Into the Sunlight

"Deborah, be careful when you go out, and come back early, okay? I will be waiting at home for you," Grandpa reminded me.

I looked up and flashed a bright smile at him.

"Got it, Grandpa!"

Little did I know, that would be the last time I ever got annoyed by his nagging.

I nervously arrived at Twilight Club.

The moment I stepped inside, the loud music overwhelmed me, and I felt a little out of place in the crowd.

"Deborah, over here!"

I followed the voice and saw the door to a private booth open.

Calvin was halfway out, waving at me.

When I entered the booth, there were only two people: Calvin and another guy. I recognized him. He was Calvin's close friend, Jack Wilson.

"Deborah, this is my friend Jack Wilson. Jack, this is my 'girlfriend,' Deborah Hope."

Jack glanced at me with a half-smile, his eyes showing a mix of disdain and amusement. His stare made me uncomfortable as he slowly curled his lips into a smirk.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Jack Wilson. I hope you have a good evening."

After drinking the glass of wine Calvin handed me, I started to feel dizzy and quickly lost consciousness.

Right before I completely blacked out, I heard Jack's voice.

"You're really going for this? You’ve got no limits, huh?"

"Chubby feels better, man! Just wait, who wouldn’t envy us? No one's ever done a fat girl like this!"

Grandpa, help me.

I couldn't even say the words before everything went dark.

When I opened my eyes again, it was already the next afternoon.

I groggily sat up, realizing I was in a strange hotel room, completely naked and in pain.

I was groggy, and disturbing fragments of memory flashed through my mind.

Calvin and Jack...they violated me.

If I wasn't mistaken, they even recorded a video.

Fear and helplessness instantly took over my mind.

"What should I do? My life... it's ruined! Call the police! I need to call the police!"

Just as the thought crossed my mind, my phone started vibrating. I frantically searched for it, finally finding it under a pile of clothes.

It was Zoe calling.

In a panic, I answered the call, ready to pour out all my grievances, but the next words I heard hit me like a bolt of lightning.

"Deborah, thank goodness you answered! Where are you? Are you okay? You need to come to the city hospital right away! Your grandpa had a heart attack, and it looks like he might not make it!"

Her barrage of questions left me stunned, but that final sentence shattered me completely.

Grandpa... something happened to Grandpa!

I didn't have time to think about anything else. Throwing on my clothes, despite the pain in my body I rushed to catch a cab to the hospital.

But I was too late.

By the time I arrived, a white sheet—the thin line between life and death—already lay between Grandpa and me.

I collapsed to the floor, crying uncontrollably.

When I was just a baby, Grandpa had bought me from human traffickers. He saw me crying, helpless, and with all his savings, he rescued me, sparing me from a future of being crippled and forced to beg on the streets.

Back then, I was wrapped in a blanket embroidered with the word "Hope." My grandfather, Debron, wanted my name to reflect his own, so he named me Deborah Hope, saying I was a gift—like a symbol of hope, meant to bring new meaning to life.

Grandpa and I had always depended on each other.

Throughout my life, he gave me everything, always saving the best for me. He was the person I was closest to, yet I couldn’t even be there for him in his final moments.

Zoe lifted me up, pretending to wipe away my tears with concern.

“Zoe… what exactly happened?”