Chapter 231: Graduation Ceremony

Chapter 231 Graduation Ceremony

Three months had quietly slipped by in Silverlight City, carried on the early summer breeze with its warm touch and faint scent of the river.

In the century-old auditorium of Silverlight University, the high dome and massive stained glass windows filtered the afternoon sunlight into a kaleidoscope of colors, gently casting them onto the polished wooden floor. 

The air was filled with the subtle fragrance of gardenias, the fresh ink of newly printed paper, and the vibrant energy of youth.

I sat in the front row of the guest seats with Alan, Howard, and Benjamin.

Howard had dressed up in a sharp navy blue suit today, his hair meticulously combed. 

Despite his efforts to sit up straight, his tightly clasped hands resting on his knees and the occasional glimmer in his eyes behind his glasses betrayed his inner excitement and pride.

Benjamin, in his usual attire, maintained his professional posture, though his expression seemed more somber than three months ago. 

The sharpness of a police captain was now veiled by a barely perceptible layer of fatigue and worry. 

He occasionally glanced at the two heavy, intricately carved wooden doors of the auditorium, his gaze complex and unreadable.

The final note of the solemn graduation march faded, and applause thundered through the hall.

With a smile, the host announced, "Next, please welcome this year's outstanding graduate and the new executive director of the Silverlight City Daily, Zoey, to deliver her graduation speech: 'Courage and Destiny'!"

Applause surged again, filled with genuine blessings and anticipation.

A figure slowly walked from the side stage to the spotlight at the center of the podium.

In an instant, it was as if the entire auditorium had been muted. 

All applause and whispers vanished, leaving only countless astonished, curious, and inquisitive gazes focused on that single point.

Zoey still had her signature short hair with a hint of rebelliousness. 

But today, she wasn't wearing a graduation gown or any regular attire. Instead, she was in a simple yet pure white wedding dress! 

The strapless design highlighted her youthful and beautiful neckline, and the skirt fell gracefully, shimmering with a pearly luster under the lights.

Zoey stood there, in a wedding dress, on a podium symbolizing academic achievement. 

No groom, no wedding march, just her, and countless wide-eyed stares from the audience.

After a brief moment of stunned silence, a wave of suppressed murmurs erupted.

"Oh my God."

"A wedding dress? For a graduation speech?"

"What is going on?"

"That's so unique!"

I heard a clear gasp from behind me. 

Howard hummed, raising an eyebrow, proud that his daughter was different.

Benjamin's brow furrowed tightly, his sharp gaze sweeping over Zoey on the stage, then quickly glancing at the still-closed auditorium doors, something intense churning in his eyes.

Zoey seemed oblivious to the reactions below, or perhaps she simply didn't care. She walked to the microphone, lowered her head slightly to adjust the height. 

When she looked up again, her face, usually marked by a bit of defiance and nonchalance, was now calm, almost solemn. 

The spotlight on her made the white wedding dress seem to glow.

"Hello everyone, I'm Zoey." 

Her voice, clear and steady, carried through the auditorium with a strange penetrating power, instantly silencing all noise.

"Today, standing here in this wedding dress might seem inappropriate, even a bit 'out of place'." 

She tugged at the corner of her mouth, a faint, brief smile with a touch of self-mockery and a hint of fearless acceptance. 

"But I feel there's no better time, no better place to wear it than right now."

Her gaze slowly swept across the audience, finally resting on our area in the front row, pausing briefly on me, Howard, and Alan with deep warmth. 

When her eyes passed over Benjamin, they seemed to hesitate slightly before moving on calmly.

"My speech is titled 'Courage and Destiny'." Zoey's voice grew quieter, carrying a strength born of deep reflection. 

"For a long time, I thought I was brave. I dared to fight boys, to defy teachers, to tell the editor-in-chief during my internship that his topic was garbage." A few good-natured chuckles rose from the audience.

"I thought that was courage," she said, her voice trembling slightly. 

"But in reality, I was just scared. Scared of showing my weakness, scared of not being good enough, scared of being abandoned." 

"So I wrapped myself in layers of thorns, pretending to be fearless. I secretly stayed up late studying, worked hard, afraid to let anyone know, fearing that my 'early bird' efforts would become an even bigger joke."

The auditorium fell completely silent, everyone captivated by her raw and piercing self-analysis. 

Howard's eyes instantly reddened, and he removed his glasses, pressing his rough fingers hard against the corners of his eyes.

"These past two years, destiny has been like a mischievous and cruel playwright," Zoey continued, her voice growing huskier. 

"I watched my biological father, whom I once admired, walk towards destruction with his sins. My beloved mother, all I got was a fleeing back. It threw me into a foreign land, making me face life and death in just a few days, showing me the deepest and most desperate love, only to have me send it away myself."

Zoey paused, seemingly trying to calm her suddenly rapid breathing.

I knew she was talking about Ruben. 

It had been three months since we last saw him, and we didn't know how he was doing in Vesperia. 

The few phone calls we had were always filled with good news, never the bad. 

Benjamin, busy with work, would occasionally sit in his office, lost in thought.

"Just when I thought I finally understood a bit about love," Zoey's voice carried a hint of a sob, her chin slightly raised as if resisting something, "destiny played another trick on me. It brought some things closer, while others slipped away. Maybe it was my fault, maybe it was its arrangement."

"But!" Zoey's voice suddenly rose, filled with a strength breaking free from a cocoon, her eyes bright and determined. 

"In these few short months, I suddenly understood. True courage is not the absence of fear. True courage is seeing the grim face of destiny, seeing your own fragility and insignificance, and still choosing to face it! Embrace it! And then, hold tight to everything you can!"

Zoey's gaze softened, filled with gratitude, as she looked at Howard and me. 

"Thank you to my adoptive father, Mr. Martin. It was your unconditional love and acceptance that gave this 'wild child' a real home, showing me where my roots are." 

She looked at me, "Thank you to my mentor, Ms. Johnson. You showed me how a woman can live strong, independent, and clear-headed in this world. What you taught me goes far beyond journalism."

She then looked at Alan, a warm smile on her face: "Thank you to my big brother, Mr. Smith. Your scholarly demeanor and open-mindedness always opened a different window for me when I was in trouble."

Finally, Zoey's gaze seemed to unintentionally pass over Benjamin's direction again, too quick to catch any emotion.

"So today, I stand here in this wedding dress." Zoey's voice was calm and powerful, almost like a sacred declaration. 

"I'm not waiting for someone to take my hand. Today, I'm marrying myself."

She straightened her back slightly, her words striking clearly and forcefully into everyone's hearts.

"I pledge my loyalty, my passion, my future to myself! To the career I choose and am willing to fight for all my life! To this land beneath my feet, and the truths and ideals on it worth recording and protecting!"

"From now on, Zoey's life will be fully in Zoey's hands! No matter what script destiny throws at me, I will be my own only and ultimate protagonist!"

As her words fell, tears finally broke free, streaming down her fair cheeks and staining the white wedding dress with small dark patches. 

She didn't wipe them away, letting them flow, her face breaking into a radiant, tear-streaked smile of immense relief.

"Thank you, everyone!"

A massive, thunderous applause erupted, sweeping through the auditorium like a tidal wave! 

It was filled with emotion, admiration, and resonance!

In the front row, Howard was already sobbing uncontrollably, removing his glasses and covering his face, his shoulders shaking violently. 

My own tears blurred my vision as I tightly grasped Alan's hand. 

Alan, equally moved, squeezed my hand back firmly, murmuring softly, "Zoey has really grown up."