The Aftermath
Back at school, Mrs. Green battled her own guilt. She had feared the worst kind of abuse, only to uncover a different, equally devastating truth. She wondered if she’d done the right thing — if calling the police so quickly had traumatized Olivia further. But weeks later, when Olivia returned, she left a note on Mrs. Green’s desk: Thank you for believing me. No one else would have.
Eventually, George confessed. The accident had happened late at night on a rural road. He claimed he hadn’t seen the cyclist until it was too late. Panic and confusion led him to hide the truck instead of calling for help. Prosecutors considered his declining health, his age, and his cooperation — but the law was clear.
On the day of sentencing, Olivia sat in the courtroom clutching the same notebook she’d held that morning in class. George turned once, eyes full of tears, and mouthed, “I’m sorry.”
It wasn’t enough.
But for Olivia, speaking those words aloud in class — the words that made her teacher call the police — was the first step toward breaking the unbearable silence.
