The Whistle-Blower’s Confession

Kelley had been in the care of her aunt since she was 10 years old. Her parents were killed in a horrific car accident. It was such a tragic loss for Kelley. She had always been close with her parents; they were like the Three Musketeers. But thankfully, Helen—lovingly called “Aunt Helee” by Kelley—was there to care for her. Helen was Kelley’s father’s older sister and the two of them were very tight.

Aunt Helee had raised Kelley to be fearless. She was always so proud of her niece’s accomplishments and encouraged Kelley to be the best she could be at whatever she did. It was because of Aunt Helee that Kelley was able to go to college—she paid for it all out of pocket.

Kelley loved college life. She decided to major in journalism. She saw herself as an investigative reporter, digging deep into the injustices of the world, and standing up for the underdog. After she graduated, Kelley started working for The Bradley Herald. She absolutely loved it. The hustle and bustle of the newsroom, the excitement of tracking down leads, and the swell of pride she felt when she saw her byline brought her indescribable joy.

A few years later, the print journalism field took a big hit. With the influx of digital media and 24-hour news channels, people weren’t just reading the newspaper anymore. The Herald eventually filed bankruptcy and closed its doors for good.

Shortly after losing her job, Aunt Helee was diagnosed with cancer. Kelley no longer lamented the loss of her dream job, because now she could stay home and care for her aunt. She still wrote though, doing freelance work here and there so she could always be near to her aunt.

She had been caring for her for about six months now. Watching her once vibrant aunt decline into a sickly, pale, skeletal version of a woman was almost more than she could take. Kelley didn’t dare tell her aunt though. She didn’t want to worry her.