Part 2Don’t Cross the Rose

I landed back in the States that very day and rushed straight to the hospital. I was going to see, with my own eyes, who dared mistreat my daughter when the real Dr. Sarah Hayes stood before them.

But the moment I stepped through the hospital’s main entrance, I ran straight into my husband, Mark Hayes.

Mark visibly flinched when he saw me, his pupils dilating in shock. “Sarah, honey, what are you doing back so suddenly? You didn’t even say anything…”

He stammered, offering a strained, nervous laugh, while subtly tugging at his collar. I caught a glimpse of a tell-tale hickey peeking out from beneath.

I smiled, a cold, brittle curve of my lips. “Oh, I decided to surprise you, darling.”

Whether it would be a pleasant surprise or a devastating shock would depend entirely on what he’d been up to while I was away. I deliberately traced a finger over the red mark on his neck.

“Mosquitoes are quite aggressive here, aren’t they?”

“Haha, yeah, they sure are. Got bit without even noticing. Looks a bit… suggestive, doesn’t it? Good thing you’re so sharp, honey.”

He quickly changed the subject. “Speaking of which, I even bought Lily the world’s best mosquito repellent! She just loved it.”

Hearing him mention Lily, my brow furrowed imperceptibly. I kept my voice even. “I saw something on TV today. What happened to our daughter’s custom gown? Did it get a knock-off version?”

I even pulled out my phone, showing him a screenshot. The girl in the photo bore a striking resemblance to Chelsea Greene, but every single accessory she wore belonged to Lily: the diamond tiara, the sapphire necklace.

Seeing those cherished items adorning another girl’s body made my heart bleed. My Lily, who should have been cherished and pampered, had been left neglected and abused under Mark and Chelsea Greene’s supposed care. Meanwhile, this child, with no real ties to us, had usurped my daughter’s place, not only stealing her life but even receiving her experimental treatment and giving interviews to reporters.

Faced with the photo, Mark’s composure crumbled into a panicked mess, but he desperately tried to hide it from me, forcing a strained calm. “That’s Chelsea Greene’s daughter, Tiffany, honey. You’ve been away so long, you might not know, but Tiffany and our Lily are the best of friends.”

“Lily often gives Tiffany her things. I tried to stop her, but she wouldn’t listen. If she could give away people, I suspect she’d give us away too, haha!”

“Is that so?” I asked, my gaze piercing him.

Mark stiffened. “Sarah, what’s wrong? Your expression is so… strange.”

I fought to keep my voice steady, enduring his blatant lies. “You’d better be clear. I’m back now. You remember what happens when you lie to me.”

“Where is our daughter, really? And all those medical funds I sent for her over the years, where did they actually go?!”

Mark hadn’t expected me to bring up the medical bills. He froze, utterly dumbfounded. But he still desperately tried to salvage the situation. “I gave it all to the hospital! Sarah, we’ve been together for so long, don’t you trust me?”

“Are you implying that Lily hasn’t gotten better all these years because I didn’t pay her medical bills? That’s an outrageous accusation.”

“You know Lily’s illness is hard to treat. Besides, Lily is such a handful, always afraid of needles and refusing to take her medicine. Even eating requires constant coaxing. She’s just been spoiled rotten, that’s why she hasn’t improved all these years.”

I stared at him, my voice chillingly low. “You think I don’t know my own daughter’s temperament? Are you trying to slander her?”

Lily, though sick from a young age, had always been exceptionally well-behaved and considerate. Even when she was first learning to eat, she never caused me a moment’s worry. As for taking medicine or getting shots, she would often turn around and comfort me, telling me it didn’t hurt, and that I shouldn’t be sad.

How could such a sweet child possibly be the spoiled, temperamental girl Mark described?

Mark quailed under my glare, reduced to a meek, deferential silence.

“Where is my daughter?!” I demanded.

Mark quickly summoned someone to lead me to Lily’s room. The room was lavish, yet everything inside was adorned in saccharine pinks. My daughter had never liked pink.

Lily sat on the bed, dressed in an ill-fitting, but clean, hospital gown. Her eyes were red-rimmed when she saw me, her expression a mix of longing to rush into my arms and a deep-seated fear.

“Mommy…”

That single, soft word shattered my heart. I lunged forward, scooping her into a desperate embrace. But the moment I held her, Lily cried out in pain.

Realizing something was terribly wrong, I lifted the hem of her oversized hospital gown. My daughter’s frail body was covered in bruises and cigarette burns.

A wave of crushing pain swept through me.

“What are these injuries?”

Lily instinctively curled into a ball. “It’s… it’s just me being clumsy, Mommy. I accidentally did it…”

“Don’t be scared, Lily. Tell Mommy who hurt you.”

Lily shook her head, tears streaming down her face. “Don’t ask, Mommy. I can’t say. Please, don’t ask.”

I held my child tightly, refusing to let go. To what extent had she been tormented, that she was afraid even to tell her own mother the truth? How much pain and humiliation had my Lily endured in all the years I was away?

“Don’t be afraid,” I whispered, tears flowing freely as I gently stroked Lily’s hair. “Mommy’s back. From now on, Mommy will be here to protect you. You will never be bullied again.”

I comforted her for a long time before Lily finally stopped crying. But the next second, the door to the hospital room was kicked open with a resounding crash.

Standing in the doorway, a small girl, Tiffany Greene, glowered with unbridled fury.

“Who let this unwanted little wretch into my room?!”

“Didn’t I tell you to kick her out of the hospital this morning?”