Writing Prompt: Regret

Broken eyeglassesThis week’s writing prompt is about regret. Yesterday, an old friend admitted to me that she’d done a slightly unethical favor for a friend and always regretted it. Her confession prompted me to remember a decision I wish I could change, because it made me feel like I’d taken advantage of one of our mutual acquaintances. Both of these incidents happened years ago, but neither of us had ever stopped feeling guilty about them.

Regret is a powerful emotion. It can eat at someone, or it can spur them into action. Write about someone harboring regret over an action, either deliberate or accidental. What happened to cause them regret and how do they react as a result?