Chapter 91 Desperate Measures
When Simon informed Mandy that Harrison had no time to see her, she felt a wave of desperation wash over her. The prospect of becoming Mrs. Frost seemed to be slipping through her fingers.
She couldn't accept losing her chance to become Harrison's wife so easily. A few years ago, she had meticulously plotted against Harrison, going to extraordinary lengths to acquire little Lily.
Originally, she had hoped that Lily would die on the operating table. In her grief and heartbreak, Harrison might take pity on her and marry her into the Frost family. Now, it seemed all her careful planning had been for nothing.
She refused to give up.
With this thought, she called out toward Lily's hospital room, her voice carrying down the corridor.
"Lily, it's mommy! I'm here to see you!"
"Harrison, I need to see Lily! Let me in to see my daughter!"
Simon watched as Mandy shouted outside the hospital room, disregarding all sense of propriety. He frowned in displeasure.
Both were Robert's daughters, yet the differences couldn't be more stark. Elena was dignified and graceful, greeting everyone with a warm smile that naturally drew people to her. Then there was Mandy, screaming outside the operating room with absolutely no regard for appearances. Add to that her repeated violence toward Lily, which had triggered the child's heart condition and nearly cost her life. Mandy's reckless behavior made Simon want to remove her permanently.
The contrast was truly devastating.
Simon gestured to the Frost family's security personnel, intending to have Mandy escorted out.
However, her shrill voice had already penetrated into the hospital room.
Lily, who had just stabilized after her brush with death, was taking small sips of water that Harrison was helping her with. She flashed a faint smile.
When she heard Mandy's calls from outside, Lily's previously calm demeanor suddenly changed. Her body began to tremble violently. With her trembling, all the readings on the monitoring equipment began to spike alarmingly.
"Lily, Lily, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?" Harrison asked anxiously, seeing her distress.
Lily, tears welling in her eyes, glanced fearfully toward the door. "Daddy, I'm scared. I'm so scared," she whispered.
Lily's condition broke Harrison's heart. Remembering that Lily's premature attack had been triggered by Mandy's slap, Harrison comforted his daughter briefly before storming out of the room, fury evident in his every movement.
Simon's security personnel were just about to drag Mandy away when Harrison emerged. Seeing him, Mandy immediately broke free from the guards' grip and crawled toward Harrison.
"Harrison, you finally came out! I've been waiting to see you. I need to see Lily—can you take me to her, please?" Mandy pleaded, grabbing at Harrison's hand.
Thinking of how she had slapped Lily, Harrison felt a surge of irritation. He pushed away Mandy's outstretched hand coldly. "You should leave. Lily isn't well, and she doesn't want to see you right now."
Mandy refused to accept this.
"Harrison, aren't you mistaken? I'm Lily's mother. After heart surgery, shouldn't she want to see me first?" she questioned. "How could she possibly not want to see me?"
Harrison looked at Mandy with contempt and let out a cold laugh.
"Do you even remember you're Lily's mother? Where was that instinct when you slapped her or when you blocked Dr. Reed from bringing in Dr. Johnson's team to save her life? Did it kick in when she was in the ICU and you couldn't even call her doctor once? Or when you had someone pour water down her throat right after surgery, risking her life? Tell me, do you really think you deserve to be called her mom?"
Harrison, typically a man of few words, enumerated her offenses one by one.
Mandy felt cornered. She could admit to the first three accusations, but the last one—she absolutely could not acknowledge. If she admitted or even tacitly accepted that she had instructed someone to pour water down post-operative Lily's throat, Harrison would certainly find a way to send both her and her mother to prison.
So she stood up straight and explained, "Harrison, I admit that because of Lily's condition, my thoughts were scattered. I may have neglected her after her surgery, but you must believe me—I am still her mother."
"Harrison, I would never hurt her. I didn't tell anyone to give her water after the surgery. I carried her for ten months and still have the C-section scar."
Mandy's performance, complete with tears and pleading, moved everyone present. Even Simon, hearing her emotional appeal, wondered if he had been too harsh on her.
But Harrison, armed with video evidence, wouldn't be deceived by her lies. Just thinking about how Lily trembled at the sound of Mandy's voice was enough for him to keep Mandy away from his daughter forever.
Harrison fixed her with a cold stare. "Mandy, stop performing for me. If it weren't for that scar on your stomach, I would seriously doubt that Lily is your biological child."
"No real mother would treat her child the way you have. I will find out exactly who poured water down Lily's throat after surgery. When I do, I'll make sure that person pays dearly."
As he spoke, Harrison clenched his fist like a demon incarnate, making a gesture as if he could crush someone's bones.
Mandy trembled from head to toe, no longer daring to pull at Harrison. He waved his hand, signaling Simon to have Mandy removed, and this time she left obediently.
Shortly after her departure, Elena appeared outside Lily's room, accompanied by Nathan. Harrison, who had been cold and stern just moments before, inexplicably smiled when he saw Elena in her doctor's coat.
He lightly touched his forehead, instantly adjusting his mood.
"Elena, Dr. Parker..." Harrison greeted them, a rare instance of him initiating conversation.
Upon seeing Harrison, Elena's face flushed slightly. As she recalled their passionate encounter from a few days ago, her heart started racing.