I rushed upstairs.
Emily stirred as I returned.
“I just spoke with your doctor. What procedure was he talking about?”
“Mom, I’m tired.”
“Emily, did you have heart surgery?”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“No.”
“Then what surgery did you have?”
She drew the blanket beneath her chin.
“Don’t freak out.”
I was already panicking, but I waited for her explanation.
Her confession left me speechless.
“I had my face changed.”
My daughter had pretended she was dying to obtain $24,000 for cosmetic surgery.
“What?” I whispered.
“I couldn’t stand looking at myself anymore.”
I wanted to comfort her, yet anger overwhelmed me.
“You told me you might die. I drove four hours thinking I could lose you.”
“I’m sorry.”
“And the money?”
“I need help paying for everything.”
Emily consented to having her surgeon explain.
He confirmed she’d undergone scheduled procedures involving her nose and chin. She’d never had a heart condition.
“Emily told me her family knew how much she was struggling with her appearance,” he explained. “She said you’d discussed the decision and supported her through the risks. That’s what I meant when I called your family’s decision brave.”
