Chapter 38
Cordelia barely slept that night. She was worried about Carter and troubled by thoughts of her imagined love rival. Moreover, it was her first time sleeping on the couch, so she tossed and turned, restless. By the time dawn approached, she finally drifted off into a light sleep.
But not long after, she was woken by sounds in the house. As she opened her eyes, she saw that Marcus was already dressed and preparing to leave. Carter had packed his bag too and was following him.
“Where are you both going?” Cordelia asked in alarm.
Marcus was dressed in black, wearing a baseball cap, and holding the stick he usually used for workouts at home. Something didn’t feel right to Cordelia.
“Are you going to fight?” she asked, a knot forming in her stomach.
Marcus didn’t respond immediately, his gaze unwavering.
Cordelia’s distress grew. Every time Marcus fought, it somehow involved her, and it worried her each time. She feared something bad would happen, that he’d end up in trouble. Whatever it was, she couldn’t let him act recklessly again.
“Stay out of this,” Marcus said darkly. “Those bullies won’t learn unless they’re taught a lesson.”
“Must violence be stopped with violence?” Cordelia asked, trying to reason.
“What better ways are there?” Marcus looked at her with a determined, impassive gaze. “If decent conversations worked, this world would be much more peaceful.”
“Don’t worry. I know how to control myself. Besides, after I deal with those bullies, they’ll never dare touch Carter again. He’s my cousin too. I won’t stand by and watch him be hurt.”
Cordelia’s heart softened, and she gently held his hand. After a brief silence, she looked up at him, a plan forming in her mind. “Don’t act rashly. I have a solution.”
“What solution?” Marcus asked, raising an eyebrow.
Cordelia smiled as she held up her phone. “We can’t counter violence with violence, or we’ll just create more trouble. My solution will put an end to this for good. But Carter will have to endure a little longer, okay?”
Marcus paused and, after a moment, set down the stick. He listened to her, reluctantly agreeing. He changed into his normal clothes, and after breakfast, the three of them left for school together. Cordelia asked Carter to walk ahead while she and Marcus followed at a distance.
Just before they reached the school gate, they saw a group of senior high school students approach Carter. They surrounded him, patting his shoulders and tugging at his backpack with malicious smirks.
Carter froze in fear the moment he saw them and didn’t dare speak as they dragged him into a secluded corner.
Cordelia and Marcus followed quickly, hiding behind a nearby wall. The bullies surrounded Carter, and soon, the sounds of blows hitting his body filled the air, along with Carter’s frightened cries.
Cordelia felt a pang of heartache but held herself back from rushing in to stop them. Instead, she chose the best angle and began recording the scene clearly on her phone. Once she had enough footage, she met Marcus’s eyes, and he moved swiftly to confront the bullies.
He kicked the bullies off Carter, who had new bruises on his face but nothing serious. Marcus stood protectively in front of Carter, scanning the high school students with a cold, commanding gaze.
“Wow, Carter,” said the leader of the bullies, a fat guy with a mocking grin. “How dare you get help? Just wait. Stay here if you dare. I’ll get my guys and see if that’ll teach you a lesson!”
“It’s not quite possible for you to kill them,” a soft voice interrupted, clear and firm. “Instead, you should be more concerned about whether your parents will kill you when word of your bullying gets out.”