Chapter 131
“Mr. Dawson, I made a mistake recommending Miss Curtis as Milford’s tutor. She’s leading him astray,” Raymond began to complain about Eileen’s lack of responsibility.
Bryan raised an eyebrow at him and remarked, “Do you find yourself with too much idle time?”
Raymond quickly realized his error in speaking ill of Eileen in front of Bryan.
He immediately clamped his mouth shut and stepped aside, awaiting further instructions.
Later, in the study, after Raymond left, before Milford even touched his game console, Eileen was already on her phone. Milford noticed this and frowned.
“Are you here to tutor me or to play on your phone?” he asked.
Without looking up, Eileen replied, “Didn’t you mention that you weren’t interested in my tutoring? I’m accommodating that. Is there an issue?”
Milford was left speechless. Although he had indeed expressed disinterest, it irked him to see Eileen doing nothing.
“You could at least cover for me,” Eileen said, even encouraging him to play games.
She continued to browse her phone, but suddenly, Milford grabbed it from her.
“If you really want to cover for me, you need to refund the tutoring fees to me and tell Bryan that I’ll start attending sessions at your education agency. But I won’t actually go there, and you should just leave me be,” Milford said.
Eileen immediately rejected the idea. “No way!”
“Then this is immoral!” Milford retorted angrily.
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“I’m paid to tutor me, yet here you are, just scrolling through your phone. That’s hardly fair!”
“And still, here I am,” Eileen countered. “My agency is top-rated in Wist Land. If I don’t tutor you, no one else will risk their reputation. I’m not concerned about your family cutting off payments, even if your grades don’t improve.”
Milford couldn’t come up with a response and just glared at Eileen in frustration.
Eileen handed him the game console and said, “Don’t waste more time. Go ahead and continue to play! I don’t want to squander any of my time here. I earn a thousand an hour—that’s four thousand for each evening. I make a lot just to scroll on my phone. Jealous, aren’t you? That’s the advantage of being well-educated and skilled.”
After her remark, Eileen resumed scrolling her phone, oblivious to Milford’s reaction.
Milford abruptly covered her phone with his hand, proposing, “How about we split the fees fifty-fifty? I can take all the money. Why should I share it with you?”
Eileen brushed his hand aside and turned away from him.
Milford scowled and retorted, “You’re only inviting trouble. I won’t let you earn this money so easily.”
With that, he turned his attention back to his game console.
Time flew by, and before Eileen knew it, the tutoring session had come to an end. A thought about Bryan’s earlier comments suddenly flickered through her mind.
But she quickly brushed the thought aside.
She then gathered her belongings and bid Milford farewell.
Milford just ignored her.
However, no sooner had Eileen left the room than Milford pushed aside his game console. He retrieved his phone and began scouring the internet. Shortly thereafter, he jotted down a number and made a call.
“Hello. Is this Sanchez Education Agency? I’m not inquiring about tutoring services. Instead, I have information on your competitor’s unprofessional behavior. This might interest you,” Milford said.
It was nine in the evening. Darkness enveloped the outside, but the villa’s interior was awash with light. The grand chandelier cast a daylight-like glow across the living room. Eileen descended the stairs, her gaze wandering through the spacious house. As she passed a second-floor room, the room’s door suddenly swung open, and before she could react, she was pulled inside.
She was then pressed against the wall. The light was off inside, and the room darkened as the door almost closed, leaving only a crack of light.
Eileen, regaining her composure, looked up into the eyes of the man before her.
Bryan placed a hand on her waist, his scent enveloping her.
“Have you thought it over?” he asked.
Eileen slowly shook her head and responded, “I have nothing to say to you.”
“Is that so?” Bryan tilted her chin upward, forcing her eyes to meet his. “Do you need me to remind you?”
His grip tightened, causing her discomfort. Eileen jerked her head away. “No reminders needed. I told you, I have nothing to say to you!”
Bryan arched an eyebrow and sneered slightly, “So, you’re not planning to return my suit jacket?”
Realization dawned on Eileen, and her eyes widened. She had indeed packed Bryan’s suit jacket but had left it behind in the afternoon rush.
She quickly said, “Sorry, I forgot to take it with me today. I’ll bring it along next time I’m here for tutoring.”
Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating Eileen’s face. Bryan could feel the warmth of Eileen’s skin from his hand on her.
His breathing grew heavier, and he struggled to control himself.
He turned away abruptly, and with a frosty tone, he commanded, “Get out!”
Eileen didn’t hesitate; she bolted from the room, hurried down the stairs, changed into her shoes, and exited the house.
His touch had ignited something primal within her, causing her face to flush deeply.
However, his icy voice had snapped her back to reality.
It was late, and the streets were nearly empty. Eileen quickly drove home in half an hour. She briefly acknowledged Phoebe upon arrival before rushing to her own room.
On Tuesday, Eileen spent her morning creating a series of study guide videos for Aaron. Despite Aaron’s excellent exam scores and admission to a prestigious high school, Harlan continued to secure tutoring for him.
Currently, Aaron’s tutoring was primarily conducted online by Eileen, which significantly reduced the costs.
In the afternoon, Eileen prepared for her evening tutoring session with Denzel’s daughter, dedicating her entire day to work.
Arriving punctually at Denzel’s residence in the evening, Eileen immediately sensed something was amiss.
Even though Denzel’s wife, Ryann Vance, was already in her forties, she appeared strikingly youthful, easily passing for someone a decade younger.
Denzel was evidently very attentive to his wife, taking charge of their daughter’s academic needs and tutoring arrangements himself while his wife generally spent her days out.
However, today was unusual—Ryann was at home and fixated on Eileen from the moment Eileen walked in.
“Mrs. Vance,” Eileen greeted her calmly.
But Ryann responded with a dismissive snort. “You are so young and look inexperienced. Can you truly teach effectively? And since we’ve never met, how do you know Denzel’s…”
Eileen replied, “Your child has a group photo with you on her desk. Moreover, whether I’m effective as a teacher will become evident over time.”
As it hadn’t been long since Eileen started tutoring Denzel’s daughter, Adalma Vance, the girl hadn’t yet shown significant academic progress.
There wasn’t much Eileen could present immediately to alleviate Ryann’s skepticism regarding her teaching skills.
Ryann stood and approached Eileen with her arms crossed, her tone confrontational. “What if you end up wasting our time? Will you pay us back for what we’ve lost? And if Adalma doesn’t improve, who will take responsibility?”
“Mrs. Vance, our agency provides certain guarantees concerning our tutoring effectiveness. Furthermore, Mr. Vance has extensively reviewed our student improvement rates and chose me as your daughter’s tutor after careful consideration,” Eileen said.
She had fielded similar inquiries from Denzel before and could sense a deeper motive behind Mrs. Vance’s sudden intense scrutiny of the tutoring arrangement.
“Mrs. Vance, please be assured, I have a contract with Mr. Vance. Should your daughter’s academic performance not improve, we will fulfill our obligations as stipulated,” Eileen said.
Sadly, her earnestness seemed to fall on deaf ears.
“What exactly does ‘fulfill our obligations’ mean? It sounds like you’ll have the final word!” Ryann’s disdain for Eileen was palpable.
Eileen asked directly, “What exactly are you asking for?”
Caught off guard, Ryann paused before responding, “I expect a guarantee that my daughter will gain admission to a reputable high school. Should she not, you should resign from teaching!”
“Would a mere verbal promise truly reassure you?” Eileen said. “If you already doubt my ability, would my assurances change your mind?”
“You speak too smoothly to be trustworthy!” Mrs. Vance snorted. “I wonder if there have been complaints about your professionalism. It seems you’ve fooled many with your words!”
Complaints?
Stunned, Eileen quickly regained her composure and said, “Mrs. Vance, you are welcome to investigate both my background and the agency’s credentials. And remember, sometimes people make such claims with ulterior motives.”
Eileen knew that families of students she had long tutored, who had seen clear improvements, wouldn’t believe such allegations.
However, for the Vances, who were her new clients, the allegations might carry more weight.
“I don’t need your advice. I’ve been shown enough proof,” Ryann retorted. “You need not continue tutoring today. My husband and I will discuss whether to proceed.”
Then, she signaled to a servant nearby.
The latter immediately opened the door for Eileen.
After a pause, Eileen placed a document on the table. “I respect your decision. Meanwhile, this study material might help Adalina. Please have her look over it.”
Without waiting for Ryann’s reply, Eileen turned and left.
Earlier in the year, her agency hadn’t been well-known, but after several students had dramatically improved their grades under her guidance, it had gained prominence.
Eileen couldn’t help but wonder if envy over their newfound success was driving this hostility.
And what exactly was the convincing evidence Ryann had referred to?
Eileen couldn’t unravel the mystery. She headed home. Phoebe was visibly surprised to see her back so early.
“Weren’t you supposed to be at Denzel’s for tutoring?” Phoebe asked.
“Someone made complaints about me, accusing me of being unprofessional, so they suspended the session,” Eileen explained as she removed her coat and headed to the kitchen. She poured herself a glass of water, wanting to relax a bit.
Phoebe got up from the sofa, her expression one of disbelief. “What did you do?”
“I’d love to know myself what supposedly caused this,” Eileen responded, downing the water quickly. At that moment, her phone rang.
It was Bailee calling. Eileen picked up the call immediately.
“Eileen, a lot of our clients who had scheduled sessions are canceling. Some aren’t even asking for their deposits back. What’s happening?” Bailee said.
Only then did Eileen grasp the gravity of the situation.
“Just look after Mom. I’ll handle this matter,” Eileen reassured Bailee. Then, she briefly inquired about Ruby’s ongoing electroconvulsive therapy before ending the call.
Observing Eileen’s troubled demeanor, Phoebe voiced a suggestion. “This looks like major trouble. Maybe you should reach out to Bryan for help?”