Chapter 1

My advanced emergency responder certification is still pending renewal. According to regulations, I'm not supposed to provide services outside of work.

But my neighbor's son was choking on a whole grape at the park, on the verge of suffocating to death.

How could I care about regulations at a time like that? I rushed over and used the professional Heimlich maneuver to save the child's life.

But she immediately turned around and reported me to the Labor Board and the Emergency Response Association for performing unauthorized procedures without valid certification. I lost my job and got blacklisted from the entire industry.

She even came at me with a forged medical report, extorting me for $200,000 in medical fees: "What if you damaged my son's internal organs? Is it wrong for me to protect my rights according to the rules?"

Later, when her son's life hung by a thread from febrile seizures, she knelt on the ground and begged me to save him.

I let out a cold laugh and dialed 911 directly: "I'm sorry, but I don't have certification. If I damage your precious son, I can't afford to compensate you."

"Sophia, stop going on about how you saved his life! Your emergency certification expired and you still dared to touch my son--that's practicing medicine illegally!"

I stood in the mediation room, my head buzzing.

Across from me stood my neighbor, Amanda Wilson.

She held her son in her arms--the same boy who'd nearly choked to death on a grape at the park yesterday afternoon. Her finger was practically poking my nose.

"Amanda, yesterday at the park, your son's face had turned purple. You were the one kneeling on the ground, grabbing my legs and begging me to save him!"

I suppressed the rage churning in my chest, trying to reason with her.

"I was trying to save a life. It was an emergency. I didn't have time to think about anything else!"

"Stop making excuses!"

Amanda raised her voice to a shrill pitch that made everyone's eardrums ache.

"You work in safety training. Without certification, you're nothing but an unlicensed fraud! Who knows if your technique was even standard?"

She stepped back with a look of disgust on her face, clutching her child's chest protectively.

"What if you broke my son's ribs? What if you injured his internal organs? Don't you know how fragile a child's bones are?"

I trembled with anger, my nails digging into my palms.

"You're twisting everything! I take the certification exam every year. This year's certificate is just still being processed through the system!"

The Emergency Response Association inspector coughed and slammed an official notice down on the table.

"Sophia, regardless of your intentions at the time, the fact is your certification had expired."

Mr. Lewis kept his face stern, speaking in official tones.

"According to industry regulations, performing professional emergency procedures without valid certification constitutes a serious violation. You're fined $10,000 and will receive an industry-wide reprimand."

I turned to look at Mr. Lewis, hardly able to believe my ears.

"Mr. Lewis, she wasn't my client! This was an act of heroism at a public park!"

"That doesn't matter. You're a professional, which means you must follow professional rules."

Mr. Lewis cut me off mercilessly.

"You used professional techniques yesterday. That constitutes a service action in practice. No certification means violation of regulations."

Amanda lifted her chin triumphantly, laughing coldly.

"You hear that? Even the association says you're wrong! I'm just trying to clean up industry chaos and follow the rules. Is that wrong?"

My husband Ethan, who'd been standing behind me, suddenly tugged at the corner of my shirt.

"Sophia, just apologize to her."

I turned around in disbelief.

"Ethan, what did you just say?"

Ethan frowned, his face full of impatience, lowering his voice.

"You knew your certification had expired, didn't you? Why did you have to play hero? We still have car payments to make with that $10,000!"

My heart went cold.

"I saved her son's life and you want me to apologize?"

"Amanda's just being careful about her child. Is it wrong for a mother to be cautious?"

Ethan pulled me behind him and turned to Amanda with an ingratiating smile.

"Amanda, I'm really sorry. Sophia was just too impulsive. Please don't hold it against her."

Amanda rolled her eyes and snorted self-righteously.

"Ethan, I'm only being lenient because of you. Otherwise I'd take my son for a full-body CT scan, and you'd have to pay for that too!"

"Of course, of course. Thank you for being so generous." Ethan nodded repeatedly.

I stared at Ethan's fawning face, finding it utterly unfamiliar.

"I won't apologize, and I won't pay this fine."

I shook off Ethan's hand and stared at Mr. Lewis.

"You're all accomplices to this."

Mr. Lewis pointed at me.

"Sophia, if that's your attitude, your advanced emergency responder qualification will be permanently revoked. You can forget about working in this field ever again!"

Ethan panicked and shoved me.

"Sophia, have you lost your mind? Do you have to destroy this family before you're satisfied?"

The shove sent me stumbling backward into the water cooler behind me. My lower back throbbed with pain.

Amanda held her child, watching me with smug satisfaction written all over her face.

"Sophia, I suggest you pay that fine quickly. I posted about this on the community forum. Everyone knows you're an unlicensed fraud now."

I clenched my teeth, looking at her.

"Amanda, aren't you afraid of karma?"

"Karma? I practice scientific parenting and follow the rules. What do I have to fear?"

Amanda laughed coldly and turned to leave.

At the door, she looked back and threw out one more line.

"Stay away from my son from now on. Who knows what diseases you might be carrying."