During a snowy photoshoot, my boyfriend, Lucas, wanting to amuse his idealized crush, Seraphina, suddenly grabbed me and executed an over-the-shoulder throw. "Just a joke, look at your silly face, haha!" That day, Seraphina Vance’s smile was the most beautiful she’d ever captured. Mine, however, was shattered. My right hand was broken, and I would never again wield a surgical scalpel. Later, Lucas developed a rare disease. The only doctor in the entire country capable of performing the specific surgery he needed was me. The moment he threw me to please his “white moonlight,” he didn’t just break my hand; he broke his own life. 01 It was a rare heavy snowfall in Arcadia City. After lunch, I was strolling through the hospital with a few colleagues when we stumbled upon Seraphina Vance, who was photographing the snow. During our student days, she was known throughout medical school as the cold, distant beauty, her personality even more frigid than the surgical scalpel she wielded. She never smiled. She was the unattainable goddess for countless male students. "Dr. Vance!" a male colleague called out, handing Seraphina a hot coffee to warm her hands. "It’s freezing out here, why are you alone?" "Thank you. I prefer solitude," Seraphina replied, turning away dismissively. Her skin, kissed by the sunlight, seemed dusted with a thin layer of frost, luminous and ethereal. Everyone wanted a group photo under the snow-laden trees. So, I pulled out my phone, took on the role of photographer, bending low to find the perfect angle and distance. My fingers traced the air as I counted down: "Three, two…" Just as I reached the final count, a sudden whoosh of wind swept past my ear. My boyfriend, Lucas Reed, appeared seemingly out of nowhere. With a boisterous laugh, he hoisted me up from my bent position, and slammed me down with a vicious over-the-shoulder throw, my right shoulder crashing towards the ground! Thud! "Look at that silly face of yours, hahahaha!" I plunged into the deep snow, the buried tree roots beneath me trembling subtly from the impact. Snowflakes cascaded from the branches, swirling like something out of a fairytale. And then, Seraphina Vance, in a rare, breathtaking moment, broke into a wide, radiant smile, stunning everyone present. 02 Why would Lucas do that to me? Was he deliberately trying to humiliate me, just to elicit that knowing smile from Seraphina? And what had I done wrong to deserve it? My mind went completely blank for several seconds. It was only when a wave of profound injustice and fury began to surge through me that I realized my entire right shoulder felt numb, my right hand utterly lifeless. All I could manage was a choked gasp: "Help…" "Wow, Dr. Vance, this photo is absolutely stunning! I’ve known you for seven years and this is the first time I've seen you smile!" Lucas, meanwhile, had picked up my phone and, like a child presenting a prized toy, proudly shared the picture with everyone. "He's right, Dr. Vance should really smile more, it’s truly beautiful!" "Lucas, quick, help your girlfriend up! How could you do that?" Lucas laughed, dismissing their concerns. He knelt in the snow and began to dig me out. "Skylar and I are always playing around; we're like buddies. She’ll be fine…" His words died in his throat as his gaze suddenly met my dull, lifeless eyes. When he dug a little deeper and saw my grotesquely twisted right arm, a wave of pure panic washed over him. 03 "I’m so sorry, Skylar, I was just joking… I didn't mean to…" My right shoulder had been pierced by a sharp branch or root, bleeding profusely, and I was rushed into the emergency room. The Chief of Staff and the hospital’s Deputy Director, who had just finished a grueling shift, their faces turning grim when they saw me, followed close behind to oversee my emergency treatment. Lucas clung tightly to my left hand, his eyes rimmed with red, frantically wiping the melting snow from my face. He trembled uncontrollably, a picture of desperate fear. He was stopped at the door of the operating theater, and in the last second before the doors swung shut, I looked at him, my voice eerily calm, and uttered a single word: "Get out." 04 When I regained consciousness in my hospital room, Seraphina Vance was speaking quietly with the nurse, inquiring about my medication. The room was heavy with the sickly sweet scent of plum blossom essential oil, so cloying it even masked the antiseptic. On my bedside table, Seraphina's phone lay, its screen still on. She had posted that snowy group photo to her social media. Lucas Reed was the first to like and comment: "You should really smile more, Dr. Vance. You're beautiful when you smile." I stared for a few seconds, a cold realization settling in. Then my gaze drifted to the medical chart beside the phone. Whether it was carelessness or deliberate intention, Seraphina had left my chart there, easily accessible. As a surgeon myself, I understood the contents immediately. My right hand would never again wield a scalpel. 05 The crisp rustle of paper was eerily loud in the quiet room. Seraphina glanced back at me, coolly retrieved the chart, and said nothing. Though we shared the same mentor and were now colleagues, our interactions had never been close. Seraphina rarely engaged with men, and even less so with other women. We had nothing to say to each other. "Skylar, are you awake? I'm so sorry, so, so sorry." Lucas Reed’s voice broke the silence of the room. He had just come off an all-night surgery, his handsome face slick with sweat. His tall frame cautiously approached my bed, and he gently took my left hand, still separated by the blanket. "I just wanted to play a joke on you, Skylar, I really did. I'm so sorry." "I've already informed your parents, don't worry!" "…You just have a fracture, a small surgery in a few days. Our old Chief of Surgery will perform it himself, and I'll be there too. Your right hand will definitely recover!" Lucas's voice trailed off, trembling like a bewildered child. He lowered his head, repeatedly stroking my fingers. Seeing my silence, he managed a strained, shaky smile, then with trembling hands, pulled a small velvet box from his pocket. "Oh, look at my memory! Actually, yesterday, I wanted to propose to you." 06 Seraphina Vance had silently slipped out at some point. Lucas’s gaze burned with a desperate, feigned passion. "Arcadia City has never seen such beautiful snow. I just wanted to propose to you amidst it all… First, I’d annoy you, then surprise you with the proposal. You know, like they do online. I honestly just wanted to play a joke! I’m so stupid, I deserve to be punished. I promise it will never happen again!" But the box held a very ordinary ring, showing no sign of careful thought or preparation. Did I believe him? Lucas seized my numb, unresponsive right hand. "Marry me, Skylar Greene." The air was terrifyingly silent, so quiet I could almost hear the steady drip of medication into my IV line. Suddenly, I laughed. Lucas immediately sagged with relief, pressing his cheek against my hand, nuzzling like a fawning puppy. "Look at you, pathetic fool." I used my good left hand to grab a handful of his hair, my eyes cold and sharp. "Still thinking about proposing at a time like this? You should be heading to the police station to give your statement. You deliberately assaulted me." "You provoked me for a proposal? Don't make excuses for your mistakes. Back then, all you cared about was humiliating me and making your goddess happy. Do you think I'm an idiot?" "Furthermore, the people you should apologize to most are my patients. They painstakingly waited for their surgery slots, specialized procedures that only Professor Sterling, at ninety-six, and I could perform in the entire country. Now my hand is useless. Who will help them now?" 07 Lucas's mouth gaped open, speechless with shame at his lies being exposed. The quiet hospital room was left with only me. The water stains from melted snow spread slowly across the ceiling, like my own future, hazy and directionless. Closing my eyes, the hopeful, expectant faces of my patients flashed rapidly through my mind. How would I explain this to them now? "Honestly, Lucas, it's not your fault. Accidents are unpredictable. Skylar is just a young woman; you need to coax her more. She’ll come around once she understands." My eyes snapped open at the sound of the voice. Seraphina Vance was standing just outside my room, comforting Lucas. "Perhaps this is why I dislike closeness with anyone. I can't bring myself to take out my frustration on innocent people. Should you unconditionally blame your boyfriend just because he is your boyfriend? I find that kind of hysterical woman rather distasteful." I honestly thought I was hallucinating. What the hell was Seraphina yapping about? Lucas let out a heavy sigh, his voice hoarse. "Dr. Vance, you’re right, I understand. Regardless, it’s all my fault. I love her; I can't be as clear-headed and rational as you." "Dr. Vance, you care about Skylar too, don't you? Coming to sit by her bed yourself. I thank you on Skylar's behalf. You should go rest now." Through the slatted blinds, I could vaguely see Seraphina standing before Lucas. Lucas helplessly rubbed his face, and then, with a reverent tenderness, leaned against Seraphina— "Thank you, Dr. Vance." …I expressionlessly picked up the phone. "Hello, 911? I've been maliciously assaulted by a colleague, and I suspect they're attempting murder!" 08 Lucas Reed and I met in college. If there was anything that truly drew me to him, it was perhaps his genuine sincerity. He was utterly transparent with me, supporting me unconditionally in everything, like a loyal, clumsy dog, wagging its tail furiously for its owner. I never had to question his feelings; I just needed to slowly teach him how to love, how to navigate a relationship… But now, I no longer wanted to spend my life raising a boy. He could give me his sincerity, but his soul would forever tilt towards that sacred, incorruptible goddess. He made me sick to my stomach. My parents rushed to the police station. After learning the full story, they fully supported my decision. What kind of "joke" makes you throw your girlfriend over your shoulder without hesitation? He had destroyed my career. And afterwards, he had the audacity to tell my parents that I had simply "accidentally slipped" at the hospital and injured my arm. 09 Facing all my accusations, Lucas Reed didn’t offer a single word of rebuttal, accepting any punishment. In the end, it was the hospital’s Director and Chief of Surgery who stepped in to mediate, hoping to keep the incident from escalating. Lucas was facing indefinite suspension, and his lawyers were negotiating a settlement, only asking that he avoid jail time to prevent a negative image for the hospital. Furthermore, my ninety-six-year-old mentor, Professor Sterling, was still hospitalized and comatose, and no one wanted to upset the old man by making a big fuss. A settlement? Fine. Then Lucas Reed had better prepare his money. The hospital quickly arranged surgery for me, urging me to focus on recovering my right hand and nothing else. But on my first day of hospitalization, the nurses' station erupted into an argument over overtime. With two surgeons out of commission in the surgical department, all shifts and surgeries had to be rearranged, leading to a massive increase in workload. Seraphina Vance, passing by on her rounds, stopped at the nurses' station, her voice like ice. "Complaining won't help. If you nurses are tired, don't you think the doctors are too?" "It was merely an accident, and your Dr. Greene just threw a tantrum and escalated things, causing her boyfriend to be suspended too. Don't blame anyone but herself." "Don't mind me for being blunt, I'm just stating facts." 10 The nurses at the station froze. She hadn't been present, didn't know the full story, and yet Seraphina Vance, the aloof goddess who notoriously avoided gossip, spoke with such conviction that her words were naturally compelling. As Seraphina turned to leave, I swiftly rushed forward and grabbed her wrist— "Dr. Vance, speak plainly. Stop with the passive-aggressive remarks. What do you mean I escalated things?" "Look closely, I was the one who was harmed! If it were you, if your boyfriend threw you for no reason, breaking your arm so you could never hold a scalpel again, and then tried to claim it was just a joke, an accident, wouldn't you be furious? Wouldn't you demand accountability? Then you must be a saint in disguise!" The nurses' expressions shifted. I pulled out the group photo, placing it on the table. "Dr. Vance was right there. When Lucas threw me, you were smiling so incredibly radiant! What was going through your mind? Were you really that happy?" Seraphina's slender body swayed, and she bit down hard on her lower lip, the blood slowly draining from her face. She was about to speak when a sudden powerful shove from behind sent me sprawling. Lucas Reed had positioned himself between us, shielding Seraphina behind him. "Skylar, Dr. Vance doesn't understand all this backstabbing between women! Just say less. This whole thing is my fault."
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