Chapter 3

"What are we waiting for? She's a cancer here. We should strip her of her medical license so she can never be a doctor again," someone shouted.

I stood amid a chorus of insults, shaking with anger.

"Enough!" I shouted. "All the surgeries are on camera. We can check the footage and see who's right and who's wrong!"

"Kelvin, you keep running your mouth about me. Are you brave enough to show the surgery footage now?" I challenged.

Kelvin stood there, staring at me in disbelief.

"Isabella, I only fired you because of our history. And now you actually dare to make such a ridiculous demand?" he scoffed.

"Who do you think you are, ordering me around? You're fired. You're not a doctor here anymore. Grab your stuff and get the hell out!" he snapped.

I gave Kelvin a frosty glare, watching him lose control, while my mind raced, determined to find a way to reveal the truth to everyone.

Seeing me stay silent, Lilia hid behind Kelvin and flipped me off with a mocking grin.

Just then, a commotion broke out at the back of the crowd. A moment later, Aryan Puckett, the director, dressed in his white coat, made his way through the crowd, surrounded by people.

The moment I saw him, I couldn't stop the tears from streaming down my face.

Kelvin was just the acting director. The true owner of the hospital was Aryan, standing right in front of me.

Not only that, he was also the one who guided me through my journey as a doctor.

All the skills I had, I owed to his guidance.

I hurried over, catching up to Aryan and sticking close to his side.

"Dr. Puckett, you're finally here," I said, relief flooding my voice.

"Let me explain what just happened, and then we'll get the video from the OR. Once you see it, the truth will be crystal clear!" I said.

Aryan looked seriously pissed off. He didn't even glance at me, just went straight to Lilia and checked her face, clearly worried about her injury.

After making sure Lilia was fine, he finally turned to face me.

"Making a mistake is one thing, but who gave you the nerve to hit a colleague?" he snapped.

Seeing my old mentor this furious, I was totally stunned.

"No, it wasn't me! Lilia unplugged the equipment just to charge her phone, that's what messed everything up…" I stammered.

But before I could finish, Aryan Puckett cut me off, his voice sharp and cold.

"Enough! Isabella, I can't believe you're still making excuses at a time like this, not even a shred of remorse," he snapped.

"I really regret ever having taught someone as shameless as you," he added, disappointment heavy in his voice.

His words left me standing there, dumbfounded.

Aryan was the strictest doctor I'd ever met, but also the kindest.

His tough love for us students was really just compassion for the patients.

He was the one who taught me to treat every surgery, every life, with the utmost care. So why had it come to this?

While I was still stunned, Aryan gestured to the family trailing after him.

"That's her. She lost focus during the operation, and your mother almost didn't survive the surgery," he said coldly.

"Let's put an end to all this right here," he added.

As soon as Aryan finished talking, the patient's family started advancing on me, their aggression practically radiating off them.

I knew this family all too well. They were downright brutal. Last time around, they didn't even bother to ask questions before killing me.

I was frozen in fear, trying to back away, but Kelvin and Lilia had already cut off my escape.

There was nowhere to run. A slap landed hard across my face, and then a heavy kick sent me crashing to the ground.

They didn't hold back, fists and feet flying. I curled up, shielding my head, and shot Aryan a desperate look.

"Why? You didn't even bother to check the facts! Why are you dumping all the blame on me?" I shouted.

Aryan met my gaze for a split second, then his eyes turned cold and cruel.

He bent down and whispered right in my ear.

"You even dared to hit Lilia. Who are you to ask me why?" His voice was cold as ice.

His words left me totally shell-shocked, and I couldn't even react before the patient's family's fists started flying.

Under their brutal blows, I was completely helpless. Blood filled my mouth, and my teeth felt like they were about to fall out.

Lilia stood over me, smirking as she watched, then mouthed something at me with that arrogant grin.

I caught it loud and clear. "Drop dead."

My head was spinning from the beating, but when I saw Lilia's smug face, something inside me snapped. I lunged forward, grabbed her tight, and pressed a jagged piece of the shattered IV bottle against her neck.

"Aryan, Kelvin, you'd better bring out the OR footage right now, or things are gonna get ugly!" I shouted, my voice trembling with fury.

Lilia froze as I grabbed her, the jagged glass pressed against her neck. She screamed bloody murder, terror written all over her face.

"Kelvin! Help me! This chick's freaking nuts! Somebody, just get rid of her!" she shrieked, her voice cracking with fear.

Kelvin's face went pale with panic, his features contorted.

"Let go of my sister!" he shouted.