Chapter 2
In her previous life, in nearly the same spot, a rock of the same size had crashed down on her as she desperately dug to save him.
Back then, he'd only watched anxiously, calling her name and warning her to be careful.
But he didn't reach out like this, throwing himself in without hesitation.
So this was his instinct, and it would never lie.
"Watch out!" she shouted.
The giant stone that had crushed her hands in her memory, loosened by the aftershocks, started rolling toward Evelyn.
"Evelyn!" Matthew nearly roared.
Regina saw him shout, completely ignoring the risk that his pinned lower body might be crushed again.
He summoned a terrifying burst of strength, twisting his body forcibly and using his back to tightly shield the terrified Evelyn in the cramped corner between him and the rubble.
The boulder scraped along his back and crashed heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust that nearly swallowed them both.
Matthew let out a pained groan, his face turning ghostly pale.
Cold sweat dripped down his face. He was clearly more severely injured now.
But seeing Evelyn safe and unharmed, Matthew smiled with pure relief.
In her previous life, after they got married, Matthew became increasingly stern.
Regina thought it was because, as a commander, he had to be authoritative.
But now, she realized that wasn't the real reason.
Regina stood frozen, watching that heart-wrenching scene unfold in the dust.
Her eyes welled up uncontrollably, her heart clenched painfully as if gripped by an invisible hand, making it hard to breathe.
She seemed to know the truth.
Matthew's regret at the end wasn't sorrow over her sacrificed future.
It was regret that her sacrifice became the price he was forced to pay by marrying her.
It became an unbridgeable wall between him and Evelyn.
The one he truly wanted to be with was never Regina.
He only married her because she sacrificed her hands to save him.
A sharp pain swept over Regina in an instant.
The truth hit her like a lightning bolt. Regina realized her previous life had seemed like a cruel joke.
She had thought they shared a life of warmth and happiness.
But to Matthew, it was a chain he could never escape, a regret that haunted him for a lifetime.
She silently took a step back, then another.
Quietly, she left the space entirely to Evelyn.
She told herself it was time to let go.
This time, he could chase his own light, and she would pursue her own dreams.
She no longer looked toward Matthew. Instead, she turned and walked toward her own battlefield.
With the deep medical knowledge she had gained in her previous life and her still nimble, healthy hands in this one, she once again picked up those familiar yet strangely unfamiliar acupuncture needles.
Soon, the crowd's expressions shifted to shock and gratitude.
They saw this seemingly fragile young woman, her fingers lightly trembling as she deftly inserted the needles with steady precision into the acupoints.
The bleeding wounds gradually clotted, and the injured, convulsing in pain, slowly calmed down.
Even those barely breathing found their breath steady under her care, and all skepticism melted into genuine respect.
"Thank you, ma'am. Thank you so much!"
"My leg hurt so badly. I thought I'd die, but your acupuncture is like magic..."
"Dr. Whitman, my child's fever's gone. He's sleeping peacefully now."
Regina worked tirelessly, sweat soaking through her clothes and dust smudging her cheeks, but her eyes shone brighter and brighter.
That long-lost feeling of fulfillment, saving lives and fulfilling her own potential, felt far more rewarding than the pain Matthew had caused her.
In her previous life, she could only admire her colleagues, who achieved success and shone brilliantly.
She had once been a shining star in everyone's eyes, but in the end, she became the Commander's wife, a traditional woman confined to supporting her husband and raising children.
This time, she would use these regained hands to shine brightly and make up for the regrets of her past life.
The latest rescue operation came to a pause.
Out of instinct as a doctor, Regina still felt she had to check on Matthew.
She knew he was badly hurt this time, especially after bearing the brunt of that massive boulder to protect Evelyn.
His spine and internal organs might have suffered serious hidden injuries.
If he didn't get treated promptly with the best medicinal herbs, long-term complications would be almost inevitable.
In her previous life, even with injured hands, she had endured excruciating pain and pulled several all-nighters.
She made the Whitman family's ancestral bone-repair ointment to treat Matthew.
That ensured he could keep dominating the battlefield and climbing the ranks.
This time, with her hands intact, making the ointment was far easier.
By the time she found the makeshift medical tent where Matthew was, it was already evening.
A candle glowed inside, casting a warm, yellow light, and faint voices drifted out.
"Quit calling me Captain Quinn all the time. It sounds so distant. If it weren't for you, I might not have made it out of there alive," Matthew said.
His voice was gentle, completely different from how agitated he was when he pushed her away before.
Evelyn's voice was soft.
"Don't say that. Saving lives is what I do. But how could you risk your life to shield me from that rock?"
Matthew's voice was low but warm.
"I didn't think about it at the time. I just saw the rock coming at you, and my mind went blank. It was pure instinct. Now that I think about it, I'm just glad I blocked it."
"You can't be so reckless with yourself anymore. Look at you now. I..."
"If I had to do it all over again, I'd still do the same thing," Matthew said again.
If he had to do it all over again, he'd still do the same thing.
So in her previous life, if Regina hadn't rushed in to save him first, this scene would have played out anyway.
How foolish Regina had been, thinking Matthew loved her, even believing he regretted her ruined hands. And even after he died, she followed him to die without a second thought.