"Mr. Vance, how skilled is this young lady?" David Engweil asked Yasmine Vance.
Yasmine Vance sighed deeply, "Even if I practice for another 20 years, I probably won't match this young lady's suturing skills."
That was already a very high compliment.
But Sarah Sullivan replied, "Don't bother practicing. There's no hope for this life; maybe in the next one."
Yasmine Vance blushed and felt a bit self-conscious.
David Engweil, however, was delighted, "Miss, what about my wife's face?"
Sarah Sullivan answered steadily, "I'll take apart and re-stitch her wound, and do some flap treatments on her face, which should restore her to how she was before."
Even though Yasmine Vance wasn't a professional in cosmetic surgery, she knew that a flap is a block of living tissue composed of skin and subcutaneous tissue.
Flap treatment involves moving a flap from one area to another to cover wounds and correct deformities, commonly used for skin defects caused by disease or injury.
Several cosmetic experts had proposed similar treatments before, but due to Lily Valois's severe wound, it was deemed not feasible and wasn't attempted.
Now, hearing Sarah Sullivan speak with such certainty, Yasmine Vance, although impressed by Sarah's exquisite suturing skills, couldn't help but remind her, "Young lady, flap treatment isn't just about suturing; there are many other aspects—"
Sarah Sullivan coldly interrupted Yasmine Vance, "If I can't do it right, you can cut my face the same way."
Looking at Sarah Sullivan's stunning appearance, one could feel her strong confidence.
Lily Valois spoke up, "Miss, I trust you! Please help me! Even if it doesn't succeed, I won't blame you! Even if it fails, how much uglier can I get?"
Although Lily Valois previously said she had accepted her fate and didn't want treatment,
which woman doesn't love beauty?
Now there's hope, and Lily also wishes for a recovery.
Even if she doesn't fully recover, at least her face won't be so frightening!
Unlike now, where she doesn't dare to go out without a mask.
Yasmine Vance didn't waste any more words and said directly, "Come to my place; I have all the equipment there."
They agreed and waited for a car on the roadside.
Sarah Sullivan saw Lily Valois hesitating about whether to wear a mask.
"You don't need to wear it. The ugliness isn't you; it's in their eyes and hearts."
Sarah Sullivan's calm words brought tears to Lily's eyes again.
...
On the way to the hospital, Sarah Sullivan finally learned how David Engweil and his wife were injured.
Six months ago, Lily Valois was traveling by bus with her daughter Annabelle Yin back to her hometown.
While changing buses at a small town station, a man suddenly appeared in front of Lily.
He immediately bowed and apologized, saying he would no longer go out drinking and gambling, begging his wife not to be angry and to bring the child back home.
To onlookers, this scene seemed commonplace.
It appeared like a couple having a spat, with the wife returning to her parental home and the husband coming to apologize and plea.
However, Lily was utterly confused.
Because she didn't know this man who claimed to be her husband!
The more shocking event followed!
An elderly woman claiming to be Lily's mother-in-law appeared!
The elderly woman was aggressive, slapping Lily's face upon arrival.
She pointed at Lily's nose, accusing her of having no right to complain about her husband going out drinking and gambling.
The man works hard to support the family, so what's wrong with him relaxing a bit?
It's you who are an unfit daughter-in-law!
Lazing and not taking care of the parents-in-law, always sneaking things to your own parents.
If you want to go back to your parents' home, you can, but leave our granddaughter behind!
After saying that, she snatched the child from Lily's arms and left!
The shocked child started crying aloud!
Lily went cold all over; she realized this was no misunderstanding but rather she had encountered human traffickers!
The two traffickers were working in tandem to kidnap her child!
Of course, Lily didn't agree; she struggled desperately to reclaim her child, shouting to the surrounding people that she didn't know these two individuals.
Unfortunately, due to the convincing act put up by the traffickers, the onlookers mistook this blatant kidnapping for a domestic issue.
And meddling in family affairs is deemed inappropriate for outsiders.
Some even advised Lily not to be willful, to maintain a good relationship with her in-laws, and not to frequently return to her parental home.
There was a buzz of commentary, but no one stepped forward to help.
Lily watched helplessly as the man and elderly woman, holding her child, boarded a very rundown van with an illegible license plate, preparing to speed away.
Lily went mad!
She chased after them with all her might, determined to retrieve her daughter from the damn traffickers!
She clung to the half-open van door, refusing to let go, like a superhero from a movie!
Even as the traffickers inside beat and kicked her, her body dangling precariously outside the vehicle!
Only then did the onlookers realize this wasn't a domestic dispute.
This was a kidnapping!
They began shouting and yelling.
The traffickers, seeing their plan exposed, became more ruthless.
The man pulled out a gleaming machete from under his clothes and struck Lily across the face!
Her skin immediately tore, blood gushing!
Yet Lily didn't let go!
Fortunately, the van was stopped by a good Samaritan using their vehicle, and the two traffickers were brought to justice.
The traffickers confessed that they had used such tactics to kidnap over a dozen children!
The ones more easily handled were sold to families without children, offering them slightly better circumstances.
The worse fate awaited those sold to gangs that trained thieves and beggars.
Forced to steal or beg on the streets after being crippled... the crimes of the human trafficking ring were countless, abhorrent to both gods and men.
Lily's child was not kidnapped, but her face suffered devastating injury.
The incident, once exposed, caused a significant stir in society.
The media and public hailed this heroic mother.
Praising her selfless motherly love that disregarded her own life.
At the same time, they expressed deep hatred for human traffickers and called for them to be sentenced to death.
They were also concerned about the wounds on Lily's face, wondering if they could be healed.
When Lily was first injured, she was immediately sent to Huston University Hospital's emergency department.
Coincidentally, Yasmine Vance was on duty and she was the one who administered emergency care for Lily.
Ever since then, Yasmine Vance had kept an eye on this couple.
During that period, many cosmetic surgery experts offered free consultations for Lily, providing advice, but every discussion concluded pessimistically.
No one was confident in performing such a complex reconstructive surgery.
While everyone was at a loss, True Elegance Medical Beauty Center's director, Benjamin Rosedale, made a high-profile appearance.
He brought flowers and a group of journalists to visit Lily.
On camera, he even shed tears of emotion.
Benjamin Rosedale declared fervently that their medical beauty center would take full responsibility for Lily's facial reconstruction surgery!
He guaranteed that they would restore Lily's former appearance!
Claiming they possessed the most advanced technology in the world!
Additionally, the surgery would be completely free!
These words triggered a public uproar, with many singing praises for Director Benjamin Rosedale's benevolence and skill.
True Elegance Medical Beauty Center essentially executed the most successful advertisement, attracting waves of clients.
But Benjamin Rosedale was a fraud!
He shed crocodile tears!