Chapter 5

It was already nine in the evening when I got home.

I saw my son Jacob slumped on the couch, his eyes glued to the iPad screen. He looked exhausted but unusually excited.

When he noticed me entering, he quickly turned off the iPad.

If I had to guess, Jacob was probably watching adult videos.

But I couldn’t bring it up directly, afraid of triggering his rebellious side.

I remembered that the results of his recent mock SAT should be out. I asked, "How did you do on the mock exam, Jacob?"

His face instantly darkened. "I messed up this time. Only scored a little over 400."

I wasn’t surprised. How could he do well when he stayed up every night obsessed with sexual fantasies?

His best scores usually hovered around 500, barely enough for a state university.

But now, an early admission to an Ivy League was within reach!

I didn’t scold him. Instead, I pulled him into a hug and comforted him gently. With the real exam approaching, his stress was mounting. I didn’t want him to feel discouraged.

"It’s okay, sweetie. This was just a practice test. As long as you perform well on the actual SAT, everything will be fine."

He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw I wasn’t angry and nodded.

Then I glanced at the iPad on the couch. "Jacob, where did you get this iPad?"

He said he borrowed it from a classmate for online courses.

If I hadn’t caught him watching those videos, I might have believed him.

Jacob had always been honest since he was little. He never used to lie. I never thought he would become like this.

But I held back from confronting him. As long as I kept trying, he could still get into an Ivy League.

That night, I noticed Jacob was again indulging himself with the iPad. But I had been cautious these past few days—I had hidden all my intimate wear where he couldn’t find it.

As I lay in bed, I had a vivid dream. In it, the art teacher intoxicated me, but when I woke up, all I could think about was Ryan Evans.

Why was I so fixated on my son’s friend? Was I inherently a cougar?

Early the next morning, the art teacher called me.

He asked me to come to the country inn earlier. He wanted to create another blindfolded art painting today.

I blushed instantly. How could he be thinking about such things in broad daylight?

The thrill sent hormones rushing through my body, making me feel like I was in my twenties again.

Jacob had just come out of the bathroom. He noticed my flushed face and asked with concern, "Mom, why is your face so red? Are you feeling unwell?"

I was mortified. My son had caught me fantasizing.

I brushed him off with some excuses, but he didn’t buy it. His eyes held an inexplicable gleam, as if he had seen right through me.

"Mom, are you trying to find me a dad?"

I froze. My usually reserved son was suddenly so perceptive. Of course, I denied it. "Don’t talk nonsense," I said with a forced laugh.

He didn’t press further, but he gave me a serious look and shook his head.

In that moment, my son felt both familiar and strange.

Eagerly, I put on a camisole and a miniskirt. I hadn’t worn such youthful clothes in years, but I dug them out to make a good impression on the art teacher.

Looking at myself in the mirror, I saw a woman with a curvaceous figure and skin as smooth as a peeled egg.

Time had left no trace on my face. Instead, it had made me more mature and alluring.

"Just you wait, Mr. Anderson. I’ll mesmerize you today!"

I arrived at the country inn at the agreed time. The art teacher was already waiting outside.

Today, I let go of my inhibitions. I convinced myself, "This is all for Jacob’s future. Any sacrifice is worth it."

I leaned in slightly toward the teacher.

"Mr. Anderson... I’m here."

As I spoke, I gave his hand a subtle squeeze.

To my surprise, my boldness made him blush. He stammered, "Mrs. Lowell, please put on the blindfold…"

I giggled. He hadn’t been shy yesterday. Why was he pretending to be innocent now?

I held him tightly and said, "Let’s go, then."

His hands trembled as he put the blindfold on me and guided me inside.

But then his true nature emerged. His hands roamed freely, expertly exploring my body like a seasoned lover.

A absurd thought crossed my mind. Mr. Anderson was different from other men. He only revealed his true self when the woman couldn’t see.

But none of that mattered. As long as he was satisfied, everything was fine.

That way, Jacob’s Ivy League admission would be secured.

During our intimacy, I once again caught the youthful scent on him. Though his movements were skilled, his impetuous energy was unmistakable.

A strange illusion took hold of me. This didn’t feel like the same man who had greeted me outside. But with the blindfold on, I couldn’t be sure.

The thought startled me.

But soon, I lost myself again, my mind going blank.

When we finished, my face was flushed. I studied the art teacher’s calm demeanor closely and finally noticed a clue.

The man I had been with had thick, coarse body hair that prickled my skin. But Mr. Anderson had very sparse body hair. They were not the same person!

I stood frozen, as if struck by lightning. Had I been tricked?

But I quickly collected myself. Now wasn’t the time to dwell on it. I needed to investigate and uncover the truth.

After leaving the country inn, I called Jacob’s homeroom teacher. I asked about the early admission policy to Ivy League schools through the art teacher. The teacher insisted the school had no such policy.

My emotions were in turmoil. Another suspicion grew in my mind.

When I got home, I found Jacob doing homework in his room. The iPad was still on the couch.

I glanced at his closed door, then quickly picked up the iPad and started browsing. It was filled with adult videos and selfies of Ryan Evans. The photos were dated months ago.

So, Ryan was the one who had lent the iPad to Jacob.

The more I thought about it, the more terrified I became. All of this…