But as I watched her, something shifted in me. It wasn’t just about Lily anymore. I had been angry—so angry—and rightly so. But deep down, I knew that what I had done had pushed things to the limit. I had avenged the injustice, sure, but at what cost? How far would I go to teach a lesson?
A part of me wished I had handled it differently. Maybe I should have talked to Mark. Maybe I should have let Rachel and him realize the full impact of their actions before resorting to such drastic measures. But what had been done was done. I had found my balance, and I wasn’t going to apologize for it.
A few days later, Mark called again, but this time, his voice was different. Softer. Almost apologetic.
“Anna,” he said, his tone steady but hesitant. “I think we need to talk.”
I felt a familiar wave of tension rise in me, but I stayed calm. “About what, Mark?”
“I’ve been thinking,” he said, “and I realize… I realize that I didn’t handle things the way I should have. I stood there, and I let Rachel destroy Lily’s property, and I didn’t stop her. I should have. I should have done more.”
I sat down, absorbing the weight of his words. “You should have, Mark. You really should have.”
There was a pause. I could almost hear him gathering his thoughts, trying to find the right words. “I can’t undo what happened, but… I want to make things right, for you and for Lily.”
I frowned, unsure of where this conversation was going. “And how do you plan on doing that?”
He sighed. “I’m going to have a talk with Rachel. About respect. About how she treats you, about how she treats Lily. I didn’t stand up for you then, but I’m going to now. It’s time to put an end to this.”
I felt a strange mixture of emotions wash over me. Part of me wanted to yell at him—tell him it was too little, too late. But the other part, the part that had been quietly hopeful for some kind of resolution, felt a flicker of something: trust. Maybe this was the beginning of him finally realizing what he had neglected. What he had failed to protect.
“You should’ve done that before,” I said, my voice quiet but firm. “You could’ve saved us both a lot of pain.”
“I know. I know,” he muttered. “But I’m trying now. I’m trying to make it right. I’ve seen what Rachel’s capable of, and I won’t let her treat you or Lily like that anymore.”
I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me. “Good. I’m glad to hear it.”