Hidden Desires - Family Secrets

As Betty entered the bathroom, I sat in front of my computer screen, waiting. There were no screams, no words, just an eerie silence. About ten seconds later, the bathroom door finally opened. I quickly leaned closer to the computer screen, my heart racing.

The bathroom door cracked open just a bit, and I saw Betty, her face flushed, squeezing out through the gap. Her movements seemed normal, but there was a subtle hint of panic.

Once the door closed behind her, Betty didn't immediately head back to the bedroom. Instead, she stumbled and leaned against the wall between the bedroom and the bathroom.

Betty's face was beet red, and her chest heaved as she patted it lightly, seemingly trying to calm herself down. While patting her chest, she slowly made her way back to our bedroom. But before she entered, she couldn't help but glance back at the bathroom door.

Seeing Betty's flushed face and her look of utter panic, I knew something had gone down in the bathroom. Unfortunately, I had forgotten the memory card inside the bathroom camera, so I'd have to wait until I got home to check it out.

After Betty returned to the bedroom and closed the door, the bathroom door slowly opened again. Michael peeked out like a thief, looking both ways before quickly exiting the bathroom and dashing to his own room. Both Michael and Betty seemed to be avoiding each other, their faces tinged with embarrassment.

Sitting in front of the computer, I didn't need to guess what had happened. Betty must have walked in on Michael using the toilet. Whether Betty saw anything... well, that remained unknown.

Just the sight of Michael in such a vulnerable state was probably embarrassing enough for both of them.

I continued to watch the video feed. Not long after Michael left the bathroom, Betty came out of her room. Her expression had returned to normal, though her cheeks were still slightly pink. She looked complicatedly and awkwardly at Michael's door before entering the bathroom again, soon followed by the sound of the washing machine starting.

Back in his room, Michael was hitting his head with his hand, berating himself for his foolishness. He was still just a kid, and now he seemed very embarrassed, as if Betty had seen him at his most awkward moment.

After starting the washing machine, Betty walked out of the bathroom and back to the bedroom, just sitting on the bed, lost in thought, her face alternating between red and pale. It wasn't until she heard the washing machine finish that she snapped back to reality.

After hanging the laundry to dry, she prepared to rest, but stood hesitantly at the bathroom door, looking at Michael's door, her face suddenly flushing again.

Inside, Michael seemed to sense that Betty was done with the laundry. He quickly turned away from the door and pretended to sleep, also appearing quite nervous.

Betty stood in the center of the living room, rubbing her slightly reddened cheeks with both hands before taking a deep breath and heading towards Michael's room. As her hand touched the doorknob, there was a slight pause and hesitation, but she still went in.

Usually, Betty would turn on the light and check on Michael's sleeping position before she could rest easy. But this time, she entered without turning on the light and went straight to bed beside Michael.

The room was eerily quiet. Michael and Betty lay motionless. I couldn't tell if Michael was asleep, but Betty clearly had trouble drifting off, her breathing uneven, a sign of inner turmoil.

Occasionally, Betty would open her eyes and glance at Michael, who was turned away from her. There seemed to be something more in her gaze.

The night passed without words until the next morning when Betty got up first to make breakfast. When Michael also got up, neither spoke, as if waiting for the other to break the silence.

Eventually, as the adult, Betty was the first to speak, but their faces were tinged with embarrassment, and they seemed unable to meet each other's eyes. They finished their meal in a complicated silence and then headed out for school.

Watching this video, I was puzzled.

What exactly happened in those few seconds in the bathroom that made Betty and Michael so awkward around each other?

And it seemed Betty was the most affected. What did she see in the bathroom?

I opened the video from the last night. After school, they came home and prepared dinner, chatting and laughing. It seemed that a day's time had eased their awkwardness.

But I couldn't shake the feeling that those few seconds in the bathroom had altered Betty's perception of Michael. The affectionate look she usually had for Michael seemed to include something else now.

Michael was no longer just a child in her eyes; he seemed more like a man. Under the guise of their normal relationship, there seemed to be an added layer of something else.

After dinner, they started on their homework and tutoring as usual. Betty was as gentle as ever with Michael, but her gaze held an unusual softness.

Seeing this, I was convinced that something had shifted in Betty's heart, at least adding a new layer of complexity, perhaps even a touch of inner conflict.

That night, Michael seemed eager to prove himself. He did everything Betty asked, completing his homework quickly and well.

Normally, Betty would thoroughly check Michael's homework, especially his math, after he finished. But that night, Betty went back to the bedroom to change into her pajamas. When she returned, Michael had already placed his completed homework in front of her.

"Mom, I've finished my homework. Check it out..." Michael seemed pleased with his speed today and was eager to show off in front of Betty.

"You finished so quickly, let's see the quality..." Betty began to review Michael's homework. Having a mother as a homeroom teacher was convenient, getting direct help at home.

"Good, not bad at all. This is the first time you've gotten everything right, and your handwriting is very neat too..." Betty closed Michael's homework, visibly pleased. For a mother, there's nothing more satisfying than seeing her son excel.

"Mom really taught you well, huh..." Hearing Betty's praise, Michael also seemed very pleased, finally getting a chance to show off in front of Betty.

"When did you get such a sweet mouth?" Betty handed the homework to Michael to put away.

"It's always been this sweet..." Michael said, turning around to stash the homework back in his backpack. Betty, hearing this, paused slightly as if something dawned on her, her cheeks turning a shade pinker. When Michael returned after putting away his homework, Betty was still sitting on the bed, lost in thought, seemingly pondering something.

"Mom, what are you thinking about?" Michael couldn't help but ask, seeing Betty's dazed expression.

"Ah... nothing, let's get some rest..." Betty snapped back to reality after being called twice by Michael, looking flustered as if she had been caught doing something naughty, and then she quickly told Michael to get into bed.

Thinking back on the conversation, I wondered what had made Betty so lost in thought. It must have been Michael's comment, "My mouth is always this sweet."

It was just a cheeky remark from him, but it seemed to stir something in Betty, reminding her of the first time Michael had kissed her.

Back then, she must have tasted his lips, and his innocent words now seemed to tease her inner feelings.

In the video, as Betty was getting ready to sleep, her phone rang. During our call, perhaps because of Michael's unintended "teasing" combined with last night's events, Betty avoided talking about Michael.

Watching her in the video, I realized for the first time how distracted and inattentive she seemed while talking to me. Seeing this, I felt that Betty had changed too quickly; Michael had only been at my house for less than a month, and so much had already happened.