But this time, I stayed silent and let him leave.
Everyone saw our relationship as a fairy tale.
No one could believe that the top student in school, the model student loved by teachers, would end up with a troubled teenager who was always at the bottom of the class, smoking and fighting.
Xavier was an illegitimate child, lacking any real discipline, and was notorious for dragging down the class average.
Frustrated, our teacher, during a routine seat change, paired me with him in a so-called one-to-one assistance program.
With a sincere intention to help, I began tutoring him, explaining each problem patiently.
Every time, he would raise his fist, threatening to beat me if I annoyed him.
But even with tears in my eyes, I didn't give up and kept trying to help him.
Maybe my persistence got through to him. Eventually, he gave up resisting and reluctantly laid his head on the desk, listening as I explained over and over.
A month later, in the exams, his scores shot up, and he moved up to third from the bottom.
Excited, I packed a bag full of snacks and went to his house to encourage him.
But when I arrived, I found his mother beating him with a belt, screaming and berating him.