“Isn’t it because you’re a coward, afraid to go against the culprit? I heard he has a strong background. Are you scared of revenge? Is that why you won’t speak?”
Those words hit me right where it hurt the most. That night, after it happened, Maya was curled up on the ground. Her clothes were torn, her face covered in tears and rain. When she grabbed my arm and cried, she was filled with hopelessness.
Roman, supported by Violet, stood up with his hands trembling. “Benjamin, remember this. You refuse to speak today, right? Even if I have to search the whole city, I’ll find the culprit! When that time comes, I want to see how you face Maya!”
“Whatever you want.”
I turned to leave, but Maya’s best friend grabbed my arm.
“You’re not going anywhere! We’ve already called the police; they’ll be here soon. When they arrive, you can tell them yourself whether you saw it or not!”
I pulled my arm away from her grasp. She stumbled back a few steps, almost bumping into someone behind her. The murmurs around me grew louder, voices calling me a coward, a beast.
I lifted my eyes toward the convenience store in the distance, the one beside the alley where she had been assaulted.
Maya used to go there often and would call me from in front of the store. “Benjamin, I brought you something tasty.”
Back then, her smile had been bright and pure.
A bitter laugh slipped from my lips because deep down, I knew better than anyone that I really had hidden the truth.
….
“Benjamin, she was my only daughter.”
Roman no longer spoke with anger but with despair. A grown man cried openly in front of everyone.
“Maya was such a good girl, always studying hard and never giving us any trouble.”
“But now she’s in a mental hospital. Every day, she calls your name and cries into her pillow. She doesn’t even recognize us anymore.”
“As her father, watching her like this, I don’t even want to live.”
The looks around me grew cold, filled with silent judgment.
Violet wiped her tears and spoke through her sobs. “I’m still alive only to find the truth, to find the one who hurt my daughter and clear her name. Even if I die, I can face her in peace.”
“You dated her for two years. Even if you don’t love her anymore, how can you watch her suffer like this and still refuse to speak?”
My hands curled tightly into fists, my nails digging deep into my palms. The sting of pain was the only thing that kept me grounded.
Just then, my advisor arrived. After understanding the situation, his expression darkened. He turned to me and said seriously, “Benjamin, hiding what you know is the same as helping a criminal! If the culprit goes free because you won’t talk, your silence becomes a crime; you could end up in prison!”
“You’re a university student, do you even realize what a conviction would mean? It’ll stain your record forever. You can forget about getting a good job or taking the civil service exam after that!”
I looked up at him and said calmly, “Mr. Yander, if you think I’ve done something wrong, then call the police.”
“When the police arrive, I’ll say the same thing: I didn’t see anything. What can they do to me?”
Collin Yander was left speechless, his expression growing darker.
Roman trembled with anger, pointing at me as he shouted, “Benjamin, how can you be so heartless? Maya calls your name every day in the hospital. She said you were right there! She can’t be mistaken!”
I gave a faint smile. “Uncle, your daughter doesn’t even recognize her own parents anymore, and you still believe what she says?”
“Maybe she just imagined it and mistook someone else for me. If you really care about her, you should be taking care of her instead of forcing me to speak here.”
