Chapter 2
"Well, it's been years, and out here in the mountains, things tend to get lost Records like that aren't easy to dig up," he mumbled.
"Then go find them. Now," I said.
I stood up, holding Lily in my arms. She was so light, I could barely believe she was 13. Her bones pressed sharply against my arm.
The director rubbed his hands together.
"Ms. Bennett, by the rules, you can't just take a child away like that," he said.
I looked at him.
"Rules? You call her the mute, leave her with a broken leg and don't even bother to get her medical help, and make her sleep out in the shed. Is that what you call following the rules?" I shot back.
The director's face twitched.
"You've got it all wrong. She's got problems, the other kids are scared of her, and honestly, she's really hard for us to handle," he said.
When Lily heard him say she was "not all there," she shrank even deeper into my arms.
I rubbed her back gently, trying to comfort her.
"From now on, if anyone dares to call her that again, I'll make you explain every single thing that's happened to her over the past three years, one by one," I said, my voice icy and firm.
The director clammed up.
Joanna stood frozen in the doorway, her eyes wide with disbelief.
She'd been by my side for seven years, and she'd never seen me this shaken.
"Emily, the car's ready," Joanna called softly.
I walked out with Lily in my arms.
The director rushed to stop me.
"Ms. Bennett, we haven't finished the paperwork yet," he said.
I stopped.
"Then let's get it done," I said.
"No, it's not that simple. She's a special case," he said.
"What's so special about her?" I demanded.
The director kept glancing around, looking nervous.
"When she first showed up, someone told us to keep her here, not to send her anywhere else," he muttered.
I stopped in my tracks.
"Who told you that?" I asked.
The director swallowed hard.
"I can't remember," he said.
Lily suddenly grabbed my sleeve, shaking her head.
She looked at the director, her eyes full of fear.
I gently pulled her face into my embrace.
"If you can't remember, then let the police help you remember," I said coldly.
The director's face went pale.
"Ms. Bennett, why are you making such a fuss? Whoever left her here did it for her own good. Just look at her. Who would take her in out there? At least here, she gets to eat," he said.
"She's my daughter. I want her," I said, my voice unwavering.
The director just stood there, mouth open, unable to get a single word out.
Joanna immediately called the lawyer.
When I carried Lily into the car, she was still clutching those two sticks.
I tried to take them from her, but she shook her head frantically.
So I just held her hand instead.
"Alright, you can keep them," I said softly.
The car door closed, shutting out the mountain wind.
Lily pressed her face to the window, watching the orphanage shrink into the distance. A bruise showed beneath her worn-out sleeve.
I rolled up her sleeve.
Old scars and fresh bruises crisscrossed her skin, like someone had etched layer after layer of hatred onto her.
Joanna, sitting in the front passenger seat, cursed under her breath.
"They're monsters," she muttered.
Lily heard the curse and immediately tried to hide her hand.
I held her hand gently.
"I'm not talking about you," I said softly.
She looked at me, still not quite believing it.
Just as the car cleared the mountain pass, my phone rang. It was Andrew.
I answered.
"Did you take that kid?" Andrew's voice was low and tense.
He spoke in a hushed, tense voice, like he was barely holding something back.
I glanced down at Lily, still held tightly in my arms.
"How did you know?" I asked.
There was a brief silence on the other end.
"The director called me. Emily, what exactly are you trying to do?" Andrew asked, his voice tight with frustration.
"I want to take her to the hospital," I said.
"No," Andrew shot back, his voice sharp and unyielding.
He didn't even hesitate.
For a moment, the only thing you could hear in the car was Lily's shaky breathing.
I gripped my phone tightly.
"Andrew, what gives you the right to say no?" I demanded.
"The Berlin media is watching our every move. Sophie's about to go on stage. Any hint of scandal could wreck her career," Andrew said, his voice tight with anxiety.
"How does helping a hurt kid ruin her reputation?" I shot back, disbelief sharp in my voice.
"Don't make a big deal out of this," Andrew said, sounding impatient.
"What are you really afraid of?" I pressed, my voice steady and unyielding.
Andrew didn't answer.
I heard Sophie call out from the other end.
"Dad, did Mom go back to the mountains again?" Sophie called out.
Sophie's voice was as sweet and pure as ever.
But in that moment, a cold shiver ran down my spine.
Andrew cut off the call abruptly.
Joanna looked back at me.
"Emily, are we still going to the hospital?" Joanna asked, her voice uncertain.
I looked down, and Lily was gazing up at me with her one good eye.
She didn't understand what was happening. She just clung to those sticks like they were her only anchor.
"Let's go."
I said firmly.
"No one is stopping us. We're going, no matter what," I added, my voice steady and resolute.