Lia is known on campus as the “miracle worker.” Students who scrape by with D’s come to her cramped apartment-turned-classroom and leave with solid B’s. Her secret, she says, is patience. But her newest student, 20-year-old art major Ethan, is testing more than her teaching methods.
Ethan, for his part, seems unaware of the turmoil he is causing—or perhaps he is fully aware. “She just gets me,” he says with a shrug. “Most tutors just run the clock. Lia actually cares.” tempted tutor lia lin
“I know the rules,” Lia says, rubbing her temple. “No fraternization. No dating clients. But empathy feels a lot like love when you’re tired and lonely.” Lia is known on campus as the “miracle worker
“I’m tempted to cross the line every single day,” Lia confesses. “But I know if I do, I’m not just risking my reputation. I’m betraying the trust of every student who needs me to be their tutor, not their partner.” Ethan, for his part, seems unaware of the
That caring, however, has begun to show cracks. Her other students have complained of shorter, distracted sessions. Her own grades have slipped. Last week, she found herself designing a practice exam just so she could spend two extra hours alone with him.