Chapter 1

While I was performing heart surgery on a five-year-old child, the hospital's loudspeaker suddenly blared and emitted an ear-piercing beeping sound.

After that, I heard a woman crying over the speakers. She said accusingly, "I want to report Dr. Maeve Thornton, the current attending physician for my daughter! She brought my daughter into the operating room without permission! She wants to murder my child!

"Unethical doctors run rampant these days. Why are you breaking up my family and trying to kill my daughter, Dr. Thornton?"

The voice on the speaker grew louder, and I could vaguely hear the outraged cries of disapproval from bystanders. My hand nearly slipped as sweat trickled down my cheek.

Several of my colleagues looked at me in shock. Their gazes were filled with mixed emotions—I saw mockery, confusion, and sympathy in their eyes.

I simply said, "The surgery is almost over. Stay focused."

But in the next second, a deafening sound of someone kicking and pounding on the door came from outside the operating room. Amid the noisy clatter, I heard the door lock being pried open.

A woman spoke up in a booming voice. "That shameless woman is in there. We mustn't let her hurt Ellie! Oh, God. Why hasn't someone as morally corrupt as the mistress been run over or suffered some kind of divine retribution yet? We're here today to seek justice for a wronged woman!"

I took a deep breath as I listened to the unbearable insults. My scalp tingled, but I kept my eyes on the scalpel, not daring to slip up in the slightest. Finally, the stitches were done!

The moment I completed the surgery, a crowd stormed in.

I tried to remain calm as I looked at the woman who looked like the leader and said, "Ma'am, we're in the middle of surgery. Please leave. We can handle this privately if there's an issue."

A colleague beside me also tried to dissuade them. "We're operating right now. Please don't disrupt our work and interfere with the optimal treatment for the child!"

But as soon as those words were spoken, the woman in charge, Faye Mitchell, became furious. She forcefully pushed me aside and reached out desperately to hold the little girl.

"This is my daughter! Why would she need surgery when she's perfectly fine? You're just trying to kill her and help the homewrecker steal my husband!" Faye cried pitifully as she shook the child's body, completely disregarding the fresh incision on her frail little body.

"Wake up, Ellie! Everyone is against us here. If anything happens to you, I'll die here in the hospital too!" Faye exclaimed.

I stepped forward to stop her. "That's enough!"

The moment I spoke, the crowd surrounded me. They drowned me in a flurry of accusations, their spit flying all over the place. Their gazes were murderous.

All of them looked furious and ready to kill. It was as though they might tear me apart at any second.

"How dare you have the audacity to be a doctor, you wretched woman? Maybe you're secretly infected with some disease. Shall we pay to get you examined?"

"My husband is 50 and still going strong. Do you want me to let you have him, you homewrecker?"

"I bet you're involved with all the men in your department."

They laughed loudly, their insults taking a turn for the worse.

I sensed that the situation was escalating, so I signaled to my colleague to move the young patient out first.

But Faye was sharp-eyed and quick to react. She shoved my colleague away immediately. A few of her righteous friends stood guard behind her and glared at the rest of the medical staff.

"What are you trying to do? You're planning to take my daughter's heart, right? You murderers deserve death!" Faye shouted.

I frowned as I wondered why the other hospital staff and security hadn't come in to assist us.

In the next moment, I heard Faye sneer like she'd read my mind. "We locked the doors with the locks we brought. They can't get in. No one's coming to save you anytime soon!"

My expression darkened as I glared at her. I retorted, "What exactly do you want? You're slandering me! I could call the police and press charges."

"Slander? What nonsense. You stole my husband, and you think I don't know? Ellie is my daughter. How did you get her in here, huh? It was you who tricked the child's father into signing for the surgery!" Faye hurled accusations at me one after another.

Her words made my heart skip a beat.

My husband had said he'd adopted this orphaned little girl from his hometown. He had lied to me!

Before I could respond, Faye began proclaiming my crimes to everyone. "I've been with Harvey for five years. Only today did I find out that this vixen had seduced him! While my husband was supposedly away on a business trip, he was actually out late at night to buy her contraceptives!"