Struggling with Myself and Others

Anonymous Peachy Duckling #895 · General Confessions

I'm a high school teacher, been at it for five years now. Always thought I was just here to teach the kids in class, you know? But lately, something inside me has changed. It started when I met him, one of my students' parents. He's older than me by about ten years and we hit it off almost immediately. We would chat at events, talk about teaching philosophy, life stuff...and then the small talks turned to flirting. It wasn't until a few weeks ago that things escalated. I was helping him with something at school after hours when he leaned in close, whispering how much he wanted me, but also how wrong it felt. He's married, has kids older than my students. But his wife is always busy, out of town, whatever. It seemed like an opportunity. That night we met up, and yeah, it happened. There was so much passion between us, it almost made sense in that moment. Afterwards though... I felt sick to my stomach. Guilt ate at me from the inside out. What had I done? This man has a family, responsibilities. And here I am breaking rules left and right. I know now this will never work - he's going to need to go back to his wife, be there for his kids. But when we're together... it all fades away and the chemistry is undeniable. We both agreed on boundaries, limits, making sure no one gets hurt. Yet here I am, still struggling with my feelings every single day. This confession feels so small compared to what it should - but everything about this situation makes me feel like such a hypocrite. Teachers aren't supposed to fall for their students' parents. I'm not supposed to be okay with the way things are between us. But I am, and it scares me more than anything.