Before Sharon knew-it Bobs-image starred-out of the free local-newspaper above the headline ‘Local Man Convicted‘. Trembling Sharon read the awful-truth crying, devastated all the neighbours, her workmates... were reading. Helen knocked on the back-door, much to Sharons’ relief; their Wimpey-estate was a regular ‘Peyton Place‘ with twitching-curtains. Consoling with a hot cappuccino there was no going-back. With Karen in the living-room watching cartoons Sharons’ mob lit-up with Stephen identified as the caller. ‘Should I answer‘ Sharon asked Helen, ‘Go for it babe‘ came the reply. Speaking-softly, Sharon confided in Stephen & stated she would be in-work as it would help emotionally. At the end of the call Sharon asked Helen if she should accept a ‘date‘ with Stephen. Though her boss, they were not ‘strangers‘. Years before when dating they were intimate short-of-intercourse, dressing-up, playing sex-games, at Sharons’ request [she wanted to be a virgin on her wedding-night].

Should Sharon write a letter-of-apology to the victim she had never met, what could she possibly say...

Opening Word on her laptop Sharon began her draft; I am so-sorry my violent-&-abusive husband was not arrested years-before the terrible-attack upon yourself. My neighbour & best-friend was threatened & would have made a formal-complaint last-week had I not pleaded to keep my family together. My 6yo daughter adores her dad. Proof-reading her draft Sharon sipped on her coffee then deleted.

Sharon was overwhelmed with guilt; if-only she had involved the police herself, did not prevent Helen then perhaps a total-stranger would not be enduring a living-hell.