All Chapters of The Bully's Regret: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Cyrus BlackwoodI stared at the screen for several seconds before my brain finally caught up with what my eyes were seeing. The photo was recent. Painfully recent. The fluorescent hospital lighting. The pale blue blanket. The heart monitor beside the bed.Wren's mother.Sleeping.My stomach twisted violently. Beside the image was a single message from an unknown number.Stop running away if you want to see her alive.For a moment, I couldn't breathe. The words seemed to burn themselves into my brain as I read them again and again, hoping they would somehow change. They didn't.Slowly, I turned the phone toward Wren.The moment her eyes landed on the screen, all the color drained from her face. Her entire body went rigid. "No..." The whisper barely reached my ears. Her fingers trembled as she took the phone from my hand. "No. No, no, no..." I watched her stare at the picture. At her mother. At the message.Again.And again.Like if she looked long enough, it would somehow stop being re

Cyrus BlackwoodI barely slept.Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face.Not the furious version of Wren Carter that used to glare at me in class. Not the stubborn girl who refused to back down no matter how hard I pushed.The broken one.The girl standing in that alley with tears running silently down her face while staring at a photograph of her mother.The memory sat in my chest like a stone.I stared down at the notebook in front of me, realizing I had read the same sentence at least six times without processing a single word. My pencil snapped between my fingers."Jesus."Ryan looked over from the next desk."You look like shit."I ignored him.Unfortunately, Ethan decided to join the conversation."You've looked like shit for days."I clenched my jaw. "Thank you for your valuable observation."Ryan snorted.Lucas glanced between us. "He's got a point though."I shoved the broken pencil aside. The last thing I wanted this morning was company. The last thing I wanted was a lec

Wren CarterI honestly thought they were kicking me out.The entire walk to the administration office felt like a march toward my execution. My stomach had been twisting itself into knots ever since I received the email telling me to report there immediately.There was only one explanation.My fees.The deadline had already passed.I had been avoiding every email from the finance department for days because opening them wouldn't magically put money into my bank account. If anything, it would just make me panic harder.So as I walked through the hallway, I rehearsed every possible speech in my head.Please give me another month. I'm trying. My mother's treatment is expensive. I can work extra shifts. I promise I'll pay. Just don't make me leave.By the time I reached the office, my palms were sweating. I knocked twice before pushing the door open."Miss Carter," the administrator greeted.I forced a nervous smile."Hi.""Please sit."That somehow made everything worse. Nobody asked you

Wren CarterThe moment I saw Cyrus standing at the end of the hallway, my entire body tensed.For one ridiculous second, I'd almost forgotten about him while talking to Adrian. Almost. But the second our eyes met, every conversation we'd had over the past few weeks came rushing back.That stupid look on his face every time he talked about caring about me. My stomach immediately twisted. I already knew what was coming. He would walk over here. Ignore Adrian. Say something infuriating. Start another scene. Maybe we'd argue. Maybe he'd try apologizing again. Maybe he'd tell me for the hundredth time that he had changed.Whatever it was, I was already exhausted just thinking about it. Beside me, Adrian followed my gaze and visibly stiffened.Great.Even better.Now both of them were here.I silently prayed for once—just once—that nobody would start throwing punches. The hallway suddenly felt too quiet.Students nearby were pretending not to stare while very obviously staring. Probably wai

Cyrus BlackwoodI was already regretting coming here.The music was loud enough to shake the walls, colored lights flashed across the packed dance floor, and everyone around me seemed determined to have the time of their lives.Everyone except me.Ryan was halfway through his second drink. Ethan was arguing with Lucas about something completely stupid. A couple of the guys had already disappeared toward the dance floor.Meanwhile, I sat back in the booth nursing the same drink I'd been holding for twenty minutes."You're doing it again." I looked up. Ryan was smirking."Doing what?""That thing.""What thing?""The thing where your body is physically present but your soul has left the building."Lucas snorted.Ethan rolled his eyes."He's thinking about Wren again."I glared at them.Ryan pointed triumphantly. "See?""See what?""That look.""What look?""The 'if you say her name one more time, I'll throw you through a wall' look."A few laughs erupted around the table. I groaned and