Chapter 1

My supposed best friend, Briana, was supposed to be performing a critical surgery. Instead, she was on a video call, openly flirting with my fiancé, Julian.

Her distraction led to a catastrophic mistake – her scalpel slipped. The patient was left permanently paralyzed, trapped in a vegetative state.

Afterward, she threw me to the wolves – the patient’s devastated family, who were absolutely consumed by rage and grief. She shamelessly claimed *I* was the lead surgeon.

I begged Julian to testify for me, but he simply said he'd already married Briana in secret and didn’t want his wife to get jealous. He turned his back on me and escorted Briana away.

I was stabbed over a dozen times. The tendons in both my hands were completely severed, and the ring and pinky fingers on both hands were crushed into an unrecognizable pulp.

In my darkest moment of despair, my childhood friend, Julian Hayes, appeared with his bodyguards.

He cradled my hands, tears streaming down his face. He sent a private jet, flew in dozens of top experts from all over the world, and begged them on his knees to save me.

Two years later, I overheard him talking to his assistant:

“Mr. Hayes, because of Ms. Thorne’s mistake, the patient died right there on the operating table. Their family is flying back from overseas, and I doubt they’ll let her get away with it.”

“Are we going to push the blame onto your wife again, just like last time? This is already her second time taking the fall for Ms. Thorne. What if someone ends up dead for real?”

Julian scoffed:

“She was stabbed 'til she looked like a sieve, her hands completely useless, and she still survived, didn't she? If she can take the hit once, she can do it again. I'm supporting her anyway; as long as she doesn't actually *die*, it's fine.”

“Briana is preparing for the ‘Golden Scalpel’ competition. Becoming Dr. Serena Reed’s disciple is her dream, and I will not allow any danger or obstacle to come near her!”