“He told me that he lived in fear and dread for months, thinking he would be caught. But when nothing happened, he thought he had gotten away with it and moved on with his life. He didn’t know that the reason he wasn’t caught was because I had been arrested for the crime instead.” James wiped away a solitary tear that had slipped down his cheek.
“My reaction was a whirlwind of emotions. Anger, betrayal, confusion—they all hit me at once. I wanted to scream, to yell at him for ruining my life. But then I looked into his eyes. John was a broken man, consumed by guilt and shame. He kept apologizing, saying how sorry he was and how he wished he had the courage to come forward earlier.”