Chapter 3

After the door-kicking fiasco, Lucas's revenge was swift and ruthless. At the morning briefing, he put me on blast in front of the whole department, ripping apart the surgical plan I'd made for a critical patient.

"This plan is way too aggressive. You didn't even think about whether the patient could handle it. Dr. Shaw, we're here to save lives, not to flex," he said.

He talked a good game, but then threw his weight around and reassigned my top nurse to Evelyn. His excuse was "Evelyn's still green. She needs someone experienced to guide her."

He ripped my team apart, just like that.

Everyone saw it happen, but nobody dared speak up.

The national selection for young medical experts was just around the corner, and for doctors our age, it was the most important step in our careers.

And this year, the chair of the selection committee was Lucas's mentor, Charles Grant, a true giant in the world of surgery. Just like that, I was at a serious disadvantage.

Before the selection, there was a public surgery demonstration for the whole hospital and all the judges. And my assistant was Evelyn.

We were at the most critical part of the surgery, suturing the aorta.

Evelyn handed me the instrument, but her hand slipped. The sterile tool hit the floor with a sharp clatter. The surgery had to be paused, and the entire procedure had to be restarted.

Fifteen minutes of precious time were wasted. In a surgery like this, every second could mean the difference between life and death.

Evelyn was a mess, tears streaming down her face as she bowed deeply to the bigwigs and judges in the observation room. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. It's all my fault," she choked out.

The post-op debriefing was thick with tension. Charles scanned the room, his eyes finally locking onto Lucas.

"Lucas, you're the associate director. Let's hear your thoughts," he said.

Lucas stood up, his face clouded with deep regret. "Dr. Shaw's skills are absolutely top-tier, no doubt about it," he said.

He started with praise, but then his tone shifted sharply. "But she's far too severe and demanding, creating immense psychological pressure for the team. That's the real reason behind this error.

"A truly outstanding lead surgeon needs more than just technical skill. They need compassion and humanity," he added.

He spoke with such sincerity and moral conviction. It felt like he wasn't my boyfriend anymore, but my adversary.

With Charles steering the committee, they put my candidacy on hold, saying my teamwork was under review. On top of that, I had to submit a statement on how to be a more humane leader.

They made it public to the entire hospital. It was the darkest day of my career.

Late at night, I sat alone in my deserted office, staring at a blank document. My mind was completely empty, not a single word coming to me.

Suddenly, I remembered years ago, when we were both just interns.

I pulled three all-nighters working on my very first research paper.

Lucas stayed up with me every night, patiently fixing every mistake I made.

He gently held my face, his eyes sparkling as he said, "Nina, you were born to shine on the operating table."

Those memories that used to be so sweet now felt like poison. I was shivering uncontrollably, and suddenly realized the heat in my office had been cut off. The chill seeped right into my bones, leaving me trembling from head to toe.

The next day, a friend from facilities told me Lucas had ordered it, pulling rank as associate director.

And it was all because Evelyn had whined to him yesterday that the AC in her office was blasting her, making her skin feel dry and messed up.

At that moment, whatever warmth I had left inside me was gone for good.

I handed in my resignation, ready to walk away for good. But the hospital director personally rejected it.

His explanation was that I was a key talent the hospital was investing in, and they weren't about to let me go.