Part 1The Star that Blooms in Darkness

I was born in a hospital toilet.

My biological mother didn't want me. She birthed me, flushed the toilet, and walked away without looking back.

She thought I would be washed into the sewer and become a lump of rotting flesh.

But I was lucky. My head got stuck in the opening. A nurse found me and pulled me out of the filth.

The doctor said that although I survived, there might be sequelae in my brain, and the risk of cerebral palsy could not be ruled out.

At that time, surveillance wasn't perfect. After a week unclaimed, the hospital prepared to send me to an orphanage.

But the moment the nurse handed me over, I, who had been quiet until then, cried my heart out.

The nurse couldn't bear it. She snatched me back.

From then on, she became my mother.

* * *

Everyone said Sarah was a fool for adopting a child with brain damage, predicting endless hardship for her.

But Mom would say, "What do you know? Holly is the best daughter."

She didn't have maternity leave, so she had to bring me to work.

To take care of me, she voluntarily applied for a transfer from the operating room to the general ward.

Her salary was halved, and she had to work night shifts.

The only benefit was that the neonatal ward had a supply of free formula. The nurses took turns getting some for me, and the head nurse turned a blind eye.

But fate didn't favor us.

At six months, when normal babies can sit up, I couldn't even roll over.

Mom asked the pediatric specialist cautiously, "Holly is fine, right?"

The specialist didn't even look up as he ordered a brain CT scan. "Let's do the scan first."

The radiologist frowned deeply upon seeing Mom. "Didn't you tell him you work here? Why do a CT scan on such a small baby?"

Mom bit her lip.

She knew radiation could affect development, but the doctor had her cornered with one sentence.

"If there is an abnormality in the brain, a day's delay in diagnosis could lead to lifelong regret."

After the CT scan, the specialist studied it for a long time, adjusting his glasses. "The imaging results show no brain abnormalities."

Before Mom could sigh in relief, he continued, "But this is typical developmental delay."

"Without early intervention, it will affect her for life."