On the eve of the surgery, I resigned as the lead surgeon. My colleagues in the department scoffed, calling me unreliable and weak. "And he's supposed to be a Ph.D. from abroad? More like he bought a degree from some diploma mill." "He runs away at the first sign of a challenge. He doesn't deserve to be a doctor!" In my past life, I gave up a spot in the national general practitioner skills competition to take on this exact surgery. But due to the gross negligence of the other lead surgeon, it ended in a catastrophic medical malpractice incident. And my own sister, the department head, pinned all the blame on me. Even my girlfriend stood firmly by his side, accusing me of incompetence. Overnight, I went from a lauded medical prodigy to a pariah. Unable to prove my innocence, I was not only fired but also faced prison time. My parents, who had always been so proud of me, pointed their fingers at me, shouting, "We have no son who is so reckless with human life." I spiraled into a severe depression and threw myself from the roof of the hospital. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the eve of the surgery. 1 "This is an extremely complex procedure. The hospital has decided to appoint you as the lead surgeon. Are you confident?" In the department office, my sister, Kaitlyn, smiled as she placed a patient's file in front of me. I looked at the file, and an involuntary tremor ran through my body. Snapping back to the present, I shook my head decisively. "I just got back from my fellowship abroad. I still need some time to get acclimated. I'm not ready for a major surgery like this." In my previous life, this surgery was the beginning of my ruin. And the person pushing it all forward was the very same sister who had always seemed to dote on me. Back then, I had accepted without hesitation, agreeing to co-lead the surgery with another doctor in our department, Dr. Alex Rivera. But Alex was in no condition to operate, making one critical error after another. Despite my repeated warnings, the outcome was irreversible. And I, who had done nothing wrong, was dragged into the ensuing disaster. As the department head, Kaitlyn shifted all responsibility onto my shoulders. I became a social outcast overnight, losing not only my reputation but also my career. Unable to handle the blow, I ended my own life in a haze of despair. Kaitlyn frowned at me now, a flicker of disappointment in her eyes. "This is a fantastic opportunity, Chad. It took a lot of work for me to get it for you. Why are you turning it down?" I pushed the file back across the desk to her, a faint smile on my lips. "My skills are not yet up to the task. I can't take on such a heavy responsibility." Hearing my words, my girlfriend, Jessica, who was standing nearby, immediately chided me. "Chad, can't you be a man for once? You're so timid about everything. How do you ever expect to advance in your career?" Looking at her "tough love" expression, I wanted to laugh. Both of them acted as if they had my best interests at heart. But in their minds, I would never be worth a single hair on Alex's head. I stood up and faced her. "Alex is a graduate of a top medical school. He's superior to me in every way. Let him lead the surgery by himself." The tragic events of my past life were still vivid in my memory. Reborn, I would not make the same mistakes. My words seemed to stun both Kaitlyn and Jessica into silence. Then, Jessica took my hand, her voice turning encouraging. "That's exactly why you should be learning from him! Strive to become as outstanding a doctor as Alex is." When she said his name, it was like she transformed. Her voice was filled with a strange, breathless excitement. 2 I swallowed the bitterness rising in my throat and refused again. "I also have the national general practitioner skills competition to prepare for. I can't possibly take on this surgery." The real reason they were pushing so hard for me to co-lead with Alex was that they both knew it. Without me, Alex didn't have the skill to pull off this procedure alone. And if this incredibly complex surgery were a success, it would be a massive feather in his cap, a huge boost to his career. Seeing the doubt in their eyes, I pulled a document from my folder and placed it on the desk. "What? You don't believe me?" When Jessica saw the document—my official invitation to the competition—her face flushed with anger. "This is a major competition! Why didn't you tell Alex?" Her voice sharpened. "Are you afraid he'd outshine you?" Kaitlyn's expression turned ugly. "We're colleagues at the same hospital, Chad. Don't you know how to share? I've never met someone so selfish." I stared at them in disbelief. "I barely know Alex. Why would I tell him?" We were in the same department, yes. But Alex was arrogant and aloof. He treated new doctors like me with a dismissive air. In the six months I'd been here, we had exchanged maybe three sentences. And that was somehow my fault? My answer only seemed to infuriate Jessica more. "You've been here this long and you still don't know what Alex is like? As a colleague, can't you be more proactive and try to build a better relationship with him?" Without another word, she pulled out her phone and called the competition organizers to try and register Alex. Kaitlyn stormed out of the office, presumably to ask Alex in person. I watched them go, a bitter taste in my mouth. In their eyes, I was just an outsider, an obstacle. A few moments later, Jessica hung up the phone. Registration was full. There was no way to add Alex. Her face was a mask of panic, and she started muttering to herself. "This is such an important competition! If Alex can't participate, it will seriously affect his career!" Her eyes lit up with a sudden, terrible idea, and she turned to me. "But you have a spot, don't you? If you just give up your spot, Alex can compete." Her words sent a tremor through my body. It felt hard to breathe. "So, Alex's future is important, but mine isn't?" In all the years we had been together, I had always put her first, valued her more than my own life. But in her eyes, I would never measure up to Alex, a man she barely knew. Jessica's expression shifted, becoming uncharacteristically coy. "Alex is older than you, Chad. Just let him have this one! You're still young. You'll have other chances." Seeing her fawning, simpering act, I couldn't help but laugh coldly to myself. The strong, independent woman I thought I knew could turn into this simpering mess for Alex. Too bad for her. I wasn't the naive fool from my past life. I wouldn't let them lead me by the nose again. 3 "Chad, Jessica's right. You're young. Give this opportunity to Alex." Just as I was thinking, Kaitlyn walked back in, Alex in tow. I looked up, and my eyes met his. His gaze was filled with undisguised mockery, as if he were laughing at my cowardice. I shook my head firmly. "You don't have the right to make decisions about my life." With that, I turned and walked out of the office. To my surprise, they didn't bother me for the next two days while I was at the competition. I only found out why when I checked my social media: Alex had taken on the surgery by himself. I thought that would be the end of it. But the moment I returned, Kaitlyn and Jessica cornered me, their faces pale with panic. "Chad, you have to save Alex this time. If you don't help him, he's finished." I knew immediately that the surgery had gone wrong. I looked at them, my eyes cold. "What do you expect me to do about it?" This time, I wasn't even in the hospital. They couldn't possibly pin it on me. Kaitlyn's next words made my blood run cold. "I'll handle the paperwork. You're going to take the fall for Alex." Her voice was calm, matter-of-fact. "You haven't been at the hospital that long. Even if you make a mistake, people will be more forgiving." Her words were like daggers of ice. I was her brother, her own flesh and blood, and she was asking me to be the scapegoat for Alex. If I did this, I would not only destroy my career but also face prison. The memories of my past life were still raw and painful. I refused without a second thought. "He's a doctor. If he messed up a surgery, he needs to take responsibility for it. Why should I take the blame for him?" Jessica's voice grew shrill with desperation. "Shouldn't colleagues help each other out? If you help Alex this one time, we'll all be so grateful." Her attempt at emotional blackmail finally broke my control. The rage I had been suppressing erupted. "You're so concerned about Alex, but have either of you ever thought about me?" My voice was trembling, on the verge of a sob. "Have you forgotten? One of you is my sister, and the other is my girlfriend!" In my past life, they had driven me to a dead end for Alex's sake. Did they really want me to relive that nightmare? But Kaitlyn's tone was unyielding, absolute. "Chad, you don't have a choice in this. I've already arranged everything. You will take the blame." She threw a stack of documents onto my desk. They had forged evidence to place me at the scene of the surgery. The fabrication was seamless. To anyone else, it would look completely convincing. They had gone to such lengths for Alex. I had underestimated their devotion. But my face showed no fear. Instead, I smiled at them. "You do realize that if I wanted to, I could send both of you to prison for this, right?"
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