The Flower That Grew from Ashes novel Chapter 27

The document clearly stated in black and white: Laparoscopic appendectomy.

Lead Surgeon: Hackett Lehman.

Annelise's fingertips gently brushed against her lower abdomen.

There were three tiny, almost invisible minimally invasive surgical scars there.

One in the belly button, one in the left lower quadrant, and one above the pubic bone.

She distinctly remembered that for a standard laparoscopic appendectomy, the three incision points were usually the belly button, the right lower quadrant, and the pubic bone, for cosmetic and practical reasons.

But her scars were on the left and the middle.

This positioning made it far more convenient to use the same instruments to operate on both fallopian tubes after removing the appendix.

Hackett. He had executed it flawlessly.

If she hadn't known a bit about medicine herself, if she hadn't experienced anesthesia awareness during the recent surgery, she might have lived her entire life trapped in his meticulous deception.

No.

She couldn't rely solely on her own suspicions.

She needed proof.

Authoritative, third-party medical evidence completely detached from the Lehman family's reach.

She thought of one person.

Vivian Lincoln.

Her best friend from college—a fiery, fiercely righteous gynecologist.

She was currently working at Eastbrook Hospital.

Annelise pulled out the backup phone hidden beneath her mattress, turned it on, and dialed the number she had memorized a thousand times over.

It only rang once before it was answered.

"Hello? Who is this?" came a brisk, energetic female voice.

"Vivian. It's me." Annelise's voice was dry.

There was a two-second pause before a shocked gasp erupted through the speaker.

"Annelise?! Holy shit, is it really you? Where the hell have you been hiding these past few years?!"

Annelise didn't have time to catch up. She cut straight to the chase.

"Vivian, I need a favor."

"I need to come in for a full gynecological workup. The most confidential kind."

"On paper, it's a post-op checkup."

Vivian immediately sensed something was wrong.

"Post-op? What kind of surgery did you have? Did that bastard Hackett do something to you again?"

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