All Chapters of Back to High School, I Refuse to Fund Her: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

It was our fifth wedding anniversary. The moment I stepped through the door, I saw a lavish array of dishes spread across the dining table.My wife, Sharon Flores, placed a gentle hand on her abdomen and smiled up at me. "I've prepared a special surprise for you."I immediately assumed she meant she was pregnant, and joy overwhelmed me to the point that I lost all sense of direction. I didn't question it even when I caught the faint, bitter odor rising from the bowl of soup she handed me.Five minutes after I finished it, a searing pain tore through my stomach."Ow, my stomach hurts so much," I groaned.Her lips curved into a chilling smile. "Well, it should."Cold sweat drenched my body, and before I could fully grasp what was happening, she kicked me viciously in the gut.Our marriage had never been as passionately intertwined as some young couples', but we had always enjoyed a peaceful harmony, never exchanging harsh words, let alone laying a hand on one another.I looked up

Chapter 2

"Josh, your classmate is here," my mother called out.I jerked my head up from the desk, my hands flying instinctively to my mouth and then my stomach.There was no blood or pain.My mother knocked on my bedroom door, urging me to go out. I glanced down at the familiar fabric of my high school uniform.The vivid memories of my final moments lingered in my mind. I sat there in stunned silence for what seemed like an eternity, my thoughts racing to make sense of it all.Finally, the truth settled in: I had been reborn.In the living room, Sharon and Harry sat awkwardly on the sofa. As I had feared, today was the day Sharon planned to bring him to my home for tutoring—the very event that had ignited all the misery of my previous life.When I walked out, Sharon stood up eagerly. "Josh, hi. This is my friend, Harry. His foundation isn't very strong. Could he join us to study?"Harry watched me from his seat, his brow furrowed slightly, as if the request made him uncomfortable. Sharo

Chapter 3

My refusal hit Sharon like a spark to dry tinder."Tutoring just you is one thing," she protested, "but what's the harm in adding Harry and studying together? We're in the most critical phase of the year right now. Can't you think beyond yourself for once?"Her glare was fierce and accusatory, forcing me to question the idealized view I had once held of her.Sharon had been the undisputed star of our class—brilliant and proud, but so poor that she often went without proper meals.I had no real love for studying myself, yet I hired her as a tutor and paid her far more than necessary, all to protect her pride and avoid making it feel like charity.After graduation, I used my family's connections to get her an internship at my father's company and quietly arranged for her quick promotion to project manager.After we got married, I handed her full control of the company, trusting her to manage it. And despite everything I did for her, Sharon still plotted to end my life.There was n

Chapter 4

From that day on, Sharon made a point of tutoring Harry in the most conspicuous way possible.The sounds of their sessions echoed through the classroom. Even with earplugs in, I could still make out snippets of it.I had started studying on my own, but I was still working through the basics, carefully rebuilding my foundation from the ground up.Harry seemed particularly irritated by my efforts. One afternoon, he sauntered over to my desk, holding a textbook freshly marked up with Sharon's highlights, and dangled it in front of me like a taunt."Josh, studying by yourself now? Making any real progress, or just staring at the pages?" he taunted. "I've got Sharon's latest notes right here. They could really help if you wanted to borrow them."He paused, adding, "Oh, I almost forgot. She doesn't tutor you anymore. Guess these notes stay with me for now."His voice had a sharp, grating edge that drew attention from nearly half the class. Even Sharon, who usually ignored the room's dr

Chapter 5

Sharon came to her senses and realized how out of line she'd been, with everyone staring.She hated being the center of attention, and now she was the main event. Mortified, she released me and hurried back into the classroom.Back at my desk, I took a moment to really notice Liliane. The deskmate of mine was always napping during class.Beautiful but distant, she hardly ever spoke to anyone, and no one dared to get close. Only then did I see her kind side.She propped her head on her hand and looked at me. "Is your wrist okay?"I glanced down at the faint mark on my skin. "It's nothing. Thanks for stepping in back there."She blinked, then suddenly smacked her forehead and started digging through her backpack. After a while, she pulled out a tube of erythromycin ointment and offered it to me."You carry this around?" I asked, surprised.She looked away, a slight blush on her cheeks. "I had a bad breakout a few weeks ago, and the doctor said this works well."She paused, her e

Chapter 6

Even though Harry kept trash-talking Sharon behind her back, saying she was beneath him, their relationship heated up quickly—from flirting to full-on dating.In my previous life, I had spared no expense during exam season, buying her expensive supplements for energy and providing any study materials she requested without question.She aced her way into Harvard and credited it all to her natural talent. Now I wondered if the self-proclaimed genius could really balance romance and studying.I got an unwanted front-row seat one afternoon in the hallway, when I went to refill my water bottle. There they were, locked in a passionate kiss, like no one's watching.Harry's eyes met mine over her shoulder, full of smug mockery. He arched an eyebrow and whispered something intimate, clearly for my benefit.Unfortunately for them, the assistant principal turned the corner and caught them right then.He hauled Sharon into the office. Disappointed sighs echoed down the hall, reaching my ears

Chapter 7

I finally cracked the math problem, rolling my stiff neck. It was getting dark, and a light rain had started to fall.I packed up quickly and headed for the door, only to find it wouldn't budge how hard I pulled. That was when I realized it had been locked from the outside."Hello? Anyone there?" I shouted.It was well after hours, and the guard's office was a long walk away. Only the whistling wind answered.Strangely enough, when people got anxious, their thoughts tended to become clearer. Panic sharpened my mind, and it dawned on me that just a moment ago, the only ones left in the room were Harry and me. It had to be him.Just as despair settled in, a voice echoed from outside, followed by footsteps. "Odd. Someone still in here this late?"A surge of relief washed over me. I shouted, "Liliane! I'm locked in!"She tried the handle, but it didn't work. "Hang on. I'll grab the key from security."The door opened afterward, but right then, thunder crashed overhead. The lights i

Chapter 8

The following week felt like pure relief.Without Sharon and Harry in my face, and with Liliane's sharp guidance, my mind felt unlocked after years of rust and began working at full speed.I wasn't the hopeless case Sharon had called me. Real effort was paying off.A week later, Sharon reappeared but looked exhausted, with dark circles under her eyes. Clearly, she was suffering from the aftermath of her relationship woes.But despite everything, she didn't show any signs of moving forward. Instead, she came to find me, asking me to go to the teacher and explain that the whole incident was a misunderstanding."Harry only accidentally locked the door. He didn't do it on purpose," she grumbled. "Do you have to go this far and ruin him like that?"The security footage had captured Harry sneaking back to school and locking the door on purpose. Calling it an accident was just ridiculous.But then again, arguing wouldn't change her mind. Some people would always choose to believe whate

Chapter 9

The seats for the mock exam were assigned randomly. By some strange twist of fate, I ended up sitting between Sharon and Harry.Sharon leaned over, asking me to pass answers to Harry during the exam. "In return, you can copy mine."I was stunned by her audacity. "When did you start playing these cheating games? It's just fooling yourself."She paused, her lips pressing tightly together. "Please, do it for me. If he fails, his dad will beat him senseless.""Sorry, I won't help," I said, stepping closer to Liliane, who had just walked up to my side.She said, "If your boyfriend wants good scores, he should study diligently like my disciple here."Sharon was surprised. "Disciple? Josh, you...""This kind of help hurts everyone," I said firmly. "Keep your problems to yourselves from now on."I turned away, ignoring the color draining from her face.The test went as expected—tough but manageable. Although there were still a few major problems I couldn't solve, I managed to finish t

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