Chapter 9 - THE OPERATION
The operation lasted nearly six hours.
I sat outside the surgical room holding Lily's stuffed rabbit.
Dominic sat across from me.
Neither of us spoke.
Every time a doctor passed, my heart stopped.
Then finally, the surgeon came out.
“She did well.”
I burst into tears.
“Is she okay?”
“She is stable.”
“And her legs?”
The surgeon smiled gently.
“It's too early to know how much function she'll regain.”
I nodded.
I could accept that.
Lily was alive.
That was enough.
When I entered the recovery room, she was pale and sleepy.
“Mommy?”
“I'm here.”
Her lips moved.
“Did it work?”
I kissed her forehead.
“We'll find out.”
She looked toward Dominic.
“He stayed.”
I smiled.
“Yes.”
Lily reached for his hand.
Dominic froze.
Then gently took it.
“You're safe,” he whispered.
She closed her eyes.
Outside, investigators began arresting people connected to the research scheme.
My husband's hidden documents had become the key evidence.
The hospital corruption.
The illegal patient files.
The surveillance.
Everything led back to the same company.
But one mystery remained.
Why had my husband hidden the truth from me for years?
May you like
I looked at Lily sleeping.
And realized the answer might hurt more than anything else.
