All too late novel
Chapter 1

Chapter 1

My hands, the very instruments I used to play the piano, were shattered. The day before the competition, my fiance had taken a baseball bat to them. All because I had accidentally injured the woman he adored. Even my own brother was indifferent, coldly stating, “This is the debt you owe; you deserve this punishment.” When that woman caused harm, they threw me under the bus to take the blame.

As I faced the judge, my fiance and brother sat nervously, their anxiety palpable. It wasn’t until the moment I was about to be executed by firing squad that they began to regret their choices.

Outside, the sun blazed brightly, but the dimly lit room felt like a personal hell. Soren’s men

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Chapter 1

+ 5 Points

had me pinned to the ground. Desperately, I crawled towards him, gripping his pant leg.

“Soren, please… let me go. I didn’t mean to hurt

Elara; it was an accident.”

His eyes suddenly turned icy with malice, and he merely shot me a cold glance in response to my desperate pleas. “An accident? You call it an accident with only a one percent chance? Do you really expect me to believe that? You’re just envious because Elara plays better than you. So, you staged an accident, ensuring she could never play the piano again. You stole the stage that rightfully belonged to her and shattered her dream. What right do you have to do this to her?”

As he spoke, he brought the baseball bat down upon me with brutal force, sending a jolt of pain

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through my arm. The bone cracked audibly, separating from the flesh with a sickening sound. It was likely broken.

Desperation gripped me as I faced the imminent loss of my beloved piano. “I truly didn’t mean to cause harm. Please believe me. I can’t live without the piano. Tomorrow is the final competition. I’m begging you, let me go.”

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I was overwhelmed by the fear of losing something I cherished deeply.

“Competition? You’re still thinking about the competition?” Soren’s face contorted with rage, and his twisted expression made me tremble uncontrollably. Like a heartless machine, Soren continued to rain blows on my arm, strike after

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strike.

+ 5 Points

Darkness closed in around me, and my consciousness began to waver. In a daze, I saw Elara in Soren’s arms, her eyes shimmering with tears. “Soren, my hand hurts so much. I’ll never be able to play the piano again.”

At these words, Soren dropped his baseball bat and carried Elara away, leaving me in the harsh glare of the sunlight. My heart felt as if it were being crushed.

Unable to maintain my strength, I collapsed to the ground, slipping into unconsciousness. When I awoke, I found myself in a hospital ward, the smell of disinfectant hanging heavy in the air. In the stillness of the room, all I could hear was my own labored breathing and the

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lingering pain from earlier.

I lifted my hands slowly and discovered that my once graceful arms were now only stumps. Would I never be able to play the piano again?

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