Chapter 36 Do Not Fight Violence with Violence

Claire's POV

That night, I barely slept.

I was worried about Eddie on one hand, and troubled by Colin's first love on the other. Plus, it was my first time sleeping on the sofa, so I tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep until it was almost dawn.

But not long after I drifted off, I was awakened by a noise.

Opening my eyes, I saw Colin was already dressed and ready to leave, with Eddie tidying up his backpack, trailing behind him.

"Where are you two going?" I asked, surprised, sitting upright on the sofa.

Colin's attire was strange. He was dressed all in black with a peaked cap, holding the baton he normally used for exercise at home.

A bad feeling suddenly surfaced in my heart.

"Are you going out to fight?"

Colin glanced at me but didn't speak.

My anxiety rose, and it seemed they indeed were headed to a fight. Ever since we got married, every fight he got into was related to me, and each time I was terrified, afraid he might get into trouble again and end up...
This time, no matter what, I could not let Colin resort to violence.

"Don’t interfere with this," Colin said seriously. "Those bullies, if you don’t give them a taste of their own medicine, they'll never learn their lesson!"

"Do we have to fight fire with fire to solve this?" I asked, a bit unhappy.

"What better solution is there?" Colin looked at me, his gaze icy, his expression resolute.

"If talking things out worked, the world would be a lot more peaceful. Don't worry, I know how to handle myself. And it's about time those bullies understood Eddie's standing. He’s my family too; I can't just watch him get bullied!"

A warmth filled my heart, and I gently grasped Colin’s hand. After a moment of silence, I looked up at him: "Don’t be hasty. I have a way to resolve this."

"What is it?" Colin's eyes narrowed slightly, and his smile was captivating. "What’s your plan?"

I smiled and shook my phone in front of him: "Violence isn't the answer to violence; it only leads to endless trouble. My solution is going to put an end to all our problems in one fell swoop! But it'll mean one last hard time for Eddie. Can you endure it?"

Colin paused, then put down his baton and listened to me. He changed into regular clothes, and after breakfast, we both accompanied Eddie to school.

I let Eddie walk ahead while Colin and I followed at a distance.

Before we even reached the school gate, sure enough, I noticed a few high schoolers with cigarettes in their mouths approaching Eddie. They surrounded him, patting shoulders and swinging backpacks, their faces carrying malevolent grins. At the sight of them, Eddie trembled with fear, dragged by them to a secluded corner, too terrified to make a sound.

I quickly followed with Colin, hiding nearby.

The bullies started hitting Eddie, forming a circle around him with Eddie crouched in the middle, his cries soon filling the air.

I fought against the ache in my heart and did not intervene; instead, I chose the perfect angle to record everything on my phone clearly.

When I had recorded enough, Colin and I exchanged a look, and he immediately rushed in, knocking the high school thugs to the ground with a few swift blows.
Eddie had a few more scrapes on his face but nothing serious. Colin stood in front of him, shielding him, his piercing gaze sweeping over the bullies' faces.
"You think you're so smart, Eddie, getting help?" The ringleader, a portly kid, spoke with arrogance. "Just you wait! Don't run off if you're brave—I'll call for backup, and we’ll see if we can't finish you off!"

"It's highly unlikely you'll get that chance. Perhaps you should give some thought to what will happen when word of this bullying gets out. How will your parents react to learning what you've done?"