Due to a shortage of ER resources, I, the hospital’s lead consulting physician, had to cover a shift as a nurse. My cousin, Chloe Davies, a patient on my ward, made my life hell. “The toilet’s dirty. Clean it. Isn’t that what nurses do? Clean up other people’s mess? Refuse, and I’ll report you!” Duty overrode fury. I clenched my jaw and did it. On her discharge day, she filed a complaint with the associate director anyway. “I’m here to report Ava for patient abuse! And she also seduced my husband! A vixen like her doesn’t deserve to be a nurse. Fire her, now!” Furious, I yanked off my nurse’s scrub top and flung it at her. “Save your complaint. I’m the chief medical consultant here. You have no idea who you’re messing with!” Before I could finish, Associate Director Dr. Sterling cut me off sharply. “Lead Consultant? Ava, even for a liar, you should at least aim for something believable.” I was the newly appointed Lead Consultant, a fact known only to Dr. Peterson, the hospital director. Sterling was completely in the dark. I was about to explain, but he steamrolled over me. “You’re just an unaffiliated intern. Say one more word, and you’re out!” Chloe, who had been frozen in place, instantly relaxed. She mumbled under her breath. “Oh, so she’s just an nobody intern.” Her eyes, when she looked at me again, were filled with mockery and disdain. “So what if she’s an intern? Does an intern get to target a patient?” “Shameless tramp, seducing my husband!” “She has to kneel down and apologize to me, and she needs to be fired!” Hearing Chloe’s baseless accusations, I immediately frowned. I’d never even met her husband. How could I have seduced him? Before I could speak, Dr. Sterling glared at me. “Apologize immediately, or forget about getting your internship certificate!” Was Dr. Sterling under the impression I was here just for an internship certificate? But I was merely trying to get a feel for the work environment. Seeing Dr. Sterling’s attitude, Chloe grew even more arrogant. Her eyes gleamed with triumph, as if convinced I, as an intern, would fall in line. I shook my head right away. “No way.” “I didn’t do anything wrong; I won’t apologize to her.” Without even looking at Chloe, I continued. “Everyone witnessed how Chloe treated my colleagues since she was admitted to the ward.” “If Dr. Sterling isn’t aware, you can check the security footage.” At the mention of surveillance, Chloe’s expression stiffened for a second. But she quickly recovered, yelling insults at the top of her lungs. “What’s wrong with hitting the call button when I need something? You’re just here to clean up after patients, it’s an honor for you to even get me water!” Her expression was fierce, adopting the aggressive stance of someone arguing in the street. Dr. Sterling pushed up his rimless glasses, a forced smile on his face. “Ma’am, rest assured, I will definitely make Ava apologize to you.” With that, he shot me a warning look. “Nurse Miller, just humble yourself and apologize, and this whole thing will blow over.” “You’re an unaffiliated intern; you must want to keep this job, right?” Recognizing the threat in Dr. Sterling’s words, I gave a cold smirk. Dr. Peterson had been the one communicating with me recently; it seemed Dr. Sterling truly didn’t know my real identity. Chloe spat on the ground, looking at me with her nose in the air. But I spoke unhurriedly. “No need to fire me. I’m quitting right now.” Ignoring the three dumbfounded faces, I walked away with a flourish. As I was packing my belongings in the break room, I heard a commotion in the hallway. “The nurses at this hospital are indecent; you all better watch your husbands, or that Ava vixen will snatch them up!” “She seduced my husband and won’t even admit it, she refuses to apologize!” Listening to Chloe’s wails, I paid her no mind.
After packing my personal items, I left the break room. Chloe saw me and rushed forward, wildly tugging at my clothes. Her long nails dug deeply into my skin, and blood immediately seeped out. I winced in pain, then forcefully broke free from her grasp. Glancing at my bleeding wound, I warned her angrily. “Chloe, if you dare touch me again, I’m calling the police right now!” A flicker of panic crossed Chloe’s eyes, and she didn’t dare speak again. But bystanders stepped forward, blocking my path and preventing me from leaving. They spoke sarcastically, shoving their phones in my face and filming non-stop. “Seducing someone’s husband and acting so righteous? All that education went to waste!” “Apologize now, or I’ll blast you all over the internet!” Seeing that she had support, the guilt in Chloe’s eyes vanished. Before I could react, she rushed over and slapped me across the face. “That’s for seducing my man, you shameless home-wrecker!” “No wonder you had money to be a self-sponsored intern here; you just spread your legs for dirty money to support yourself!” My gaze hardened on Chloe; I was at my breaking point. Just as I was about to speak, a familiar voice came from around the corner. “Ava? What are you doing here?” It was Mia Chen, my elementary school classmate. We had kept in touch after graduation and were close friends who talked about everything. Seeing her, my agitated mood vanished. She hurried over, affectionately linking her arm through mine. “What’s going on here? So much excitement!” Someone in the crowd muttered sarcastically. “What else? We’re catching a shameless home-wrecker!” I shot an annoyed glance at the person, who, far from being intimidated, even rolled their eyes at me. Mia looked confused, as if still trying to process what was happening. I managed to control my irritation and pulled Mia closer. “I’ve never done anything I regret in my life. This is my good friend; if you don’t believe me, you can ask her.” At my words, everyone’s gaze shifted to Mia. I looked at Mia with certainty and anticipation, sure she would vouch for me. But Mia gave an awkward smile, pulled her arm away, and stepped back. She looked at me suspiciously, speaking cautiously. “Ava, are they talking about the pictures you showed me?” I froze, not understanding what Mia was referring to. Before I could speak, Mia quickly swiped on her phone a couple of times. A minute later, she handed the phone to me. “Are they talking about you and this man?” “Didn’t you say you really liked him and Photoshopped intimate photos with him? “So, did you get him? If you did, you owe me dinner!” On her phone were intimate bedroom photos of me and Daniel Hughes, in very suggestive poses. My mind went blank instantly; I couldn’t think at all. “SMACK!” The crisp sound of a slap echoed loudly in the hallway. “Ava, you little tramp, you actually Photoshopped such disgusting pictures!” “And you said you didn’t seduce my husband? Your own friend just exposed you!” She started hitting and kicking me, nailing me to the pillar of shame. The bystanders were even more enraged, showering me with insults. “I didn’t, I didn’t Photoshop these pictures…” But no matter how I explained, they wouldn’t believe me. I looked at Mia like a ghost, utterly bewildered. Why would she frame me?
Finally regaining my senses, I demanded angrily. “Mia Chen, I’ve never wronged you, why are you slandering me?” But she looked innocent, quickly apologizing to me. “I’m so sorry, Ava, I didn’t know the man you liked was already married.” “If I had known, I would have absolutely kept your secret!” Her words hit me hard, and I almost collapsed. Chloe, meanwhile, was tugging at my hair, demanding angrily. “Ava, what else do you have to say for yourself?!” “This is your friend; would she lie to frame you?” Yes, Mia Chen was definitely framing me. I forced myself to stay calm, my gaze falling on Dr. Sterling in the corner. “I need to see Dr. Peterson. Otherwise, I won’t perform tomorrow’s surgery.” Dr. Sterling scoffed, sizing me up with a contemptuous look. “Surgery? What surgery? I think you’re just trying to stall for time.” “You know, people shouldn’t do bad things, or karma will catch up to them eventually!” He rolled his eyes and addressed the crowd. “Everyone, Ava has been fired. Her actions have nothing to do with this hospital.” As soon as he finished speaking, the enraged crowd turned their fury on me. Ignoring my explanations, they continued their personal attacks. Just as I was about to give up, I heard a steady male voice. “Chloe, why are you still here? I’ve been waiting for you in the parking lot.” It was Chloe’s husband, Daniel Hughes. Three years ago, when they got married, my mom even sent me their wedding photos, hinting that I should contribute to their wedding gift. I only clicked to view the wedding photo once before I unceremoniously retorted. “You already gave your uncle’s daughter a huge sum for her wedding, wasn’t that enough? Now you want another chunk from me? You might be obsessed with spoiling our relatives, but I’m not!” Soon, I received a dozen 60-second voice messages. Although I didn’t give a gift, Mom still threatened me into attending their wedding. Daniel was from a prestigious university; he surely wouldn’t be as unreasonable as Chloe. I spoke impatiently. “Daniel, someone’s spreading vicious rumors about us. You need to clear this up!” Daniel turned to look, and when he saw me, his expression froze. I looked at him expectantly, hoping he would clarify for us. But he actually knelt directly in front of me, his voice humble and pleading. “Ava, please, can you just stop hounding me? “I’m already married to your cousin; there’s no way I can be with you.” “If you just leave me alone, I’ll get on my knees and thank you.” With that, he actually performed three full bows towards me. Seeing Daniel’s actions, the whispers and condemnations from the crowd drowned me out. “Oh my god, how shameless! She’s really desperate to be a mistress!” “And he’s her cousin’s husband! How desperate can she be?” I quickly shook my head, looking at Chloe and Daniel in front of me with fear and confusion. Chloe was staring at me furiously, but her eyes were filled with triumph. I instantly realized what was happening; they had all conspired to set me up! Finally finding my voice, I quickly denied it. “No, this isn’t right. I just got back from overseas not long ago; I’ve never even met this man!” “The three of them are working together to frame me, deliberately ruining my reputation!” The bystanders, however, didn’t believe what I said. “Still making excuses? The man himself admitted it!” “So shameless, does she even have a family to be ashamed for her?” Before I could move, Chloe’s palm shot out toward my face. I tried to sidestep, but Mia locked my arms in a vise grip. The slap connected, hard. I tasted blood, my lip already swelling. Damn it. Tomorrow’s surgery… I took a deep breath. My eyes locked on Chloe’s. No fury, just a terrifying calm. “It will cost you more than you can imagine, Chloe Davies!”
I turned to the smug Dr. Sterling, my voice cold. “I am Dr. Ava Miller, lead consultant in cardiac surgery. I can’t complete tomorrow’s surgery. You’ll have to find another surgeon.” “You may inform Dr. Peterson yourself.” Chloe and Daniel looked confused. They had no idea what I was talking about. Dr. Sterling let out a derisive snort. “Do your homework before spinning tales. No Lead Consultant is that young.” Chloe spat on the ground, panting as she mocked me. “Ava, you barely scraped through vocational school. Your degree is lower than mine. Who are you trying to fool?” The air hummed with their ridicule, sharp and mocking. Then, cutting clean through the noise, a middle-aged woman’s voice rang out. “Lead Consultant, my foot! Ava is just a country bumpkin!” The sharp voice attracted everyone’s attention. It felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over my head, and I froze in place. My voice came out strangely hoarse, “Mom?” Mom rushed to Chloe’s side, her glare cutting toward me like a blade. Chloe instantly buried herself in Mom’s arms, sobbing. “Aunt Susan, you have to help me!” Watching Mom soothe her was a fresh twist of the knife. My mother had always put my uncle’s family first. Since we were children, Chloe got first pick of everything. Later, she even blocked me from attending proper high school, steering me into a vocational track instead. “What’s the point in wasting money on your education? Let Chloe go to university instead!” She used my tuition money to pay for Chloe’s college diploma. My father, who had divorced Mom long ago, found out and arranged for me to study abroad. But while I was studying overseas, Mom never contacted me; she didn’t even know I was abroad. Now, to protect Chloe, she was pointing her finger at me, cursing me, trying to nail me to the pillar of shame. “Ava, after all these years, you’ve learned to lie!” “You only have a vocational certificate, stop pretending!” “You’ve always been jealous of Chloe. Now that she’s found a good husband, you’re trying to seduce Daniel!” With that, she cast a satisfied look at Daniel. “Luckily, you truly love Chloe and weren’t swayed by Ava, that vixen.” The crowd gasped, completely believing Mom’s words. “Even her own mother says that about her, she really must be a home-wrecker.” “And she was acting so righteous just now? Where did she get the nerve?” “I almost fell for it. Should someone like her be selling herself? How much for an hour?” My eyes were red-rimmed when I met my mother’s gaze, but hers only hardened in return. She leaned in close, whispering a warning. “Serves you right. Who told you to come here as a self-funded intern? I already pulled strings to get Chloe a position, but because you were here, they turned her down!” Each word was a blade, twisting deeper. So she knew. She had helped Chloe destroy me. And because she was my mother, everyone would believe her. At that moment, I was truly exhausted. “You conspired to ruin me,” I said, “for a junior internship?” “You’re not my mom. I’m cutting ties with you!” But Mom pushed me hard, muttering non-stop. “Cut ties, then! I’d be ashamed to claim a daughter like you anyway!” With a sharp shove, she sent me stumbling back. I hit the floor hard. Suddenly, Dr. Peterson’s respectful voice came from behind me. “Dr. Miller? Are you all right?”
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