Chapter 26 A Heartbreaking Childhood

Thomas began, “About fifteen years ago, I was just a local dermatologist in town. One afternoon, a little girl with severe burns on her back was brought in for surgery. But her parents refused to pay the medical bills, convinced we were exaggerating her condition to extort money from them.” He continued, “They insisted on taking her home, refusing treatment. In the end, it was an elderly neighbor who had accompanied them to the hospital that covered the expenses. At first, the girl refused to speak. But once her parents were gone, she finally broke her silence—begging us to call the police. She claimed they had locked her inside and set the fire themselves, all for an insurance payout!”