The Stepbrother’s Hidden Desires

The two found a place to rest in the management office. Annabel was very quiet, leaning against the wall without saying a word. David assumed she was just sad about her mother and didn’t say anything.

After half an hour, a taxi arrived. Annabel climbed into the back seat, and David sat in the front passenger seat.

The city center was quite far, and the car stopped and started along the way. The driver was a chatterbox, talking to David the whole time.

Annoyed by the driver, David glanced back to see Annabel curled up in the seat. “Annabel, don’t sleep, you’ll catch a cold.”

There was no response. Realizing something was wrong, he quickly had the driver stop the car and pulled Annabel up. Her body was cold, and she was clutching her stomach, her face covered in sweat. David touched her forehead, but she didn’t seem to have a fever. “What’s wrong? Where does it hurt?”

Her face was contorted in pain as she threw herself into his arms. “So cold.”

David was very worried. Seeing her clutching her stomach, he asked urgently, “Is it your stomach?”

Annabel didn’t speak, making David even more anxious. “Excuse me, take us to the hospital.”

She then whispered, “I don’t need to go to the hospital. It’s just menstrual cramps. It will pass.”

Annabel was in severe pain but felt happy to be in David’s arms, thinking it was worth the pain.

David felt a bit awkward. Was this considered an illness? He didn’t know much about it. If he sent her home, she probably wouldn’t go to her stepmother for help and would just endure it herself.

He had no choice but to take her to his house and ask his mother, Iris, for help.

David called Iris from the car, explaining that Annabel had menstrual cramps and asking her to bring some medication.

When they arrived, David asked, “Can you walk by yourself?”

Annabel’s face was pale and she shook her head weakly, so he had to carry her.

Annabel’s head was against his chest, her heart racing and the pain intense. Emboldened by the double stimulus, she said, “David, carry me like this for the rest of my life. Stay with me forever, okay?”

Lola had also said, “David, stay with me forever.” His heart clenched. He looked down at Annabel, her soft hair covering half her face as she clung to his chest like a kitten. He tried to suppress his emotions and said in a light tone, “By the time you graduate from college, I’ll probably be married with children. I can’t stay with you forever.”

Annabel thought of Nancy. If she was really his girlfriend, they might get married next year. This thought made Annabel sad. She said softly, “You won’t have to wait long. When I turn eighteen, I’ll definitely be prettier than Nancy. You won’t be at a loss.”

David ignored her wish, his face stern and his voice a bit harsh. “Are you not in pain anymore? If not, then walk by yourself!”

Annabel quickly snuggled deeper into his arms.

Iris was a doctor with a clinic near their home. She returned within five minutes of receiving David’s call.

On the sofa sat a young girl, hugging a cushion with half her face buried in it.

“Excuse me?”

The girl lifted her head to look at Iris, who gasped, “Lola!”

Iris quickly realized that if Lola were still alive, she would be twenty-three now. The girl before her looked much younger.

Annabel raised her pale face. “Auntie, I’m Annabel.”

David emerged from the room, carrying a blanket, looking a bit embarrassed. “Mom, she’s my student. She’s in a lot of pain. Can you help her?”

Iris shot him a disapproving look. Since when did male teachers deal with female students’ menstrual cramps? But since he had already brought her home, she couldn’t ignore it.

She gave Annabel some painkillers and advised her to take a hot shower. Then she went to the kitchen to prepare some ginger tea.

Annabel felt much better and started to become more lively, continuously telling Iris how popular David was at school and how excellent his classes were.

Iris’s face lit up with a smile as she listened. She then asked Annabel about her daily habits and diet, explaining what to be mindful of during her menstrual period and what girls should avoid.

David felt a bit awkward and retreated to the balcony.

“Actually, I don’t usually feel this bad. I guess it was because I had hotpot and ice cream yesterday and got caught in the rain today.”

“You shouldn’t do that in the future. Tell your parents so they can take you to see a doctor for some treatment.”

Annabel agreed outwardly but thought to herself that she was fine and didn’t need any medicine. “Iris, you’re so good to me. How about I call you Iris Mommy? David is so excellent; it’s clear he takes after you.”

Iris was pleased with Annabel’s flattery. She liked Annabel’s straightforward and lively nature. However, seeing a face so similar to Lola’s made Iris feel complicated. She feared that David might develop inappropriate feelings, especially since Annabel was a minor and his student.

After lunch, Iris had David take Annabel home. That evening at dinner, they talked about Annabel. “She’s quite a charming girl, isn’t she?”

David thought about all the troublesome incidents he’d handled for her. “You’ve only seen her when she’s behaving well. When she’s being mischievous, she can drive you crazy. She’s a real problem student.”

Iris subtly probed, “Really? She seemed to listen to you.”

“If I can’t even manage her, my four years of college would have been wasted.”

Iris smiled at her son’s confidence. “Yeah, you’re amazing! But Annabel seems healthy on the surface, yet her digestion is poor, and she’s not careful with her diet. Her parents are too careless.”

David paused, knowing Annabel had been smoking and drinking since she was young. Thomas was only strict and overbearing, while her stepmother didn’t care at all. “Mom, you know traditional Chinese medicine. Why not prescribe her some herbs to help her out?”

Iris gave her son a stern look. “Her parents need to consent. I can’t just prescribe medicine without their approval. What if something goes wrong?”

“That’s unlikely. It’s just a few mild tonics. You often make them for me.”

Iris looked seriously at David. “David, she might resemble Lola, but she’s not her. And she’s still a minor. Don’t lose your head.”

David paused, annoyed by the constant reminders of Annabel’s resemblance to Lola. “Mom, what are you thinking? Don’t you know me? Her father is always busy with work and has no time for her. She doesn’t get along with her stepmother. I’m her teacher, and her family situation is unique, so I just look out for her more.”

Seeing her son getting upset, Iris knew she should trust him. The next day, she prepared a few mild herbal remedies for Annabel and asked David to take them to her.

“Iris Mommy is so nice.”

David didn’t mention it was his idea. “Doctors are like that. They care for patients like parents care for their children.”

Annabel then asked, “Who is Lola?”

He answered briefly, “A friend.” To avoid further questions, he quickly changed the subject and reminded her to take the medicine on time.

This semester, classes were being reassigned based on elective subjects. Annabel felt unlucky because Logan was now her classmate. Seeing him at home, at school, and now in class was too much. However, she was glad that David remained their teacher.