Rapelay -final- -illusion- -

“I’m not telling you this for revenge,” she said into the recorder. “I’m telling you so the next person doesn’t feel so alone. I’m telling you so that when a kid named Leo whispers for help, the adults in the room have heard stories like his before and know what to listen for. I’m telling you so that the next time a policymaker is deciding on funding for trauma-informed care, they hear my voice in their head.”

She stopped. The red light blinked, waiting. She looked at Chen, who had tears streaming down his face, and gave a tiny, exhausted nod. RapeLay -Final- -Illusion-

The fluorescent lights of the community center hummed a low, anxious tune. Maya traced the rim of her water bottle, the condensation cold against her fingertips. Beside her, on a folding table, lay a small, silver digital recorder. Its single red light was a beacon. “I’m not telling you this for revenge,” she