— Not a chance, — Vera laughed, and for the first time that night, it was a genuine sound. — I don’t owe those people a single thing.
— Is that why you never called me back in college?
— Because to me, John, you were just part of the pack.
— I never said a mean word to you, Vera.
— No, you didn’t. But you watched it happen and said nothing. Sometimes, that’s almost worse.
— I see your point. I’m sorry.
— It’s okay, John. My car is here. My family is waiting for me. We’re flying to Italy tomorrow, and I still have to pack. I won’t keep you. Goodnight.
— Goodnight, Vera.
Vera never saw any of them again. Every so often, one of them would try to call her office, hoping for a favor or a connection. She never took the calls. She simply went on living her life, enjoying the peace and security she had built for herself, far away from the shadows of the past.
