"They were once radiant college girls, destined for wonderful lives."
"But they were trafficked, lured by men into going home with them. Someone needs to expose all of this! Because not every girl is as fortunate as I am to escape those wicked clutches!"
"Many more are left to suffer in the remote mountains, lives not worth living!"
"Why should I fear the media? Why should I fear these rumors and slanders?"
"I'm not in the wrong. I'm not afraid. Those online killers who destroy one innocent life after another are the ones in the wrong!"
"Those villains who hurt me, I will personally see them sent to prison. I will identify them, and let them spend the rest of their lives behind bars!"
Her words fell silent.
Everyone remained quiet.
"Good! Good!"
"Well said, Gu Sang! Destroy those beasts!" Gu Qing applauded rapidly, then quickly shut her mouth.
She had always thought her timid, soft-spoken sister was a coward, but after a year apart, Gu Sang had undergone a dramatic transformation!
This was simply mind-blowing!
Gu's father and Gu's mother were so angered to see Gu Qing supporting Gu Sang that their fingers trembled, unable to speak for a while.
Finally, it was Gu's father who sighed and said worriedly, "Well, if you've made up your mind to testify in court, we won't stop you."
"We just hope you can withstand those rumors and slanders."
Seeing Gu Sang nod again, the two officers' faces flashed with excitement.
After thanking them, the officers didn't linger, only asking a few details before leaving the hospital.
Gu's mother sat by the bed, concerned about Gu Sang's health. "You weren't injured, were you? We were worried you couldn't handle the rumors, you know how the internet is these days."
Gu Sang replied coldly, "I know, the doctor said there's no major issue, just malnourished these past few days."
This daughter was too cold towards them!
They had no topics to discuss with Gu Sang.
There were only brief questions followed by silence.
Fortunately, this awkwardness didn't last long, as someone else entered the hospital room.
The visitor was an elderly man wearing glasses. He glanced into the room, suddenly froze, and walked towards the bed next to Gu Sang.
In that bed lay the tattooed woman.
In the few dozen hours since being rescued, the woman's expression had never changed, her eyes blankly staring at the ceiling like a lifeless doll.
Until the old man cried out—
"My daughter!"
"Fen, Fen!"
"Ten years! After ten years, your mother and I have finally found you!"
The old man tightly gripped the tattooed woman's hand, his fingers trembling with emotion.
The woman's dead-like gaze shifted, and upon seeing her father, her whole body shook as tears streamed out. "Dad..."
"Dad!! Waaah..."
Father and daughter embraced, weeping heart-wrenchingly.
This scene made Gu's mother feel envious.
Gu's mother glanced at Gu Sang and sighed inwardly.
It took several minutes for the tattooed woman, Zheng Fen, to calm down. "Dad, I'm so sorry, I was wrong, so terribly wrong!"
"All that talk about marrying into a happy family, about the modern woman demanding a bride price not being about selling daughters, about enduring hardship with my boyfriend - it was all lies! He deceived me, he deceived me, Dad!"
"I stole my household registration and ID card, resolutely wanting to marry him, to elope with him to his hometown. But it turned out to be a trap!"
"I was wrong. I deserved it. I was disobedient and didn't understand your good intentions! I deserved it, waaah!"
Zheng Fen raised her hand and slapped herself repeatedly.
She wailed, as if venting the pain, guilt, and self-loathing of the past ten years!
The old father grabbed his daughter's hand, tears streaming down as he said, "Don't say that, it's all in the past. It's my fault for only teaching you knowledge but not the evil in people's hearts."
"You must have suffered so much these ten years, I hate myself!"
"If I had locked you up then, hid your ID card better, perhaps... perhaps you wouldn't have gone to his hometown with him!"
They wept for another ten minutes before stopping.
Zheng Fen sobbed, calming herself before looking around in confusion and asking her father, "Dad, where's Mom? Is she still angry at me for defying her for a man? I was really wrong. Please ask Mom to forgive me."
People never appreciate what they have until they lose it.
More tears streamed down the old man's face as he said hoarsely, "Your mother forgave you a long time ago. She didn't blame you."
"All these years, she was searching for you."
"But you vanished without a trace. Two years ago, she passed away from the distress, her biggest regret being you."
"On her deathbed, she held my hand and made me promise to find you. Thank heavens you've returned!"
Upon learning of her mother's death, Zheng Fen broke down, crying without a sound.
She was filled with regret!
She hated herself for being so lovestruck!
Why had she believed a man who couldn't even afford a 30,000 yuan bride price, who urged her to get the marriage certificate first, could give her happiness?!
She had loving parents, yet chose a scoundrel instead.
She had even hurt her parents' feelings and stubbornly cut off family ties. She deserved to die!!
Gu's mother comforted the two, "Don't cry anymore, children."
"The hardships are over now. Just be filial to your father from now on."
"It's the plight that all parents share!"
The last sentence seemed to strike a chord with Gu Sang, making her understand her parents' good intentions and not act coldly towards them anymore.
Gu Sang remained indifferent as she watched Zheng Fen wipe her father's tears and firmly promise, "Dad, we'll live well from now on. It's all over. I still have you."
"Yes, yes, it's all over. The future is bright. Let's forget the past."
Just as father and daughter were looking forward to a better life, a sudden turn of events occurred.
A doctor entered with a worried expression, holding Zheng Fen's medical report and saying gravely, "Zheng Fen, there's an issue with your test results. You have late-stage cervical cancer."
"You must have had a dull ache in your abdomen a few months ago, with occasional traces of blood. If only it had been discovered earlier."
"Alas... it's too late now, there's no turning back."
A thunderous crack!
A bolt of lightning struck the father and daughter on a clear day.
The father burst into tears and passed out, the doctor hurriedly took him away for emergency treatment.
The woman felt all her hopes and radiance being devoured by darkness. Her eyes flashed with pain and despair, then slowly accepted and sank into silence.
I see now.
Once someone does something wrong, they stumble from one mistake to another, wanting to turn back, but even Heaven doesn't give them a chance.
She was so full of hatred, regret, and suffering!
But there's no going back.
"I thought I saw the light, but it turned out to be the glint of swords coming at me. When I look back, everything has changed."
"Well, at least I made it out alive, I should be grateful."
"Miss Gu, let me testify in court too. I'm going to die anyway, might as well make my death worthwhile."
"I'll tell my whole story, to warn every girl out there! Haha... life, one wrong step leads to another..."
