All Chapters of Fifty Strikes and I'm Out: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

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.

Chapter 2

After confirming I only had a few scrapes, the hospital discharged me quickly.Without hesitation, I called a cab straight to the office and handed in my resignation.My manager, David Norris, looked troubled. He kept trying to persuade me to stay. But once he saw I was firm, he let out a sigh.Just then, Terence called. He asked coldly, "Are you quitting?"I was caught off guard. "How did you know?"The truth clicked when I saw David rubbing his forehead."This company belongs to your family, doesn't it?"I clenched my fists, and my head buzzed.Everything I'd gone through in the company suddenly made sense.No wonder they always assigned me the worst tasks. I never received a bonus, no matter how many big projects I completed or how often I ranked first in performance. Also, everyone looked at me with disdain and never included me in any company activities.I'd been isolated for years, and I should've been used to it by now. I was honest and hardworking, just wanting a stab

Chapter 3

"What?" I feigned confusion.Terence let out a breath of relief.After that, I grew distant. I turned over and tried to sit up. "I'm going home if there's nothing else."He grabbed my hand and pushed me gently back down by the shoulder. "Just rest here. This is my bedroom."Of course I knew it was his bedroom. After all, a photo of him and Bethany Howard was on the table.They were both in their high school uniforms, smiling brightly.I'd been with Terence for five years, and not once had we taken a photo together. Any time I tried to sneak one for a keepsake, he snatched my phone away in anger."Don't take pictures of me again. I hate it."Following my gaze, Terence darted over and flipped the photo facedown, his voice rushed with panic. "She's Bethany Howard, your college classmate and my cousin. Don't overthink it.""Alright," I replied flatly.Terence froze for a moment. He couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you going to ask anything else?"I looked up and stared at him. My

Chapter 4

I quickly opened the hidden hatch on the small boat before the bomb could fully go off. I dove down as fast as I could, hoping to minimize the impact. But even submerged, the explosion hit me like a punch to the gut, slamming me deeper into the water.My stomach contracted sharply, and I choked on several mouthfuls of seawater. The world threatened to fade to black. The water was too deep; I fought desperately for the surface, exhaling in relief when I finally saw a glimmer of light above. I looked up and saw the cruise ship was nothing more than a faint dot in the distance. Great. I looked at the sun, a relieved smile finally spreading across my face. They wouldn't be able to find me.I surrendered my body to the current, drifting for an unknown duration before the waves finally deposited me onto the shore. I collapsed face-down on the sand, my head reeling. I struggled to focus, to get my bearings. But before I could even begin to take in my surroundings, a pair of c

Chapter 5

Terence was pulled from the sea by the rescue team that had rushed over.When he woke up again, he found himself surrounded by people. Bethany was the closest to him, her tears falling nonstop.He glanced around but didn't see the person he was looking for.His voice was hoarse as he spoke. "Where's Ariana?"All the concerned voices around him abruptly went silent. Only Bethany cried out, "She's gone. The rescue team searched the sea for an entire day. All they found were broken pieces of the boat. Ariana… There's nothing left of her."Terence stared blankly at Bethany before asking in a flat voice, "You didn't have them keep searching?"Bethany cried even harder."How? They searched for 24 hours and found nothing! Unless you can drain the whole sea, there's no way they could find her. Even if you did drain the sea, all you'd find is a body!"Terence shouted in desperation."Nonsense! They didn't even find her remains. How can you be so sure that she's dead?"Ignoring his inj

Chapter 6

Terence turned to see Cecilia holding a knife. He vaguely remembered her as my best friend.He gave her a faint smile and said, "Hello."After seeing his face clearly, Cecilia's tone grew harsher. "You bastard, why are you still here? Wasn't killing Ariana enough? Are you trying to take her last remaining assets?"Terence realized he was misunderstood. He spoke up helplessly. "It's not like that. I just wanted to take a look."Cecilia snorted coldly. "So, have you seen enough? Now get out. I'm sure Ariana wouldn't want you here."Terence didn't argue. He felt she was right.He lowered his head and pleaded, "Can I take a set of her clothes with me? I want to build her a cenotaph."Cecilia remained silent for a moment, her expression unreadable as she looked at Terence."Fine," she finally replied.Terence looked up, searching for the most suitable set. His eyes landed on a set by the bed.He remembered that the weather had suddenly turned chilly a few days ago. That short-slee

Chapter 7

The Bowen family had always been far more powerful than the Howards. To avenge me, Terence crushed the Howard family in the market.Overnight, the Howard family vanished from the business landscape, declaring bankruptcy.Bethany's parents had no idea what they'd done to offend the Bowens. They tried everything to contact Terence, hoping he'd show mercy. But no matter what they did, Terence refused to see anyone from the Howard family.Later, driven to despair by debt, Bethany's parents jumped off a building. She saw it all with her own eyes. The shock drove her insane.Terence had her committed to a psychiatric hospital. He told them she was never allowed out again.And one by one, every family that had joined him in hurting me began to disappear.Terence sent everyone who had directly harmed me to the psychiatric hospital. As for the two who harassed me, he handed them over to the police.He strictly ordered that they would spend the rest of their lives behind bars and suffer t

Chapter 8

"I'll leave! I'll leave! Just don't actually die..." Terence's voice trembled. I slowly backed away as he carefully steered the car back to solid ground."Get out." Worried he'd go back on his word, I gave the order without hesitation.Terence gripped the steering wheel tightly. He looked at me with a reluctant gaze, his lips pressed together.Since he didn't move, I lunged forward and reached for the wheel again."Fine! I'll get out, alright?" he shouted in a panic.I watched as he finally lowered his head and exited the car.In an instant, I slid into the driver's seat and sped off, leaving Terence's figure shrinking in my rearview mirror. My pounding heart finally settled.To be honest, I never imagined Terence would lose it like that.I expected him to be upset, perhaps a bit depressed. Meanwhile, I'd find a new city and live my own life. We would become two parallel lines, never intersecting again.After reaching the mainland, I met up with Cecilia, whom I hadn't seen i

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