When I was 13, my father sacrificed his life in the line of duty. His former student, Lucas Stone, adopted me and asked me to call him “uncle”. I always thought we were destined for each other, until the day I confessed my feelings and was harshly rejected. Lucas looked at me with disgust and annoyance: “Aria Collins, there’s nothing between us except our uncle-niece relationship! You’ve crossed the line!” “Know your place. You’ve been clinging to me for 5 years because of your father’s connection to me. Isn’t it time you let me go?” Humiliated and embarrassed, I changed my college plans and left without a word. Later, Lucas grabbed my shoulders hysterically: “You confess to me and then just leave? What am I to you?” But I only looked at Lucas calmly: “You’re family to me, my most respected uncle.” At my birthday party, I sat in a corner sofa checking messages on my phone: [Uncle Lucas, it’s my 21st birthday today. Can you come?] But Uncle Lucas hadn’t replied. Just as I was debating whether to call him, voices sounded from outside. Lucas had arrived, but he was followed by Wendy Sinclair – the doctor he had agreed to date yesterday and publicly announced on social media. His doting gaze remained on Wendy the whole time. “Aria, happy birthday!” Wendy smiled gently and handed me a gift box. Lucas finally turned to glance at me: “Your aunt brought you a gift. Aren’t you going to open it and say thank you?” His cold tone was the same as when he rejected my confession last month. The bitterness in my heart was indescribable. When I opened the gift box, I froze. It was adoption papers with my name on one page. This meant that from today on, I would officially become Lucas’s family member. These adoption papers cut off all my hopes for Lucas… I looked up at him in disbelief. “Aria, the idea of adoption was my suggestion. Don’t blame Lucas, okay?” Wendy spoke up. “You’ve been with Lucas for many years. It’s time for you to become part of the Stone family officially. So adopting you is a good thing.” “After becoming part of the family, you’ll have more confidence. When you interact with people outside, you’ll realize who truly cares about you.” Wendy’s meaningful words sent chills down my spine. Did Lucas tell Wendy about my confession to him last month? Otherwise, why would she give me these adoption papers? But just because I confessed, did Lucas want me to cut off all my feelings? Was I so despicable in his eyes? Tears welled up in my eyes, but Lucas still looked at me coldly. “Aren’t you going to thank your aunt?” I felt extremely awkward, but still forced a smile and looked at Wendy, holding back tears. “Thank you, Aunt Wendy. I… I like the gift very much.” Wendy smiled gently, “I’m glad you like it!” “Aria Collins, take the adoption papers.” Lucas spoke up. “From now on, you’re part of the Stone family. Consider the consequences of your actions. Behave yourself!” My throat tightened as I trembled, picking up the adoption papers. The black and white letters spelling “Aria Collins” stung my eyes. When I looked up again, Lucas was leading Wendy to the center of the dance floor. The handsome man and beautiful woman made a perfect couple, quickly becoming the focus of attention. Everyone seemed to have forgotten it was my birthday. Watching Lucas dance, my heart ached unbearably. The affection he showed Wendy was something I once had. I still remember when my father sacrificed his life on the border, When distant relatives tried to sell me off to loan sharks, Lucas appeared like a savior, claiming I was his. I remember when I struggled with academic problems, Lucas sought out experts in the field to tutor me. I even remember when I was writhing in pain from menstrual cramps, Lucas turned his blushing face away while massaging my abdomen with his warm hands. It’s my fault for mistaking his care for love. We’re not that far apart in age, only 6 years difference. I always thought he liked me too, so I confessed like a moth to a flame. But all I got was his cold words: “Aria Collins, there’s nothing between us except our uncle-niece relationship! You’ve crossed the line!” “I don’t understand how you could have such a disgusting idea. You disappoint me!” Those two sentences made my blood run cold, utterly humiliated. But I don’t understand, if Lucas didn’t like me, Why did he do things that made me misunderstand? Why didn’t he adopt me officially from the very beginning? If he didn’t like me, He wouldn’t have accepted the Valentine’s chocolate I gave him when I was 16, He wouldn’t have worn the scarf I knitted for him when I was 18, And he certainly wouldn’t have blushed while buying me a necklace engraved with “lock you in my heart”. A sudden gasp from the crowd snapped me back to reality. I looked up to see Lucas down on one knee in the middle of the dance floor, proposing to Wendy! My heart clenched painfully as tears I’d been holding back finally fell. So this is what Lucas looks like when he truly loves someone. All this time, I’ve just been deluding myself…
Lucas and Wendy became the center of attention at the party. I, the host, wandered the empty streets like a lost soul late at night. By the time I returned to my rented apartment, it was past midnight. My birthday had ended just like that. My tears were almost dried up. I sat in the living room all night, Not even realizing when I fell asleep. When I woke up, it was already daylight, but I found myself lying in bed. I was sure I hadn’t sleepwalked, and my memory was perfect. I definitely hadn’t woken up in the middle to go back to bed. As I pondered this, I caught a whiff of a familiar scent. It was the Burberry cologne Lucas always wore. Had Lucas been here? But he didn’t know the address of my apartment. Maybe I was overthinking it. I tidied up a bit, preparing to go to work at the hospital. When I opened the door, I found cigarette butts scattered on the ground. It was Lucas’s favorite brand. He really had been here! I rushed downstairs eagerly, and sure enough, I saw Lucas about to leave at the entrance. “Lucas!” I called out. He froze in place. I ran towards him, my heart pounding wildly. I wasn’t sure if it was from running, Or from grasping at the last straw of hope. “You came yesterday? How did you know my apartment address? When did you find out I moved out?” Lucas lowered his head slightly, his eyes cold and indifferent. “Aria Collins, I’m not blind. I can see when things are missing from my home.” Lucas rubbed his brow, his tone irritated: “Did you see what I did at the party yesterday?” I had a bad feeling, but still nodded. The next second, Lucas’s cold tone shattered my illusions: “I did that to let you know I could never be so depraved as to have feelings for you.” “Last night was because Wendy noticed you were missing and made me check the security cameras to find you. Aria Collins, drop that self-righteous look on your face.” “From now on, please keep your distance from me. Do you understand?” My ears were ringing. By the time he disappeared from my sight, I came back to my senses, tears already soaking my collar. So Lucas truly despised me to the extreme, Not even willing to spare me a glance… The adult world is cruel. No matter how upset I was, I couldn’t let it affect my work. When I arrived at the hospital, the usually quiet doctors’ office was buzzing with excitement. “Aria, did you hear? A brilliant doctor is coming today! They say she’s also transferring from a military hospital!” Military hospital? My heart skipped a beat. For some reason, Wendy’s face flashed through my mind. The next second, an excited male doctor looked towards the door: “She’s here!” I turned to look, my heart sinking. It really was Wendy! The deputy director spoke up: “Starting today, Dr. Sinclair will be working with you all. She’s top in her field of internal medicine, and will be your superior.” “If you have any questions in the future, you can ask Dr. Sinclair. Please show mutual respect and help each other!” Everyone warmly welcomed Wendy’s arrival. After the deputy director left, They all flocked around her. Only I stood to the side. In this office, except for me who had just become a full-time doctor, The others had all transferred from military hospitals before. So I, who already had little in common with them, now felt even more out of place. As I was organizing patient files, Wendy’s voice sounded behind me: “Aria.” I turned around. Wendy smiled faintly, “Even though we’re family now, as your superior, I’ll be very strict with you!” I forced a slight smile in response, but my mind was in turmoil. If Wendy worked here, it meant Lucas would probably come pick her up after work, right? Doctors aren’t supposed to let personal feelings interfere with work. I tried my best to suppress my thoughts and focus on my job. The peaceful days passed uneventfully for a while. One day when I arrived at the hospital for work, I had just opened the door When I saw Wendy furtively hiding something. I found it strange, but didn’t think too much of it. After everyone arrived, we entered the operating room to prepare. For some reason, Wendy only allowed me, the anesthesiologist, and another male doctor to enter the operating room. Before the surgery began, she turned off the surveillance cameras inside. “The patient requested privacy and specifically asked us not to record the surgery,” Wendy said calmly. “Alright, let’s begin!” The surgery proceeded smoothly as usual. But suddenly, Wendy spoke up: “Aria Collins, you take over.” I was stunned. Me? I had just become a full-time doctor, and she wanted me to use the scalpel? Wendy handed me the scalpel. “20% of the patient’s stomach is currently necrotic. Remove it all and insert an artificial stomach!” I was dumbfounded. Although 20% of the patient’s stomach was necrotic, it could still digest normally. It would make the patient weak and restrict their diet somewhat, But installing an artificial stomach as Wendy suggested would only increase the patient’s suffering. It wouldn’t solve the root of the patient’s problem at all! “Wendy, are you crazy? How would this help the patient’s condition?” I asked in disbelief. But Wendy didn’t even flinch. “I have my reasons for doing this. With me supervising, what are you afraid of?” I turned to look at the anesthesiologist and the other male doctor who had a crush on Wendy. They acted as if they hadn’t heard anything. “Aria Collins, hurry up! Don’t waste time, the patient’s blood pressure is dropping!” Wendy said impatiently. I felt something was very wrong. I held the scalpel but couldn’t bring myself to make the incision. “Tch, Aria Collins, can you do it or not? If not, I’ll do it!” The male doctor snatched the scalpel and shoved me aside. I stumbled back, only able to hand over surgical tools from the side. Half an hour later, the surgery was complete and the patient was moved to intensive care. As Wendy left the operating room, she gave me a meaningful look. I was confused, suddenly feeling uneasy. It wasn’t until 3 days later that I realized that uneasiness wasn’t unfounded.
Today was my shift. But as soon as I entered the hospital, people were pointing and whispering about me. Even some patients looked at me strangely. I was puzzled. When I opened the office door, I found the deputy director standing there with a grim expression. Next to him was someone I never expected to see – Lucas! “…Uncle Lucas?” How could he be here? Before I could react, the deputy director walked towards me. “Aria Collins, you’ve disappointed me greatly!” “Why did you remove the patient’s entire stomach and install an artificial one during gastric surgery? Don’t you know the patient died from infection after the artificial stomach replacement?!” I was stunned, frozen in place. “Deputy Director, this is my fault. I couldn’t change Aria’s decision,” Wendy spoke up before I could respond. “Aria is still young and didn’t know the consequences of her actions. As her family and superior, I’m willing to apologize to the deceased’s family with Aria and take responsibility!” Wendy bowed to the deputy director, her face full of remorse. I stared at Wendy in disbelief. How could she lie so convincingly? It wasn’t me at all! “Deputy Director, removing the patient’s stomach and installing an artificial one wasn’t my decision or my surgery!” The injustice overwhelmed me as I choked out, “It was Dr. Johnson who pushed me aside and performed the surgery following Wendy’s instructions. I didn’t even touch the patient!” “What nonsense are you saying?!” Dr. Johnson spoke up to refute me, but I didn’t miss the flicker of evasion in his eyes. “Dr. Sinclair clearly called your name to perform the surgery. I saw it all. How can you make up such lies?” My blood ran cold as realization dawned. So that’s how it was… This Dr. Johnson didn’t actually have the skills to perform surgery, but Wendy called him in to do it. No wonder he was allowed in the operating room. They had conspired together! “Aria Collins, this is a serious violation of protocol!” The deputy director grew even more severe. His gaze towards me became increasingly fierce. “I didn’t do it!” I insisted firmly. “I swear on my integrity and career that I raised objections before the incident.” “But Wendy didn’t listen to me at all. Deputy Director, you can’t trust Wendy’s one-sided account!” “Then can you prove what you’re saying now? Do you have any evidence?!” The deputy director roared. That angry shout left me stunned once again. That’s right… Wendy had turned off the surveillance cameras in the operating room before the surgery… There was no way to prove what really happened. I was helpless to defend myself. “Enough!” The deputy director waved his hand, the anger on his face undiminished. “Dr. Sinclair, you must take Aria Collins to apologize to the deceased’s family and discuss compensation!” The deputy director turned and left, not giving me any chance to explain. I turned to find Lucas looking at me, his eyes filled with unconcealed disappointment and contempt. It made my blood run cold all over again.
“Uncle Lucas, it wasn’t me! You have to believe me!” I desperately grabbed Lucas’s sleeve. “Uncle Lucas, think about it. What wrong have I ever done all these years? Have I ever caused you any trouble?” “You can’t just believe Wendy’s words. Uncle Lucas—” “Enough!” Lucas’s low voice cut me off angrily. “Aria Collins, your lies won’t fool anyone. Don’t try to blame Wendy!” Tears fell as my heart felt like it was being ripped apart. “Uncle Lucas, you’d rather believe Wendy than trust all the years we spent together?” Lucas frowned deeply. “Aria Collins, I won’t believe your words. As I see it, you resent that I accepted Wendy’s confession and are taking it out on her.” “You’re hypocritical and vicious. I now realize adopting you was the biggest mistake I ever made!” My mind went blank, ears ringing. I didn’t even hear Lucas’s next words. I only saw his lips moving, but his eyes were ice cold. So this is how Lucas saw me? Because of his misleading actions, I mistakenly thought he liked me. But after I confessed, he treated me like poison. In his eyes, I was just a dog to be summoned and dismissed at will. All these years of me loving him were just a joke… My heart felt dead. I didn’t even notice when Wendy pulled me outside. When I came to my senses, we were standing in the stairwell. The smile on Wendy’s face from earlier had completely vanished, Replaced by a vicious and malicious expression. “Aria Collins, aren’t you shameless? Clinging on like a parasite. Have you forgotten our little chat from before?” I looked at her calmly. “Wendy Sinclair, what goes around comes around. All the terrible things you’ve done will be exposed one day.” “Instead of threatening me, you should work on improving your own skills!” But Wendy just laughed silently. Her eyes were full of malice and excitement. “No, there will never be a day of exposure.” Hearing her words, my uneasiness grew to its peak. I instinctively tried to leave, but Wendy grabbed my hand and shoved something cold into it. My heart jumped in panic. I looked down to find a kitchen knife, polished to a shine! The fear and dread in my heart reached its limit. What was this woman planning to do?! The next second, Wendy placed her hand on the sharp blade and yanked hard. Blood gushed out like a faucet turned on! “Ahhhh Aria Collins, what are you doing?!” I was stunned. Her movements were too fast, I had no time to react! Lucas burst through the door at that moment. Seeing Wendy’s bloody hands, he looked at me in disbelief. “Aria Collins, what have you done?!” Lucas shoved me aside roughly. My lower back slammed into the edge of another knife on the kitchen counter. I cried out in pain. But Lucas paid me no attention. He anxiously helped Wendy up from the ground. Wendy was already crying, her face covered in tears. “Lucas, Lucas it hurts so much…” “Lucas, my hands… I need them for surgery! Aria, you…”
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