Echoes of FORGIVENESS

Prologue
She was unconscious for four days. No one from her family came to see her. Her heart broke. She was in the hospital, yet no one cared enough to visit. Even after everything that had happened to her, she remained alone.

As she walked slowly through the hospital corridor, her legs weak and her body aching, she saw them-her family. They stood there, talking in hushed voices. Relief and pain twisted inside her as she limped toward them.

Then, without warning, a sharp slap struck her cheek. She stood frozen, numb not from the impact but from the words that followed.

"Are you at peace finally? She has been raped because of you. Look at her condition, she is dying."

A broken smile formed on her lips. Anyone could see her own ruined state-anyone but them. Once again, they had played their game. Once again, she was the one proven guilty.

She wanted to scream, to tell them the truth.

"It wasn't her who was raped. It was ME."

But no words came out. Only silence.