Into the Sunlight

My parents took me to the best hospitals, but each time, it felt like we were just one step away from a breakthrough.

I was in a vegetative state, and even though the prognosis seemed bleak, they refused to give up.

They took me abroad in search of treatment, patiently nurturing my body until today—when I finally woke up.

I glanced down at myself.

After two years of being bedridden, the excess weight was long gone.

I hadn’t eaten in two years, surviving solely on nutrients, leaving me emaciated, reduced to nothing but skin and bones.

My parents immediately worked to erase the video and arranged for Grandpa’s burial.

Upon investigation, they discovered that Calvin and Jack had deliberately sent the video to Grandpa, but by then, too much time had passed, and many of the crucial pieces of evidence had been lost.

With the limited evidence we had, it was impossible to convict them.

My parents had wanted to seek revenge for me, but fearing I might never wake up, they held off. They decided to use the desire for justice as a driving force for my recovery, leaving the decision in my hands once I was strong enough to face it.

It took all my strength, but after more than half a year of rehabilitation, I finally regained the use of my atrophied muscles and was able to walk normally again.

There were some things that needed closure.

Calvin and Jack had gotten away with their crimes for far too long—it was time for them to pay the price.

Once I recovered, my parents and I returned home.

The first thing I did was visit the cemetery.

Standing in front of Grandpa’s gravestone, with his smiling face etched into the stone, I hadn’t cried in so long, but I couldn’t stop the tears from welling up.

“Grandpa, I’m sorry. I’ll avenge you, and myself.”

During this time, I learned that my father was a well-known businessman overseas, with our family’s assets ranking among the top abroad.

While our influence in the country wasn’t as strong, it didn’t matter.

Though the Preston and Simpson families were powerful, if my parents wanted to, bringing down Calvin and Jack was still within their reach.

But I stopped them.

This was my revenge, and I wanted to carry it out with my own hands.

I wanted to see Calvin and Jack pay for their crimes, to make sure they faced the full force of the law and went to prison where they belonged.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror, and I hardly recognized the person looking back at me.

I had transformed completely—slender, yet with a quiet strength, no longer the timid 220-pound girl I once was.

Even Grandpa might not recognize me if he were here now.

Calvin and Jack had both gotten into the same prestigious university, one of the top-tier schools.

How ironic.

My parents arranged for me to assume the identity of an international student, and under the guise of a foreign exchange student, I enrolled at A University.

---

On my first day at school, I quickly gathered most of the information I needed about Calvin and Jack.

They were well-known, of course.

Even back in high school, they had been the heartthrobs, admired by all the girls.

Good looks, great family backgrounds, and solid academic performance—what really set them apart was the perfect "nice guy" persona they had crafted.

Who could have imagined that beneath those polished exteriors lurked such vile, disgusting souls?

The dormitory for international students was a two-person room. When I walked into my assigned dorm, I froze for a moment upon seeing my roommate.

She looked a lot like Zoe, but far more beautiful.

"Hi, I'm Zoe Simpson. Are you the new exchange student?"

I froze. It really was Zoe, but why did she look so different? A seed of doubt was planted in my mind.

"Hi, I’m Deborah Hope."

The moment I said my name, I saw the shock on her face. There was no joy in her expression; instead, a flicker of fear crossed her eyes, and she looked utterly incredulous. Her reaction didn’t resemble that of someone reunited with an old friend after many years.