2026-07-16 18:34:24The company’s quarterly “team-building” dinner was anything but voluntary. Horizon Dynamics had booked an upscale Italian restaurant downtown — dim lighting, expensive wine, and a private room that felt more like a pressure cooker than a celebration. Attendance was mandatory. Refusal meant being added to Derrick Stones’ permanent blacklist.
Lena Brooks arrived straight from the office, still wearing the same professional blouse and skirt from her long first day. She had hoped to slip in quietly, sit near the other interns, and leave as early as possible. That hope died the moment she walked through the door.
Derrick was already holding court at the head of the long table, a glass of red wine in hand. His tie was loosened, but his predatory energy remained sharp. Several employees were already drinking heavily, trying to numb themselves after another brutal day under his rule.
“Miss Brooks!” Derrick called out the moment he spotted her. His voice cut through the awkward chatter. “Come sit near me. I like keeping an eye on our new talent.”
A few heads turned. Some employees gave her sympathetic glances. Others looked relieved it wasn’t them.
Lena forced a polite smile and took the seat he indicated — two chairs away from him. It wasn’t far enough. Throughout the appetizers, Derrick dominated the conversation, boasting about profit margins and “necessary tough decisions” while openly mocking employees who had underperformed.
“Richard,” he said loudly, pointing his fork at the humiliated analyst, “tell everyone how important family emergencies are compared to client deliverables.”
Richard mumbled something incoherent and stared into his wine glass.
The alcohol flowed freely. Bottles of expensive red and white wine were replaced almost as quickly as they emptied. The mood grew looser, louder, and more dangerous. Lena nursed a single glass of water, watching everything.
By the main course, Derrick had grown bolder. He moved to the seat directly beside her, his thigh brushing against hers under the table. Lena shifted away, but there was nowhere to go.
“You’re quiet tonight,” he murmured, close enough that she could smell the wine on his breath. “Most interns are eager to impress me. Especially the smart ones.”
“I’m here to learn marketing, Mr. Stones,” Lena replied evenly, keeping her voice professional. “Not to socialize after hours.”
Derrick chuckled, placing a hand on her knee under the table. “Come on, Lena. Don’t be so uptight. This is how things work in the real world. You scratch my back… I make sure your internship turns into a full-time offer. Maybe even fast-track you. A girl like you could go very far with the right… guidance.”
His hand moved higher.
Lena’s entire body went rigid. She grabbed his wrist firmly and removed it. “Get your hand off me.”
A few nearby employees noticed but quickly looked away, pretending fascination with their pasta. No one wanted to intervene.
Derrick’s eyes darkened with irritation and amusement. He leaned in closer. “Feisty. I like that. Most girls pretend to fight it at first. Makes it more exciting.”
Lena stood up abruptly, her chair scraping loudly against the floor. The table fell into an uncomfortable silence.
“I’m warning you, Mr. Stones,” she said, voice steady but loud enough for others to hear. “Touch me again and you’ll regret it.”
For a moment, Derrick looked stunned. Then he threw his head back and laughed — a loud, mocking sound that echoed in the private room.
“Regret it? Sweetheart, I own this company’s operations. I can end your career before it even starts.” He stood up too, towering over her, his face flushed from wine and arrogance. “You should be grateful I’m even interested. A nobody intern like you—”
Lena’s hand moved before her brain could catch up.
She grabbed the nearest open bottle of red wine — still half full — and swung it with all her strength.
CRACK!
The thick glass shattered against the side of Derrick’s head. Wine and blood sprayed across the white tablecloth. Shards of glass rained down like deadly confetti.
Derrick’s eyes widened in shock. He staggered backward, hand flying to his bleeding temple.
“You… crazy bitch…” he snarled, lunging forward unsteadily.
The room erupted in chaos. Screams. Chairs toppling. Someone shouted for security.
Lena stood frozen, the broken bottle neck still clutched in her trembling hand, red wine dripping like blood onto the floor.
Derrick took one more step toward her… then his eyes rolled back.
He collapsed hard, face-first into a platter of pasta. The impact sent plates crashing.
For a terrifying second, everything went silent except for the ragged sound of Derrick’s breathing — shallow, fading.
Then even that stopped.
Lena dropped the bottle fragment, horror washing over her face.
“Oh God… what did I do?”
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Chapter 12 – Echoes of Pain
The following weeks blurred into a painful rhythm for Derrick Stones. Mornings began with the relentless ticking in his head, a constant reminder that every choice carried weight. Evenings ended with him sitting alone in his apartment or the empty office, replaying memories he had once buried under layers of ambition and arrogance.Remaining Lifespan: 29 Days 14 HoursHe had clawed back some time through small, mostly anonymous acts, but the sincerity meter moved like molasses — 21.7% now. The system had grown quieter, appearing only for significant moments, as if waiting to see whether he would sustain the change when it stopped feeling novel.One rainy Thursday afternoon, the past came knocking in the form of a woman named Carla Ruiz. She had been a logistics coordinator three years earlier. Derrick remembered her vaguely — efficient, quiet, someone he had fired after a missed deadline during a particularly brutal quarter.Carla stood in the lobby, soaked from the rain, holding a fo
Chapter 11
The rain fell in heavy sheets against the windows of Derrick Stones’ apartment, mirroring the storm raging inside him. He sat on the edge of his expensive leather couch, elbows on his knees, staring at the glowing blue interface that refused to grant him mercy even in the quiet hours of the night.Remaining Lifespan: 31 Days 8 Hours 17 MinutesTick… Tick… Tick…Each tick felt heavier now, like a hammer striking the inside of his skull. The donations, the volunteer events, the forced policy changes — they had bought him some time, but at a cost that went far beyond money. Every insincere act left him feeling more hollow than before.He picked up his phone and opened the banking app again. His finger hovered over another large transfer. Ten thousand more to a different charity. His thumb pressed down before he could talk himself out of it.The confirmation screen appeared.Nothing from the system.Derrick waited, heart pounding. Still nothing.“Come on,” he whispered. “That has to count
Chapter 10- Public Performance
Derrick stood in front of the mirror in his luxury apartment bathroom, practicing smiles again. Not the desperate, toothy grimaces from before — he was trying for something that didn’t make children cry or employees reach for the panic button. The blue timer hovered persistently in his reflection.Remaining Lifespan: 37 Days 4 Hours 22 MinutesTick… Tick… Tick…The weekend volunteer event at the city food bank was scheduled for tomorrow. This time, he had gone all-in. He had personally called the local newspaper and a business magazine, tipping them off about “Horizon Dynamics’ Operations Manager giving back to the community.” He had even prepared a short speech about corporate responsibility.If sincerity was the currency, then visibility would multiply the reward. At least that was the new theory.Saturday morning arrived under gray skies. Derrick showed up at the food bank warehouse wearing jeans and a Horizon Dynamics polo — the first time in years he had dressed down for anything
Chapter 9- The First Punishment
The fragile progress from the previous day shattered the moment Derrick Stones stepped back into the office the next morning.The old instincts returned like a drug he couldn’t quit. The sight of his fearful employees, the smell of tension in the air, the power he had wielded for years — it felt comfortable. Safe. Like slipping back into a well-worn pair of shoes.Remaining Lifespan: 41 Days 17 HoursTick… Tick… Tick…He ignored the timer and went straight for blood.Richard Kline was the first victim. The analyst had submitted the revised report — the one Derrick had demanded after humiliating him publicly.Derrick read the first page and threw the entire document across the conference room table where half the department was gathered.“This is still garbage, Richard!” he roared. “Are you incompetent or just trying to sabotage me? I want this redone by lunch. And if it’s not perfect, consider your position here terminated.”The room went dead silent. Richard looked like he might actu
Chapter 8 – Reality Hits
Derrick Stones sat in the private examination room of the city’s best hospital, staring at the MRI images on the screen. The doctor, a middle-aged neurologist named Dr. Patel, looked visibly confused as he pointed to the scans.“Mr. Stones, this is… unprecedented.”Derrick leaned forward, the blue timer still glowing in his peripheral vision.Remaining Lifespan: 41 Days 22 HoursTick… Tick… Tick…“What do you mean?” he demanded.Dr. Patel adjusted his glasses. “The trauma from the bottle impact should have caused a severe subdural hematoma. Based on the paramedic report from the restaurant, you were clinically unresponsive for over a minute. By all medical logic, you should have suffered significant brain damage — possibly permanent. Or worse.”He paused, gesturing at the clean images.“Yet here you are. The scans show only minor swelling that is already resolving at an abnormal rate. Your vitals are stable. It’s as if your body received some kind of… intervention.”Derrick’s mouth we
Chapter 7 – Mission Failed
Derrick Stones arrived at the office on the third day after the incident with a new strategy and a pounding headache. The blue interface had become his constant, unwelcome companion.Remaining Lifespan: 42 Days 8 HoursTick… Tick… Tick…He had spent the previous night researching “how to smile sincerely” on the internet like a desperate man. Articles about genuine facial expressions, eye contact, and positive body language stared back at him mockingly. He practiced in the mirror until his face hurt.Today I will beat this stupid system.The moment he stepped onto the twenty-third floor, the atmosphere shifted. Employees who had grown used to his usual scowl now watched him with open suspicion. The “brain injury” rumor had evolved overnight into wild speculation.“He smiled yesterday. I think he’s dying.”“Maybe it’s a tumor. That would explain everything.”Derrick ignored the whispers and zeroed in on his first target: the receptionist, Sarah. He approached her desk with deliberate ca
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