Trading My Ring for the Frontlines

Synopsis

Holding my official full-time offer from Oakridge Medical Center, I rushed to share the good news with my fiancé and brother—only to catch the nurses whispering outside their office. "Did you hear? Dr. Sterling and Dr. Bennett actually got into a physical fight today over who gets to mentor Mia Lawson." "Wait, aren't they Natalie’s fiancé and brother? Why would they..." "That’s not even the half of it. They’re planning to transfer Natalie to a satellite clinic just so Mia can take home the top fellowship bonus." Numb with shock, I pushed the door open. Without a second thought, my fiancé and brother handed me a transfer notice. "Natalie, your attitude needs work. You should gain some field experience at a smaller facility first." On the desk lay everything they had meticulously arranged for Mia: keys to a downtown apartment, a coveted research sponsorship, and a fast-track promotion. Harrison Sterling patted my shoulder with patronizing reassurance. "Once you transfer, we’ll set a wedding date. A lighter workload will let you focus on family. Besides, staying away from Mia will keep you from having another 'episode' and pushing her down the stairs." The offer letter in my hand felt like a knife to the heart. For ten whole years, I had been an invisible outcast in this dynamic. Wherever Mia was, I was reduced to a stepping stone. If that was how they saw me, then I would take the offer in my inbox: a placement with Doctors Without Borders in an active war zone. May our paths never cross again.