The day before my hospital promotion interview, my boyfriend secretly submitted an application for me to join the Tibet medical aid team. I was furious and demanded to know why. He just nonchalantly said, "Chloe was using my computer to look up some info the other day and accidentally clicked the wrong thing. It was just a joke." "There's a secondary confirmation, right? Just reject it." Chloe was the new resident in Liam's department this year. She was bright and beautiful, always buzzing around Liam. He knew perfectly well that if I didn't reply within 12 hours, the application would automatically be confirmed. I would have to stay in the Tibetan region for three years. It turned out my career development and life plans were nothing more than a joke to him. I didn't say a word; I simply confirmed the transfer order to Tibet. Later, when Liam saw my transfer document, he suddenly panicked. "Wasn't there a secondary confirmation? You didn't reject it?!" 1 When I received the transfer order for the Tibet medical aid team, my blood ran cold. Yesterday, I asked Liam to submit my application for the Deputy Chief Physician promotion. Now, I only received a notice stating: "Dispatched to Tibet for medical aid, duration: three years." HR sent me a message: "Evelyn, did you submit the wrong form? You have 12 hours to reject it." Liam and I had been dating for seven years and were planning to get married at the end of this year. Everyone in the hospital knew there was no way I would voluntarily go to Tibet at this point in my life. My hands were shaking. When I dialed Liam's number, my nails dug into my palms. "What happened? I received a notice for the Tibet medical aid team." A careless laugh came from Liam on the other end of the line. "Oh, forgot to tell you. Chloe came to my office the other day and saw me working on your application. She said the sky in Tibet is so blue and the snow-capped mountains are beautiful, so she submitted an application for you as a joke." "She's new and doesn't know any better. It was just a joke." "There's a secondary confirmation, right? Just reject it." His tone was incredibly casual, like he had just ordered the wrong takeout. "You think this is no big deal?" He sounded impatient, "You're overthinking things again." "Do we need to be so serious? Just change it back." "If HR hadn't reminded me, this transfer would have gone into effect." "Chloe illegally accessed computer data and invaded my privacy. I can report her." Liam's voice instantly turned cold. "Evelyn, you're becoming increasingly unreasonable." "It was a joke, and you want to report Chloe? When are you going to drop this hostility towards her?" He paused, his tone hardening, "How many times do I have to tell you? She just graduated and doesn't know anyone in the hospital. What's wrong with me taking care of her a bit more as her mentor?" "What's the big deal about her making a joke? If you're going to report her, report me too!" He hung up on me. I sat in the on-call room, feeling a bit dazed. Seven years. Everyone said we were a match made in heaven. But now, he's in cardiology, and I'm heading to Tibet. Between us lay over two thousand miles, and a Chloe. Canceling the application only required a single click. But I stared at the screen and didn't move. A nurse knocked on the door: "Dr. Thorne, someone's here for you." Chloe was holding two cups of coffee. She saw me and strode over. "Evelyn." She handed me a cup. "I just got off the phone with Dr. Hayes. He's in a bad mood and wants to take a few colleagues camping. Do you think it's appropriate for me to go?" Her voice carried a hint of provocation, her eyes full of smugness. It had been three months. Ever since she was assigned to our department as a resident, it had been like this. Pretending to be innocent while constantly provoking me. I took the coffee, didn't drink it, and asked her back, "What do you think?" Chloe scratched her head: "I don't know, I'm afraid you might misunderstand. Dr. Hayes said you've had an issue with him lately. I was thinking, maybe I should keep my distance..." "Then don't go." She froze for a moment. "Weren't you asking for my opinion?" I placed the coffee on the desk. "My opinion is, don't go." Chloe's expression shifted. Before she could speak, the elevator doors opened. Liam walked out, saw us, and frowned. "Chloe, I told you to wait downstairs. Why did you come up?" "I came to ask Evelyn's opinion on whether I could go camping with you guys..." Chloe lowered her head, her voice sounding wronged, "I was afraid she'd be upset." Liam patted Chloe on the shoulder. "Don't be silly, why ask her? I told you to go, so you're going." Chloe looked up at him, her eyes lighting up, then looked at me hesitantly. Liam turned to me, his tone very impatient. "Look at how much Chloe cares about your feelings, and look at you. You can't even take a joke." I pointed at Chloe: "She cares about my feelings? Do you have any idea how much drama she's caused these past three months?" "Bringing you breakfast and leaving sticky notes right in front of me, posting ambiguous things on social media—who is she putting on a show for?" "I'm your girlfriend! She's trying to steal you right in front of my face!" "Always 'Dr. Hayes' this, 'Dr. Hayes' that. It's disgusting." "Calling me 'sister' to my face, but secretly wishing I'd disappear so she can cling to you!" Chloe's face turned pale. Liam stared at me, his face dark. "Are you done? When did you become so bitter?" "Why is your mind so filthy? Are you really making a huge deal out of a normal mentor-student relationship?" "Chloe is the bigger person and won't hold this against you. Apologize to her, and we'll drop this." I laughed out of sheer anger, "Are you crazy? You want me to apologize to this little girl? Impossible!" Liam's face fell instantly. "Evelyn, I advise you not to push my limits!" I smiled. Limits? I've basically been cheated on, and he's talking about limits? Oh, I used to be his limit. Now it's changed. "Then let's break up." Liam scoffed coldly, "Fine, let's break up. Don't come crawling back begging to get back together later." With that, Liam grabbed Chloe and left. I heard him say to her, "Ignore her. Let's go camping." Back in the on-call room, the system page was still open. The countdown to cancel the application had one hour left. I started searching for information on the Tibet medical aid team, precautions for working at high altitudes, and reports on the current medical situation in the region. Time ticked by. Twelve o'clock sharp. The countdown hit zero. The deadline to withdraw had passed. "Transfer order confirmed: Tibet Medical Aid Team, 3-year term. Please report to the medical team within one month." Although working there would be hard, experience in Tibet added points for professional title evaluations, and I'd be given priority for promotion upon my return. It didn't seem like a bad thing. I regretted ever holding back my career just to align with Liam's more conservative plans. Closing the computer, a message from my best friend, Mia, popped up. "Evelyn! I saw Liam and Chloe at the Blue Note Bar! Holy crap, they're practically making out." She also sent a video. The footage was blurry, but I could clearly see Liam being surrounded and egged on, with Chloe sitting next to him, looking at him with absolute adoration. "Liam, truth or dare? A dare could be hugging the nearest girl for one minute!" Amidst the laughter, Liam directly hugged Chloe. Cheers and whistles erupted. My heart ached for a second, then quickly calmed down. I replied to Mia: "It's fine." Then I started packing my personal belongings in the on-call room. Two weeks later, Liam's assistant delivered an invitation. "Dr. Hayes is hosting a celebration banquet for his research project at the Cloud Top tonight. Please be sure to attend." "I'm not going." The assistant looked surprised: "Why? You're a core member of this project..." "I have plans." The assistant smiled, "You can bring a friend. Dr. Hayes specifically requested your presence." A few colleagues looked over. I accepted the invitation. That evening at the Cloud Top, Chloe stood at the entrance of the banquet hall, wearing a well-fitted gown, greeting the guests. Seeing me, she immediately patted my shoulder. "Evelyn, you're here. Today is the day I passed my first-stage assessment. I was afraid it wouldn't be lively enough, so I begged Dr. Hayes to move his celebration banquet to today so we could celebrate together." I nodded: "Congratulations." "Thanks." Her smile grew even brighter, "Hurry and sit down, we saved a spot for you at the main table." I found a seat near the edge and sat down. Liam found me. "Evelyn, go to the main table. What does it look like hiding here?" "It's fine here." Liam took a deep breath: "I let you block me for two weeks. Are you still mad?" "When have we not sat together at a celebration banquet? Is it really worth making a fuss over that little transfer application thing?" People at nearby tables looked over. A familiar colleague tried to smooth things over: "Evelyn, come sit. We saved your spot." I was ushered to the main table. There was an empty seat next to Liam. Chloe naturally walked over and sat down right next to him. "Evelyn is here too." She smiled casually, "Dr. Hayes and I were just discussing going to the International Medical Symposium. I passed my first-stage assessment, and Dr. Hayes said he wants to take me to see the world." She raised an eyebrow: "Shall the three of us go together?" I picked up my water glass and took a sip. At the end of last year, Liam said he would take me to the biggest International Medical Symposium this year. He said he would introduce me to several important figures. "Make sure you take lots of photos and post them," he had said while fixing my collar. "Let those who say you rely on me see that this is your own ability." I brushed it off verbally, but felt warm inside. For seven years, my heart would always skip a beat whenever I was with Liam. But now, there was nothing. I just found it absurd. "You two go." "I have a lot of handover work lately, I don't have time." After the banquet, I went out to the terrace for some fresh air. Liam followed me and grabbed my wrist. "Evelyn, what is the meaning of this?" "Exactly what it sounds like." I pulled my hand back. Liam laughed bitterly: "How long are you going to keep acting awkward? Just cancel the transfer application!" "I asked Chloe, she was planning to tell you anyway, but you found out first. Even if you hadn't, she would have reminded you by the next day at the latest!" I nodded: "Then I really should thank her." "Don't talk to me in that tone." He let go, his tone forceful, "You must come with me to the International Medical Symposium next Monday. It's something I promised you a long time ago!" He turned and left. Monday morning at nine, I stood by my office window and looked down. Liam and Chloe were standing by a car near the hospital entrance, occasionally looking up at my floor. I closed the blinds. My phone vibrated. Liam sent a message: "Come down. Or do you want me to come up and beg you?" I replied: "Busy, not going." "What could you possibly be busy with? Isn't the promotion interview over?" "If you don't come this time, you better not regret it!" He drove off with Chloe. That day, he posted three times on social media. Chloe was in every single one. 【Taking the newbie to experience a top-tier academic event. The light in a young person's eyes reminds me of when I first graduated.】 【The kid got praised by several seniors and was so shy.】 【Group photo at the symposium. Newbies need more exposure.】 ... A bunch of comments followed. "Is Dr. Hayes bringing a student or a little girlfriend? So dedicated." "Did Dr. Thorne not go? Did the golden duo break up?" "Chloe really knows how to handle things. Dr. Hayes has a good eye." Mia sent me screenshots, furious. "Is Chloe doing this on purpose? Purely disgusting. Even though you guys haven't publicly announced your relationship at the hospital, anyone with eyes knows you're a couple! This is insulting you right to your face." "She's literally begging to be the other woman." "Aren't you going to do something?" Disgusted? No. I just felt it was pathetic, but also felt a sense of relief. A single resident made me see his true colors. The deadline to withdraw the transfer application had passed. I started packing for Tibet. Adapting to the high altitude wouldn't be easy. I had to prepare altitude sickness medication, various vaccines, and undergo professional training. But once my mindset shifted, I felt it was a new beginning. Before leaving, I asked Mia out for Tibetan food to get used to the flavors. Mia was surprised: "After how Liam acted last night, you still have the mood to take me to a new restaurant? This isn't like you." "Why wouldn't I?" I smiled. Work is work, life is life. Tibetan food focuses on the original flavor of the meat. After trying it, I found it surprisingly suited my taste. On the way back to the apartment, I was even humming a song. Mia looked at me: "Have you really moved on? Looking at Liam and Chloe's posts, they seem even closer after last night..." I didn't answer. Passing by a rooftop near the hospital, I told Mia to head back first while I went up for some fresh air. I loved coming here my first year on the job. When the pressure was high, this was my breathing space. Liam was my superior back then. Once, an academic paper I had spent three months preparing was rejected. I was crying in the stairwell. He found me and brought me up here. "Look down." He pointed at the city lights. "It's just a paper. It doesn't even take up a single pixel in all these lights." The terrified newbie became his most capable partner. Later, we would come up here to discuss cases, vent about difficult families, share gossip... When we became equals, we still often came here late at night after working overtime. Liam liked leaning against the railing, looking at the lights of distant buildings. "Evelyn, the speed at which you're improving is giving me a sense of crisis." I'd look at him smugly and smile: "Then Dr. Hayes better work hard, so you don't get overtaken by me." I didn't realize that those conversations were already mixed with admiration and reliance that went beyond professional boundaries. During my third year, I led a team research project, and there was an issue with the key data. The academic committee pointed their fingers at my nose in front of a whole conference room, calling me unprofessional and threatening to pull the funding. Liam stood up to defend me: "Director Wang, I'm the head of this project, I'll take responsibility for all the issues. I gave the final approval for Evelyn's data. If you want to yell at someone, yell at me." He took all the blame and voluntarily offered to reduce the project funding as compensation after the meeting. After the committee members left, I stood in the empty conference room, watching Liam's back as he organized the documents, my throat tightening. I wanted to fight alongside this man forever. That was when we officially got together. I stood on the rooftop, letting the wind blow, quietly watching the city. My phone vibrated. My mother was calling. "Evelyn, your dad is in the hospital. The doctor says it might be cancer, he needs surgery immediately. The deposit is a hundred thousand..." She sobbed, "Can you lend Mom some money first? Your brother is still in school, I really have no other way..." My throat tightened. I've always had a bad relationship with my father. He drank and gambled, and they divorced when I was in middle school. But blood ties are hard to sever. "How much do you need?" "Prepare a hundred and fifty thousand for now. We might need more later..." I hung up, leaning against the railing, all my strength drained. I had savings from working all these years, but I bought a house the year before last and had a monthly mortgage. If I scraped my liquid assets together, I had about a hundred thousand. I was still fifty thousand short. I scrolled through my contacts and called Liam three times, but he didn't answer. I had to call a few friends and managed to scrape together thirty thousand. Still twenty thousand short. I returned to the apartment late at night and received a message from Chloe. It wasn't a direct message, but a social media post visible only to me. The photo showed Liam's desk, and on the desk was an exquisite velvet box containing a necklace. Caption: 【Oh my god! I really met an angel mentor! Liam said my performance these past three months was super good, this is my reward and the best birthday present! So happy, I need to work even harder!】 The location tag was Liam's apartment. The time was an hour ago. I stared at the post, my stomach churning. That necklace cost over ten thousand, almost my entire month's salary. Finally, I asked Mia. She transferred me twenty thousand without a second thought: "No rush, pay me back when you're comfortable. We're sisters, don't mention it." The next afternoon, Liam finally called back: "What happened last night? I was helping Chloe with her first-stage assessment summary, my phone was on silent." I stared at the scanned copy of my father's medical records on the computer screen, pushing down the lump in my throat. "Was the necklace you gave Chloe expensive?" Liam was silent for a few seconds, "Are you being paranoid again? I know you're under a lot of pressure lately, but honestly, you're this obsessed over an encouragement award for a resident?" "Chloe and I have a normal mentor-student relationship. She completed her first independent case, and as her mentor, I gave her some encouragement. What's the problem?" Encouragement is fine. Giving a gift is also fine. But giving a necklace late at night in an apartment is not fine. I hung up on him. A message from Liam popped up on WeChat. "Did you cancel the transfer application?" "None of your business." I didn't want to tell him I had already confirmed the trip to Tibet. Liam sent a speechless emoji: "I know you'll definitely cancel it. You've partnered with me for seven years, can you really leave me?" "Before your promotion notice is officially issued, you must apologize to Chloe. Otherwise, you can go navigate the rest of the process yourself. I will not put in a good word for you with any of the review experts!" We had agreed on this a long time ago. He was going to introduce me to several senior experts he knew well during the review stage as a gesture of goodwill. Although I could do it on my own, it would be much smoother with him paving the way. Unfortunately, I'm heading to Tibet soon. I blocked both his work and personal WeChat accounts. I officially handed over my work to the department and started preparing for Tibet. Liam didn't contact me again, but from the whispers of my colleagues, I knew his relationship with Chloe was practically public. Someone saw Chloe getting out of Liam's car. Chloe scored an S+ on her phase assessment. Almost no resident had ever received an S+ before. Historically, almost no resident had ever achieved it. I moved out of the apartment I shared with Liam and temporarily stayed at my friend's house. "Have you really thought this through?" Mia asked as she helped me pack. "Tibet isn't like here. The conditions are harsh, altitude sickness is severe, and you'll be there for three years." "I've thought it through." "If I stay here, I'll have to face Liam and Chloe every day. I don't want to waste the next three years of my life on him." "Do you know what saddens me the most?" I zipped up my suitcase and looked at her. "It's not Liam's betrayal, or Chloe's scheming. It's that when this happened, my first reaction was actually a fear of losing him, a fear of changing the status quo, a fear of facing the unknown alone." "You know me, I wasn't timid before. I've given up too much for him over these years." I smiled. "If I can even accept being transferred to Tibet, then there shouldn't be anything in this world that can scare me." A week before departure, I went to the hospital for a full physical and vaccinations. High-altitude adaptation training, cardiopulmonary function tests... The long list of preparations made my scalp tingle. The hospital's foreign aid department held a simple farewell party for me. Liam didn't attend; I heard he took the day off. Chloe, however, showed up. "Evelyn, I hope your work in Tibet goes smoothly." I raised my glass, "Thank you, and I wish you all the best too. Learn well under Dr. Hayes." Chloe's expression stiffened for a second. After the farewell party, I ran into Liam at the elevator. He seemed to be waiting specifically for me. There were visible dark circles under his eyes. "We need to talk." "Everything that needed to be said has been said." I pressed the elevator button. "Evelyn, don't go." Liam suddenly grabbed my wrist. "I was wrong. I admit I was wrong. I shouldn't have indulged Chloe, I shouldn't have disrespected your career plans. Let's start over, okay?" I looked at him, this man I had loved for seven years. Right now, his eyes were bloodshot and filled with pleading. For a moment, I almost softened. But I remembered the panic I felt when the transfer notification email popped up. I remembered his nonchalance when he said it was just a joke. "It's too late, Liam." I gently pulled my hand away, "The elevator is here." "If you really go to Tibet, we're completely over!" Liam shouted behind me. I stepped into the elevator, turned to face him, and said, "We were over the moment you let someone else make jokes about us like that." The flight to Tibet took off in the early hours of the morning. I leaned against the window, watching the city's brilliant lights gradually shrink into a blurry patch, eventually completely covered by the clouds. My phone was full of unread messages. My parents' worries, my friends' concern, my colleagues' farewells. I replied to them one by one. Finally, I opened a text from Liam. "You'd rather go to Tibet than stay by my side. Did you ever even love me?" I stared at the sentence for a long time, then replied word by word: "I used to love you more than I loved myself. But now, I'm going to start loving myself." Send. Power off. The plane broke through the clouds. Outside the window, the heavy darkness and the city below gradually thinned out, eventually vanishing beneath the sea of clouds. The days of medical aid in Tibet passed quickly. Three years. I got used to the rhythm of the plateau. Case after case, the team grew from strangers to a cohesive unit. The starry sky on the plateau was indeed beautiful, vast enough to hold all my worries. When my term ended, I booked my ticket back early. The first night after landing, I couldn't sleep due to the change in environment. Looking at the city lights at 3 AM, there was a strange sense of unreality. But it was fine. I went to eat at the noodle shop near the hospital that I used to frequent. The taste was the same. At dawn, Mia called. "Evelyn, Liam asked me if you were really back. I told him you arrived yesterday, but he didn't believe me. He insisted you were avoiding him on purpose." I heard Liam's voice on the other end; Mia had put it on speaker. "Mia, let me talk to Evelyn. I know she's mad at me, but it's been so many years. Let's meet up and talk. We can collaborate on work." His tone was forceful, carrying the pressure of someone used to being in charge. Mia was exasperated: "Evelyn really is back. I had dinner with her yesterday, she brought a bunch of souvenirs from Tibet." "She came back yesterday?" Liam sounded doubtful and displeased. "Whatever, I'll just go to her apartment." "Don't. Evelyn has things to deal with these next couple of days, she might not be home..." "Where is she?" Mia paused. "Evelyn got an offer from Renhe Hospital. She's not coming back to our hospital." Silence on the other end. Rapid breathing, like someone being strangled. I hung up. A new job began. I needed to re-adapt to the rhythm. But soon, the decisiveness and resilience I honed on the plateau proved their worth. Alone in a new, top-tier medical institution, I built my professional domain step by step. Liam still found me. He stopped me at the cafe downstairs at the hospital, dark circles under his eyes. "Why did you go to another hospital?" His voice was hoarse. I looked at my watch: "Sorry, I have a meeting in ten minutes." He blocked my path. "Just because of Chloe's prank, you're completely cutting off all possibilities between us?" I stopped and looked at him, just like I did when we discussed cases over the past seven years. Only this time, there was no warmth in my eyes. "Yes, I'm petty. I can't handle jokes like that." Liam's jaw tightened: "Evelyn, you can't do this. You know perfectly well that all these years, my heart..." "I only saw Chloe as a student. The bar incident was a mistake fueled by alcohol and the atmosphere." "Taking her to the symposium and posting those pictures was just to provoke you, to make you care." His voice dropped even lower, tinged with a sob. "You're ruthless, giving up on me without a word. Why didn't you cancel the transfer application?" "Was that joke really worth you holding a grudge for so many years?" I looked at him quietly and shook my head: "Fine, the transfer wasn't really worth holding a grudge over." Liam froze, staring at me intently. "My father was hospitalized and needed surgery. The night I called you, do you know where I was?" "On the rooftop. You were definitely there. You were waiting for me, right?" Liam was sharp. "I was wrong. I shouldn't have turned my phone off that night. I should have answered your call!" I remained silent for a moment, then slowly pushed his blocking arm away. "Liam, that night, my father was diagnosed with cancer." Liam's entire body went rigid, his pupils shrinking. "I needed a hundred and fifty thousand. I scraped together a hundred and thirty thousand. I was short twenty thousand." My tone was flat. "I called you three times. Your phone was on silent. Chloe posted a picture. The photo showed the watch you gave her, and the location was your apartment." Liam breathed heavily, clenching and unclenching his fists, as if drained of all strength. "That night, I was truly desperate. I couldn't accept that when I was at my lowest, you didn't care about me at all." "I endured everything you and Chloe did before without complaint, but that day, I truly regretted it. Because you loved me far less than I loved you." I looked at him. "You were in our apartment giving an encouragement award to a resident, sleeping soundly, and missed the call when I desperately needed help." Liam painfully closed his eyes. He slammed his hand against the wall, his palm turning red. I took a soft breath: "But, it's all in the past. I'm doing great now. Better than ever." "Let's just stay former colleagues. Please thank Chloe for me. I received her joke, and I cherish my experience in Tibet." I don't know when Liam left. Anyway, he didn't stop me again. A week later, Mia told me Chloe had been blacklisted by the medical industry. She was caught stealing patient data from her previous hospital, violating medical ethics, with solid evidence against her. I knew this was Liam's doing. I didn't ask further. At the end of the quarter, the first clinical research project I led concluded successfully, with astounding results. The hospital threw a small celebration party. As I was leaving, I ran into Chloe by the elevators. She came specifically to find me. Our eyes met. The sunny smugness in her eyes was gone, replaced by venom and resentment. "Evelyn, you won." Her voice was sharp. "Liam used his connections to block every path for me in this industry." "I just don't get it. What makes you so special?" "Are you prettier than me? Younger than me? Better at pleasing people than me?" She took a step closer: "You just had the advantage of knowing him a few years earlier than I did." I was tired of listening. "Are you done? Excuse me, I'm in a hurry." Chloe sneered: "Don't be so smug. You're back, but I heard Liam rejected Renhe Hospital's poaching offer last month and stayed at his old job." "So what if he's nostalgic? Your two hospitals are competing for the same national key clinical specialty designation next year. You're the discipline leader, and he's their main player. You'll be rivals." She was trying to provoke me. I found it boring. I pressed the elevator button: "I've left him for you. Go ahead, reconcile with him. I wish you success." Chloe's expression shifted. From the shadows of the emergency exit, a familiar figure emerged. Liam, in a sharp suit, but with unconcealable exhaustion between his brows. I paused, gave a calm nod. Chloe was terrified, hastily fixing her collar and forcing a smile: "Liam, what are you doing here? I was just meeting a friend..." "Get lost." Liam's voice was cold and hard. Chloe tried to grab his arm: "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come to see Evelyn, but I have no choice. I can't stay in this industry anymore, please help me..." "I said, get lost." Chloe left, looking utterly defeated. Liam looked at me, taking a long time to speak: "Evelyn, I'm preparing to resign from my old job and start a high-end medical device company." I remained silent. Liam forced a smile: "I know the mistakes I made can't be easily fixed, so I want to start over with a brand new identity. You're doing great at Renhe Hospital, and I hope we can collaborate in the future." His tone was sincere. But I didn't need it. I remained silent. Liam grew anxious: "Evelyn, give me a chance to make amends. I really miss when we were partners. Can we start from zero?" No. I had absolutely no interest. I sighed softly: "Liam, do you really think this has any meaning?"
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "394541", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel