Chapter 3
At the hospital's emergency entrance, Lily refused to get out of the car.
She stared at the people in white coats, trying to squeeze herself under the seat, letting out quick, panicked breaths from her throat.
"Lily, they're doctors, not bad people," I said gently.
I tried to pick her up, but she blocked herself with her injured leg, her forehead breaking out in sweat from the pain, but she still wouldn't loosen her grip.
Joanna crouched down by the car door.
"Hey, little one, look at me. I'll go in with you. Inside, there's warm water, clean blankets, and soft socks that feel nice and comfy," Joanna coaxed her softly.
Lily just stared at her, not moving a muscle.
I placed the music box in my palm and wound it up.
As the melody played, her eyes finally found mine again.
"Mommy will stay with you," I said softly.
At last, she offered me her hand.
As the orthopedic doctor examined her, his face just kept getting darker.
"This isn't just a burn injury. That leg was broken years ago, never set right, and it's been hurt again and again since then. If we wait much longer, there might not even be a shot at fixing it," the doctor said, his voice grim.
"Is there any way to fix it?" I asked, my voice tight with worry.
"There is, but she's going to have to go through hell," the doctor replied, his tone serious.
Lily didn't catch most of what he said, but when she heard the word "hell," she shrank back a little.
"Don't worry, Lily. Whatever you have to go through, Mommy's right here with you," I said gently.
The doctor glanced at me.
"We need to check her vocal cords too. The burns are bad, but I also see some old damage in her throat, like she was hurt by something hard," the doctor said, his voice serious.
Joanna covered her mouth, her eyes wide with shock.
I told her to go handle the payment.
Just as we got Lily settled in the hospital room, two uniformed police officers showed up at the door.
The director trailed in behind them, wearing a fake smile.
"Officers, that's her. She just barged in and took the kid from our orphanage. We've been looking after her out of kindness, and she comes in, stirs up trouble, and claims the child is her daughter. Isn't that just ridiculous?" the director said, his voice full of fake concern.
The officers turned to me.
"Ma'am, the child's identity hasn't been confirmed yet. You can't just take her away like this," one of them said.
I pulled out my marriage certificate, a photo of our household registration, and some old medical records from when Sophie was little.
"She might be my daughter, who's been missing for three years. I'm requesting a DNA test, and I'm also filing a complaint about child abuse at the orphanage," I said, keeping my voice steady.
The director jumped in, shouting.
"That's ridiculous! She's just a mute girl nobody wanted. When she was brought here three years ago, they said her parents were dead," the director snapped.
I turned to him.
"First you said she was rescued from a fire, and now you're saying someone dropped her off. Which one is the truth?" I pressed, my voice sharp.
Sweat was streaming down the director's temples.
"I-I must have gotten confused," he stammered.
The officer shot him a look.
"Bring out the registration records from back then," the officer ordered.
The director quickly said, "They're back at the orphanage."
"We'll have someone go get them," the officer replied.
Lily listened to them argue, gripping the hospital bed rail with both hands, her knuckles turning white.
The director suddenly bent down, plastering on a fake smile for her.
"Mute girl, don't go calling just anyone your mom. Did you forget who's been feeding you all this time?" he sneered.
Lily instantly buried her face in the blanket.
I moved to stand by the bed.
"Say that again," Ms. Bennett said, her voice icy and unyielding.
The director flinched, taking a step back under her glare.
"Ms. Bennett, it's just a habit," he muttered, trying to defend himself.
"Then break it. Start calling her by her real name," Ms. Bennett shot back, her tone cold as steel.
The sharp click of high heels echoed from the doorway.
Margaret, my mother-in-law, strode in with the Carter family's driver, her brows so tightly knit they could've crushed a fly.
"Emily, have you finally lost your mind?" Margaret snapped.
She shot Lily a look of pure disgust, pressing a handkerchief to her nose as if just looking at her made her nauseous.
"You bring some kid nobody knows anything about to the hospital, and now you even got the cops involved? Do you want everyone to laugh at the Carter family?" Margaret snapped.
I looked at her.
"Mom, she might be Lily," I said, my voice trembling.
Margaret's face changed for a moment, but she quickly pulled herself together.
"Lily was found three years ago. Her name is Sophie Carter, and she's making the Carter family proud in Berlin. Why are you dragging some dirty stray into this and jinxing your own daughter?" Margaret sneered, her disgust obvious.
"Then let's do a DNA test," Emily said, her tone unwavering.
"A DNA test? For what?" Margaret practically shouted, her voice rising.
Her voice went up an octave.
Some of the other patients' families were peeking in from outside the room.
Margaret lowered her voice.
"Sophie has made the family look good these past three years. Are you really going to throw it all away for some nobody?" Margaret hissed, her voice dripping with contempt.
Lily peeked out from under the blanket, her one good eye fixed on Margaret.
Her gaze flickered, as if Margaret's words had cut her like a knife, and she quickly hid her face again.
I gripped the hospital bed rail tightly.
"She's not trash," Ms. Bennett shot back, her voice shaking with rage.
Margaret let out a cold, mocking laugh.
"You've been living in luxury for so long, you really think every poor soul deserves to be part of the Carter family? If she were really one of us, do you think she'd end up looking like this?" Margaret sneered, her voice dripping with contempt.
Those words slapped Lily right in the face.
Her fingers slipped off the rail, and she pulled herself deeper under the blanket.
Joanna rushed in.
"Mrs. Carter, have a little decency!" Joanna snapped, her voice sharp with anger.
Margaret shot her a glare.
"When the lady of the house is speaking, who gave you permission to interrupt?" Margaret sneered, her tone dripping with contempt.
Joanna's face went pale with anger, and she was about to say something else, but Emily stopped her.
I turned to the officers. "Please take the samples now. Both the child and I will cooperate."
Margaret's face went completely pale.
"Emily, Andrew isn't here. Don't make decisions on your own," Margaret snapped.
"I'm her mother," Emily said, her voice unwavering.
"You're also the Carter family's daughter-in-law!" Margaret snapped.
"If the Carter family stands in the way of me accepting my daughter, then I don't need to be part of this family," Emily shot back, her voice unwavering.
The room fell silent for a moment.
Margaret was so stunned she forgot to lower her handkerchief.
"What did you just say?" she blurted out, her voice trembling.
I said it again, my voice unwavering.
"I can stop being part of this family," I said, my voice steady and unwavering.
Suddenly, a clear voice came through the phone, echoing from the video call.
"Mom, how can you talk to Grandma like that?" Sophie said, her tone full of reproach.
I turned my head.
My phone screen was glowing. It was a video call.
Andrew wasn't in the frame. Sophie stood in front of the camera, violin in hand, her hair and makeup flawless, her eyes full of wounded innocence.
"Mom, I know you have a good heart, but you can't just turn your back on our family for a stranger," Sophie said, her voice trembling with hurt.
When Lily heard her voice, she shrank back under the blanket, trying to disappear.
I stared at the screen.
"Sophie, do you know her?" I asked, my voice steady.
Sophie looked completely lost.
"Who?" she asked, her voice full of confusion.
I turned the camera toward the hospital bed.
Lily was trembling so hard under the blanket, only the burned half of her face was visible.
The bow slipped from Sophie's hand and hit the floor.
The sound was soft, but it was so clear that everyone in the room heard it.
"How is she still alive?" Sophie blurted out, her voice barely above a whisper.
Everyone in the room turned their eyes to the phone screen.
Sophie immediately clapped her hand over her mouth.
"That's not what I meant! She's so badly hurt. I just meant, how did she even survive? Mom, you have to believe me," Sophie stammered, her voice shaking.
I didn't say a word.
Margaret snatched the phone out of my hand.
"Sophie, don't worry. Your mom's just being tricked by that girl," Margaret said, her voice sharp and dismissive.