I sat by myself in my dorm room that evening, gazing at the pile of data. I was completely aware that thousands of Calumet River residents would continue to suffer if I remained silent.
Cancer is not the only effect of contaminated water. It harms future generations, destroys fish populations, and alters ecosystems. I was unable to shut my eyes to it.
I made the decision to speak with my parents.
With a shaky but forceful voice, I declared, “I know what the company is doing at the West Facility.” “I have information. I have proof. I’ll report the illegal dumping if you don’t stop it.
A deathly quiet descended across the entire table.
With razor-sharp eyes, my father gently raised his head from his wine glass. My mother’s hands were clasped in her lap and her lips were squeezed firmly together.
Sophia was the only one who appeared shaken, astonishment shining in her big eyes.
At last, Richard Lee spoke in a chilly, low voice.
“Harper, you don’t get what you’re saying. You don’t realize how enormous certain things are. Silence is what keeps this family alive.
I didn’t bow my head for the first time.
I retorted, “Silence isn’t family.” “Silence equates to complicity.”
I realized then that I had entered a path from which there was no way back.
I started gathering everything, including time and location logs, photos of the samples, and duplicate data sets. In case something went wrong, I kept them all on an encrypted hard drive.
I was aware that my parents would not overlook this. I was also aware that this choice, together with the inheritance my grandmother had left me, had turned me into the one problem the Lee family would never be able to solve.
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