work around her home.