Too Late For Regret Novels & Stories

​VERA’S WICKED SCHEME. ​Vera’s POV. The cheap hotel room smelled like old carpet and stale coffee, and I kept walking from the cracked window to the small wooden desk because Derek had not answered my calls for the last five hours, which proved that he was becoming completely useless after letting Nathan and Emma take away his municipal contract and his primary distribution routes in a single afternoon. Gina was sitting on the edge of the unmade bed crying because her new shoes were dirty, but I did not have the time or the patience to comfort her when our entire high-society lifestyle was collapsing around us, so I pulled out my secondary prepaid phone and dialed the number for Marcus, a sh

Chapter Six Too Late Abe Regret was a funny thing. People always talked about it like it arrived all at once. Like a lightning strike. Like some dramatic realization that changed everything overnight. In reality? Regret came in pieces. Tiny little reminders scattered throughout your day. A song. A scent. A restaurant. A laugh that sounded almost like hers. And every single one felt like a knife. I stared out the floor-to-ceiling windows of my office. The city stretched endlessly below.

'Dear Ace, I went through an old picture album recently and found myself reminiscing about the past, which isn’t like me. I've always believed there was no point in looking back to regret or to ponder on what could have been. Yet, I have so much regret, so much I wish I had taken the time to reflect on. I realize now that none of the things I’ve accomplished were truly my dreams, but rather, they were things I thought would earn me the love and acceptance from my father. I thought I could live with myself even after I hurt so many people, even when I hurt you and broke your heart…' A single tear falls from my eyes, making me aware of the wetness in my eyes and the heaviness in my chest. I do

"What did we do to deserve you treating us like this?! Not only did we lose our granddaughter, but even my son is not my own! I'll kill you, you stupid old woman!" Yelling furiously, he raised a hand to hit Maria. She slumped to the ground, thumping her chest and sobbing hard. "Madeline! This is all your fault! You've already divorced Leonard. Why are you still tormenting our family? You shameless woman! I really should have strangled that brat to death so you wouldn't have a chance to cause us so much trouble!" Her poisonous words sent me roaring. "You're the shameless one! Not only did you betray your marriage and get an illegitimate child, but you even mistreated my daughter and me! Gilli

She wanted to make sure they stayed away from her and Anna from now on. "Instead of putting on this fake regret, you might as well keep your distance like you have for the past twenty-odd years. I'd actually think a little better of you that way." She didn't wait to see their reaction as she stood up and walked out. Her anger was genuine. They had broken Anna back then, and now, a few light words about regret were supposed to wipe the slate clean? Could regret turn back time? Could regret heal the wounds inflicted on Anna's heart?

I treated Judy like shit when we were married to each other under the lies which I believed from Claire. Every memory of it came back sharper when I was alone, like my instincts refused to let me forget. Later in the years, I married Claire to divorce Judy. Then later even after that, I found out the truth. How wouldn’t I try everything I can to rectify the wrongs I have done? Regret was not even a strong enough word anymore. It felt deeper, like something that stayed in the bones. For this movie premiere and knowing fully well that Judy would be in attendance, I made sure to be there before the event began.

The pain, resentment, and suffering that had consumed her soul for years had completely faded away, replaced by absolute emptiness. Ravelle slowly smoothed the folds of her dress before looking down at Kyle with eyes as cold as ice atop a mountain peak. "I'm sorry, Kyle," Ravelle said calmly—so calm that it felt utterly devastating to the hope he still clung to. "Your regret came far too late." Without waiting for a reply or Kyle's next hysterical cry, Ravelle slowly turned away. She did not look back even once. Erlan promptly draped the warm coat over Ravelle's shoulders, gently took her hand, and walked beside her as they headed back into the Branson residence.

The statement immediately captured her attention. Because regret had shaped so much of their lives. Adrian continued. “For years I regretted losing control.” A pause. “Then I regretted being wrong.” Another pause. His expression softened. “Now I regret wasting time.” The honesty felt profound. Because it reached the heart of everything. Time. The one thing nobody could recover. The one thing nobody could replace. Years lost. Conversations missed. Memories never created. Interesting. Very interesting. Ava understood exactly what he meant.

Why is regret always late? He’d warned me more than once, and I ignored him every damn time. I kept charging forward, knowing full well where it could lead. And now it was too late to back away. I forced a smile, shoving the thought down, refusing to let it ruin what little time we had left. This wasn’t the moment to spiral over something that hadn’t even happened yet. I hopped onto the pool’s edge, bringing myself eye level with him. Then I wrapped my legs around his waist and pulled him flush against me.

“One bad review. One big fight with my old man. Then I started working at the bank. Just like that, the dream got left behind.” There was pain behind his words, the kind that lingers for years. Regret was heavy in his voice, not loud but undeniable. “I regret it every single day, Sil,” he said, finally meeting my eyes. “Every goddamn day. I should’ve kept playing.” Silence fell between us again. Not awkward this time. Just… full. I reached out and touched his hand gently. “It’s never too late, Ed.” He gave me a half-smile. “Tell that to my forty-something bones.”