Not the System’s to Take

The reader waits for a “yes” — Simon says “a mistake”. The logic inside is flawless and terrifying: the truth would hand Jacob over to committees, papers, expulsion — that is, to others. The lie keeps him for himself. This is neither forgiveness nor fear: it is an act of ownership, rehearsed at night in a whisper, like an oath.

Here it becomes fully visible that a victim “rescuing” the abuser is not loyalty but the trauma bond carried to its logical end: the single figure the whole life hangs on must not be allowed to disappear. The system offered justice. Simon does not need justice — he needs Jacob.