A Life Beyond Limits novel Chapter 2

After lunch, Jack and Jeffrey took the bus to Crestfield High School.

Jeffrey tightened his grip on the cigarettes and liquor as they arrived at Arthur's office door. Inside, a balding man was sipping tea and humming a tune. That could only be Arthur.

"Hey, darling, don't worry. I'll handle the kid's situation. Once the college entrance exam is over, I'll take you on vacation. I'll talk to you later. Love you!" Arthur's chubby face broke into a lewd grin.

Jeffrey gently knocked on the door, startling Arthur into quickly hiding his phone and adopting a serious expression. "Come in."

As they entered, Arthur's demeanor changed instantly upon seeing Jack. "What are you doing here? Get out!"

Jeffrey hurriedly placed the cigarettes and liquor on the table. "Mr. Bratford, I've brought my son here to apologize. Please—"

Arthur glanced disdainfully at the cheap cigarettes and liquor on the table. "What? Do you think you can bribe a respectable teacher?"

Jeffrey pleaded, "Mr. Bratford, I'm begging you. The college entrance exam is coming up. Expelling him now will ruin everything!"

In response, Arthur slammed the bottle of alcohol to the ground, shattering it into pieces.

"Get out! Your child's future is none of my concern. If you don't leave right now, I'll call security."

Upon seeing the shattered bottle of alcohol and Arthur's menacing expression, Jeffrey's face turned pale. Trembling, he picked up the cigarettes and the remaining liquor from the broken bottle.

As they were about to leave, they saw a young girl standing at the door, looking at Jack with a mixture of shock and sadness.

Her name was Phoebe Bailey, and she was the former class monitor of Jack's class.

She was the epitome of a model student. She was academically excellent, gentle in nature, and strikingly beautiful. She was undoubtedly the school's belle.

Phoebe was well aware of Jack's expulsion, and she had witnessed the earlier scene unfold. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she felt a pang of sympathy for him.

Being expelled right before the college entrance exam was a devastating blow for anyone.

To be honest, she had a slight crush on Jack. Despite his poor grades, he had athletic talent and a charming bad-boy appeal. But he was always willing to lend a hand to others.

Sometimes, when Phoebe felt overwhelmed by her studies, she would go to the basketball court just to watch Jack play and cheer for him every time he scored under the sun.

In addition to his athletic skills, Jack had many other talents and hobbies. He played the guitar exceptionally well and was quite good at billiards.

Most importantly, he was loyal. He had once stood up for a classmate who was being bullied by some local thugs outside the school.

Unfortunately, these qualities were seen as rebellious by the school administration that only cared about maintaining high graduation rates. It was clear that his expulsion was inevitable.

In contrast, Phoebe was destined for greatness. Her outstanding performance would surely lead her to one of the top five colleges in the country.

On the other hand, Jack could only rely on a stroke of luck to get into a decent college.

Maybe he would end up at a vocational school or work on a construction site to contribute to the country's real estate industry. However, the quality of the college he attended wouldn't determine his future.

Phoebe firmly believed that gold would shine no matter where it was found. Yet, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness. At this crossroads in their lives, she and Jack were about to go their separate ways, likely never to meet again.

After Jeffrey and Jack left, Arthur's mood seemed to improve significantly. He waved Phoebe in with a beaming smile. She was undoubtedly his source of pride.

According to the rules of Crestfield High School, if a student managed to enter one of the top five colleges in the country, the homeroom teacher would receive a bonus of up to 50 thousand dollars. Hence, Phoebe was a golden opportunity for Arthur.

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