Chapter 3 Mirror Image

A mother who truly cared for her child would never dismiss a doctor who could save her child's life.

Faced with Harrison's pointed question, Mandy forced an awkward smile and softened her tone.

"That's not what I meant. I'm just worried about Lily and a bit anxious," she explained. "I'm her mother; how could I not care about her health? If I could, I'd give her my own heart."

The words sounded hollow even to her, but she hoped Harrison would accept the explanation.

Harrison ignored Mandy, pulled up a chair, and sat down with Lily in his arms. He carefully helped her drink some water, taking great care not to let her choke.

Watching Harrison's tenderness toward Lily, Mandy felt a surge of jealousy. The little girl was born lucky, earning Harrison's unconditional love.

Harrison had initially planned to wait outside the operating room for Ella, but he received an urgent call from his company requiring his immediate attention.

As he hesitated, caught between responsibilities, Mandy suggested softly, "Harrison, the company matters seem urgent. You should go handle them. I'll wait here. Don't worry, I'll take care of Lily, and as soon as Dr. Johnson comes out, I'll have her examine Lily."

If she could contact Dr. Johnson first, everything would remain under her control.

After weighing his options, Harrison finally entrusted Lily to Mandy and hurriedly left the hospital with Simon.

Inside the operating room, Elena and Nathan were fully focused on the surgery. Outside, Connor was typing intently on his laptop while Mia was immersed in a mobile game.

"Mia," Connor suddenly spoke up, "Mom said we have a sister in Pinewood City. How can I find her?"

Mia looked up from her game, giving Connor a casual glance. "Aren't you the self-proclaimed 'world's smallest hacker'? Finding someone shouldn't be hard, right? Since she's our triplet, she must look a lot like us. Why don't you use big data to compare faces? You might find her that way."

Connor's eyes lit up. "Mia, you're so smart!"

Mia grinned proudly before returning to her intense game battle. In the game, she issued commands to other players. "Chickens, follow The Boss! I'll protect you." Her game nickname was indeed "The Boss."

As Connor typed, he privately marveled. a five-year-old child dared to call herself "The Boss" just because she was good at games?

Sometimes Connor truly couldn't understand why Mia was so confident, as if she was born to be a leader.

Today's surgery required a long time.

Connor and Mia remained in the waiting area outside the operating room, each busy with their own activities.

Meanwhile, outside the operating room, Mandy was intently staring at her phone, seemingly chatting with someone. Lily looked at Mandy timidly, hesitated for a moment, then softly called out, "Mom." Mandy had no reaction.

Lily raised her voice slightly and called again, "Mom." She couldn't hold it anymore—she needed to use the bathroom, and her stomach hurt.

Mandy impatiently looked up, her tone harsh. "What are you calling for? Just say it. You're so annoying."

With no observers present, she didn't bother maintaining the image of a loving mother.

Lily shrank back, clutching her stomach, and said timidly, "Mom, my stomach hurts. I need to use the bathroom. Can you come with me?"

Mandy frowned, clearly displeased. "You're five years old and still can't go to the bathroom by yourself? Do I need to wipe your butt too? Didn't your kindergarten teacher teach you anything? What are you good for besides making trouble?"

Lily's eyes filled with tears as she stammered, "I... I..."

Mandy grew more irritated, her tone icy. "What are you crying for? Acting like I'm abusing you. Go to the bathroom yourself. If I see you crying again, I'll hit you!"

She grabbed Lily's arm and dragged her toward the bathroom. Her movements were rough, leaving red marks on Lily's arm. Though in pain, Lily bit her lip, not daring to make a sound.

At the bathroom entrance, Mandy shoved Lily inside, then pulled out her phone to continue scrolling, impatiently urging, "Hurry up, don't make me wait too long. If kidnappers take you, I won't care."

Lily cautiously entered the bathroom. She had been frail since birth and was diagnosed with a serious heart condition at age one. Her family had always protected her carefully, even accompanying her to the bathroom. As a result, Lily had weak self-care abilities and was smaller than children her age.

She stumbled into a stall and struggled to push open the door.

At that moment, Mia, who had drunk too much water, also went to the bathroom. She put down her phone, told Connor where she was going, and walked straight to the bathroom. Mia had always been independent, never needing anyone's company.

As soon as Mia entered, she saw a girl shorter than herself, tears in her eyes, pulling up her pants. She studied the girl carefully and was shocked to discover they looked remarkably similar.

Lily froze too, staring at Mia in astonishment.