When my daughter’s teacher started tutoring her, I thought she was just being helpful. But when I overheard a conversation between them, everything changed. The truth I discovered was something I never expected, and it left me questioning everything.
I think only mothers will fully understand me. But when you have a child, you’re willing to do anything to provide them with the utmost care and comfort. Anything.
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So when Alice came into our lives, my world turned upside down. Charlie and I had been trying to conceive for years.
I can’t even count the number of times I cried myself to sleep, wondering why it wasn’t happening to us.
After years of anguish, we finally made the decision to adopt. That’s how Alice came into our lives.
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We were lucky to have her as a baby. Her biological mother gave her up immediately after birth, and as painful as it was for her, it was a blessing for us.
We knew absolutely nothing about her, and that was probably for the best. We were just grateful for Alice, and that was it.
Everything seemed like a fairy tale. Alice brought light and joy to our home, even though we faced difficulties along the way.
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Sleepless nights, fevers, and tantrums—we made it through them all. Alice grew up to be a kind, intelligent, and smart girl.
When Alice was ten years old, a new teacher joined her school. Her name was Miss Jackson, and she taught Alice’s class.
From day one, Charlie and I heard a lot about Miss Jackson from Alice.
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Every night at dinner, Alice went on and on about how wonderful Miss Jackson was.
But something strange soon happened. One day, I received a text message from Miss Jackson.
Good afternoon! Alice will be staying after school today to teach extra lessons!
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I frowned, feeling a knot of worry tighten in my chest. Had my daughter done something wrong?
Good afternoon! Is everything okay? Is Alice having any problems?
No, don’t worry. I teach these classes to all the children to make sure they all understand the material.
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That surprised me. I thought it was extraordinary that someone loved their job so much that they would dedicate their free time to helping each student individually.
Not many teachers go that extra mile. After that, I felt immense respect for Miss Jackson.
From then on, Alice stayed after school one day a week to take private lessons with Miss Jackson. Charlie and I understood the situation, so we had no reason to worry. Or at least, we thought so.
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One day I went to pick Alice up from school. Charlie usually did it, but that day he was very busy with work, so I had to go. I didn’t mind. I stayed near the gate and watched the children go out, chatting and laughing.
“Laura, hello!” I heard a voice and turned to see Karen approaching. It was the mother of one of Alice’s classmates. “I haven’t seen you in so long.”
“Yes, Charlie usually picks up Alice,” I said.
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“Yes, I’ve noticed,” Karen said. “We were recently talking about how lucky the children are to have Miss Jackson. What do you think?”
“Absolutely,” I said. “Her dedication to her work and her love for children are incredible.”
“Yes, my Mark adores her,” Karen said. “Now he even wakes me up for school. Before, I had such a hard time getting him out of bed.”
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“You can tell me that,” I said with a smile. “We hear about Miss Jackson from Alice every day. And those private lessons she offers are something else. She doesn’t even get paid for them.”
Karen’s smile faded. “What private lessons?” she asked, her voice lower now.
“Well, every week, Miss Jackson gives a private lesson to each student,” I said.
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“Laura, are you sure?” Karen asked, her eyebrows furrowed. “This is the first I’ve heard of these lessons.”
“Miss Jackson told me herself,” I said, although doubt began to creep into my mind.
“I’ll ask Mark,” Karen said. “But this is the first I’ve heard of such lessons. Maybe you should talk to Miss Jackson.”
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I frowned. “Maybe I should,” I muttered.
It was strange. Was Alice the only one receiving these private lessons? And what did that mean?
Did she have a learning disability? But if so, why hadn’t Miss Jackson told us anything? I felt uneasy.
I was about to go in and ask Miss Jackson when Alice’s voice made me step back.
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“Mom, I’m sooo hungry. Let’s go home,” she said. She ran to me and hugged me.
I stroked her head and smiled. “Yeah, sure. Let’s go,” I said softly.
On the way home, I couldn’t stop thinking about what Karen had said. Something didn’t add up. I needed answers.
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“Alice, what do you and Miss Jackson do during class when you’re alone?” I asked softly.
Alice shrugged. “Not much. We draw, we read, we talk… Sometimes he asks me questions,” she said, her voice light but distant.
“What kind of things?” I asked, trying not to sound too curious.
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“Just… different things,” Alice said. Her eyes remained fixed on the window. “What are we having for dinner?” she asked quickly, trying to change the subject.
It was strange. Normally he told me everything.
“I made pasta,” I said quietly, deciding not to pressure her.
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“I love pasta,” Alice said, her face lighting up for a moment.
But I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right.
That night, after Alice went to bed, I decided to talk to Charlie about what I had found out.
I waited until the house was quiet. Then I found him in the living room. He was sitting on the couch, flipping through the channels.
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“Did you know that Miss Jackson only tutors Alice?” I asked, sitting next to her.
Charlie looked surprised. “What? You told me he did that to all the students,” he said.
“I thought so. That’s what she told me,” I replied. “But I talked to Karen in the parking lot today. She told me she’d never heard of those private lessons.”
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Charlie’s face turned serious. “That’s strange. Is Alice in trouble?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Alice doesn’t want to talk about what they do,” I said quietly.
Charlie frowned and leaned forward. “I don’t like this,” he said quietly.
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“Me neither,” I said. “That’s why I want to go to school tomorrow and find out what’s going on. Alice is supposed to have another class.”
Charlie nodded, his face tense. “Keep me posted. If anything happens, I’ll be there right away,” he said.
“Thank you,” I whispered and hugged him. His arms around me comforted me a little. But my mother’s intuition screamed that something was wrong. I had to get to the bottom of this.
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The next day, when Alice was due to have her class with Miss Jackson, I went to school.
I couldn’t ignore the feeling in my gut. Something wasn’t right. I had to find out the truth.
I parked the car and took a deep breath. My hands were shaking as I gripped the steering wheel.
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I didn’t want to believe anything bad was happening, but I couldn’t risk it.
I headed to the main entrance and saw the security guard by the door. I forced a smile and said, “Good morning. I have an appointment with Miss Jackson.” It wasn’t true, but I didn’t care. I needed answers.
The guard nodded and let me through. I walked down the hallway, my heart pounding.
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Alice’s classroom was at the end of the hall. I moved quietly, not wanting to attract attention. As I approached, I saw the door was slightly open. I stopped and peered inside.
Miss Jackson and Alice were sitting at a desk. They weren’t doing homework. They were just talking. I leaned in to listen.
“Do you understand what I’ve told you?” Miss Jackson asked in a low voice.
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“Yes,” Alice said, her voice barely above a whisper. “But why can’t I tell my parents?”
“Because they might take you out of this school so we wouldn’t see each other again,” Miss Jackson said.
My breath caught in my throat. What was he talking about?
“But you’re my mother too,” Alice said softly.
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My heart stopped. My mind raced. What had he just said?
“I know, but…” Miss Jackson began, but I didn’t let her finish.
I pushed open the door and walked in. My voice trembled with rage. “What’s going on here? What do you mean, ‘too’? What does that mean?”
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Miss Jackson’s eyes shot open. She looked scared. “I can explain,” she said, her voice trembling.
“Alice, wait for me in the hallway,” I said, trying to stay calm.
“But…” Alice’s eyes filled with confusion.
“Please wait in the hallway,” I said firmly. Alice looked down, stood up, and left.
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I turned to Miss Jackson. “I’m listening,” I said, my voice cold.
Miss Jackson looked down. “This is harder to explain than I thought,” she murmured.
“Why don’t you start by telling me why only my daughter stays after school and why you told her not to tell us?” I asked, my anger growing.
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“Because I was afraid they would take her away,” Miss Jackson said.
“And why would we do that?” I asked.
“Because I’m Alice’s mother… her biological mother,” Miss Jackson said softly, her eyes lowering to the floor.
My body went cold. “What?” I yelled, my voice echoing in the room.
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“Yes,” she whispered. “I noticed the birthmark under Alice’s eye. Everyone in my family has one. So I took a DNA test, and it confirmed everything.”
My head spun. “You did a DNA test without my permission?!” I yelled, my voice filled with disbelief.
“I’m so sorry,” Miss Jackson said. “It was wrong, but I had to know.”
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“Why did you want to know?” I snapped. “To get Alice away from us?”
“No not at all…”.
I didn’t let her finish. “You gave up your chance with Alice. You gave up on her yourself,” I said through gritted teeth.
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Miss Jackson’s eyes filled with tears. She began to cry. “I didn’t want to give her up,” she sobbed. “I was 17, and my parents made me. But I didn’t want to…” Her voice broke. “And I never wanted to take her away from you. I just wanted to spend time with her, but I thought you wouldn’t allow it.”
“This is beyond the pale,” I said, my voice shaking. “Not only did you talk to my daughter behind our backs, but you also performed a DNA test on her.”
“I’m so sorry,” Miss Jackson whispered. “I didn’t know how else to handle it.”
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“And you never will,” I said firmly. “We’re going to transfer Alice to another school. It seems this one isn’t very safe for her.”
“No, please,” Miss Jackson pleaded. But I wasn’t listening anymore.
I left the classroom, my mind racing. I saw Alice waiting quietly in the hallway. She looked at me with wide eyes. I took her hand and led her to the car.
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She was silent the whole ride home. I felt her confusion and sadness. My heart ached, but I didn’t know what to say.
When we got home, he finally spoke. “Is it true that Miss Jackson is my mother?” His voice was soft, barely a whisper.
I sighed. Miss Jackson had already told him, so there was no point in lying. “Miss Jackson gave birth to you,” I said gently. “But I am your mother and Charlie is your father. It has always been that way, and it always will be that way.”
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Alice nodded, her face sad and distant. “I’m going to my room,” she whispered.
When Charlie got home, I told him all about Miss Jackson. I explained that she was Alice’s biological mother and how upset Alice had been. Charlie listened attentively. His face showed shock and concern.
“Maybe we shouldn’t take Alice out of school,” Charlie said after a moment.
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“Do you want to keep seeing each other?” I asked. “Do you want him to take our daughter?”
“I don’t think she wants to take her,” Charlie said quietly. “I think she just wants to have a connection with her. She told you that herself.”
“That’s a lie,” I said firmly. “It’s clear he wants to take Alice. I’m against it.”
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“She lost her daughter,” Charlie said sweetly. “Who better than you to know how painful that is?” His words hit me hard. He took my hand. My eyes filled with tears.
“I think Alice should be able to see Miss Jackson,” Charlie said softly. “But if you’re against it, we’ll do whatever you decide.” He pulled me into a hug, and I leaned into him, my mind racing.
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That night I couldn’t sleep. Charlie’s words echoed in my head. I tossed and turned, thinking about Alice and Miss Jackson. In the morning, I knew what I had to do.
The next day, I went to school to talk to Miss Jackson. My heart was pounding as I walked down the hallway.
I found her in the classroom, getting ready for class. She looked up and froze when she saw me.
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“Laura!” he exclaimed, his voice full of surprise.
“I’ve talked to my husband,” I said firmly. “I’ve been thinking about it all night. We won’t take Alice out of school, but I won’t let you take her away from us.”
Miss Jackson’s eyes filled with tears. “I don’t want to take her away from you,” she said softly. “You’re her parents.”
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“We also need to talk about how to explain this to Alice,” I said. “She needs to handle this calmly. But you can see her.”
Miss Jackson couldn’t hold back her tears. She walked over to me and hugged me tightly.
“Thank you,” he whispered in my ear. His voice was shaking, and I could feel his relief.
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If you enjoyed this story, read this one: One night, after dance class, my five-year-old daughter told me she was going to have a new mom—her dance instructor. I tried to stay calm, but her words didn’t seem like a joke. The more she talked, the clearer it became that something was going on behind my back… something I hadn’t dared imagine. Read the full story here .
This story is inspired by the daily lives of our readers and was written by a professional editor. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images shown are for illustrative purposes only.
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