The Bully's Regret

The school bully, Kellan Evans, turned my life into a nightmare-all because of something said by a girl he was protective of.

I was pinned against walls, forced to kneel and apologize, and had leftover food hurled at my face.

Kellan's cold, piercing eyes showed nothing but disdain as he sneered, "You're nothing-unfit to even stand in Cathryn's shadow."

But everything changed when he discovered that the hundreds of letters that had given him hope in his darkest days were written by me.

In a downpour, he dropped to his knees, subjecting himself to every torment he'd once inflicted on me, begging for my forgiveness.

1

Cathryn Elliott dumped her entire lunch tray on me, taking a step back to reveal her smirking, mocking expression.

The cafeteria erupted into laughter.

I sat there, soaked in soup and utterly humiliated, but I stayed silent. I clenched my jaw and forced the food on my tray into my mouth. I paid for this meal, and I wasn't about to waste it.

"Look at Rylie! Covered in slop and still eating like nothing happened! She's like a glutton, isn't she?"

Cathryn's smirk faltered when she saw I wasn't reacting the way she wanted. Her brows knit tightly in anger.

Stalking back over, she grabbed my tray and flipped it onto the floor.

She grabbed me by the collar, yanked me to the ground, and stomped down hard on the back of my hand with her shoe. "Eat it! You love eating so much, don't you? Go on, keep eating!"

She ground her shoe into my fingers with deliberate force, and when she finally saw the pain contort my face, she burst into a fit of giggles.

"That's enough, Cathryn."

The cafeteria grew silent. All eyes turned toward the door. Even Cathryn obediently stepped back, lifting her foot.

Kellan Evans stood in the doorway, his figure illuminated by the light behind him. He looked aloof, untouchable, and cold.

But he wasn't here to save me.

Kellan approached, his gaze landing on the oil stains on Cathryn's shoes. He frowned. "Next time, don't do it yourself. Don't dirty your shoes for someone like her."

"Got it!" Cathryn chirped, sticking out her tongue before scurrying behind him.

Kellan ruffled her hair affectionately before his sharp gaze cut to me. It wasn't a look of concern. It was the look someone would give to trash strewn on the sidewalk.

"You'd better know your place. If you want to suffer less," he paused, then sneered, make Cathryn happy for once.

I lay there on the cold cafeteria floor, my fingers throbbing in pain.

This polished, aristocratic boy-so poised and commanding-was the mastermind behind all the cruelty that had become my daily reality.

2

It all started with a single photograph.

Someone accidentally captured Cathryn and me in the same frame and uploaded it to the school forum.

The comments beneath the post sent her into a fury-people said I was prettier than Cathryn and suggested she didn't deserve her title as the prettiest girl in school.

Cathryn, with her wealthy background and domineering personality, was furious when she saw the comments and immediately directed her anger at me.

Her family's business was modest at best, but the Evans family adored Cathryn for her clever and charming demeanor, treating her like a close family friend.

Infuriated, Cathryn ran to Kellan for help. And Kellan, ever the protector of her, didn't hesitate.

With a single dismissive comment from him, the entire school turned against me.

Red ink mysteriously stained my desk and chair. Dead rats and cockroaches littered my desk drawers. I was locked in bathrooms and drenched from head to toe with freezing water.

Wherever I went, I could hear whispers following me.

Cathryn spearheaded a smear campaign against me, spreading vile rumors, and Kellan let her plaster flyers all over the school-and even my neighborhood.

When I turned on my phone, it was flooded with malicious messages asking me how much I charged for a night.

I tried reporting it to teachers. I wrote complaint letters. None of it made a difference.

The Evans family was too powerful for me to stand a chance.

Every day, I hurried home, tearing down the obscene flyers covering our walls before my parents could see them.

They were already overburdened with their struggles; I couldn't let my pain become theirs.

Huddled by our front door, clutching the crumpled flyers, I sobbed uncontrollably.

The moon outside was obscured by clouds, casting a gloomy shadow over the scene.

3

During P.E. class, the teacher allowed us to play volleyball freely.

No one wanted to team up with me, so I retreated to a corner, clutching a volleyball.

I pulled out my English literature notes and quietly started reviewing.

I told myself I had to endure. If I could hold on and get into a good university, I could escape this living hell.

I had just started reviewing a few notes when a volleyball suddenly hit me square in the forehead.

Laughter erupted from nearby. Cathryn and her clique approached, their cackles echoing.

"Wow, studying during P.E. Our resident nerd is so dedicated!" Cathryn sneered, snatching the book from my hands.

"Rylie, what's the point of working so hard?" she mocked.

"No matter how well you do, you'll barely make any money in the future. Might as well skip to the easy route-open those legs and make a fortune!"

She ripped the book apart, tossing the pages to the ground, before turning to the others.

"Hey, everyone! Who wants to know how much our little genius charges for a night?"

Jeers and laughter erupted around me.

Cathryn's gaze was venomous as she leaned closer. "Rylie, you think you're so alluring, huh? Must've inherited those skills from your mom. Oh, wait-could it be that your mom was also-"

Before she could finish, I lunged at her, grabbing her hair and slamming her to the ground.

My hands wrapped tightly around her neck, and Cathryn screamed in pain.

I could endure the bullying, but I would not allow my mother to be insulted.

The crowd froze, too shocked to intervene.

My grip tightened as Cathryn clawed at my arms, gasping for air. For a moment, I thought, "Even if I go down with her today, it'll be worth it."

But I didn't get the chance.