Fifty Strikes and I'm Out

I stood outside the door, trembling uncontrollably.

Both of my arms were covered in burns from the fire. They hurt so badly I couldn't even lift them.

I stared at the dummy on the floor. The laughter coming from inside the room kept echoing in my ears.

"Ariana Brock is such a fool. Do you think she'll go back in for a second try? After all, she just dragged out a dummy."

"Of course she will. Remember when we told her Terence was trapped in the school? She broke into every locked room and ended up paying 80,000 dollars in damages."

"Exactly. A broke girl like her trying to play savior. What a joke."

Terence Bowen cut them off, his voice indifferent.

"That's enough. I already called the fire department. Don't let her die for real. We're not done having fun yet."

The words "Not done having fun" echoed in my ears like a curse, making my legs weak.

It wasn't until the paramedics lifted me onto a stretcher and put an oxygen mask over my face that I finally came back to my senses.

When my arms scraped against the edge of the stretcher, the sharp pain made me curl up instinctively.

An attentive medic noticed. She bent down and asked gently if I was in pain.

I felt like I'd found somewhere to finally let it all out. My eyes burned as I replied, "It hurts so much."

It wasn't just the physical pain. My heart ached too, and I couldn't take any of it.

I kept my voice even, but it felt like it took all my strength just to speak.

I closed my eyes as my consciousness gradually faded.

In my dream, I went back to the moment I first met Terence. He was like an angel who suddenly appeared in my life. He gave me love and taught me what love was.

Although he was an untouchable wealthy heir, he still felt for my past as an orphan and protected my fragile heart.

I did everything I could to keep some balance between us.

During my sophomore year, I went into debt saving him and ended up owing the school 80,000 dollars. However, my pride wouldn't let me tell him.

In the end, he found me at the hospital after I collapsed from working three jobs in one day. It hurt him to see me like this. He cried, and those tears scorched my heart.

Terence paid 80,000 dollars for me and said he couldn't live without me.

Back then, my heart was full of sweetness. I thought fate had finally taken pity on someone like me.

But when I opened my eyes, there was no sign of Terence. My best friend, Cecilia Glover, was the only one by my bedside.

She broke down the moment she saw me awake.

"You'll need at least two weeks to recover from this. Was Terence really worth it?"

I forced a smile and grabbed her hand.

"Then can you help me buy a train ticket after half a month? Anywhere is fine."

I just wanted to get away from Terence.