Chapter 1

On the eve of the major surgery, I stepped down as the lead surgeon.

My colleagues in the department immediately scoffed, whispering that I was useless.

"And he's supposed to be an elite fellow from a top-tier medical school? Probably bought his degree online."

"Running away at the first sign of trouble? He doesn't even deserve to wear a white coat!"

In my past life, I gave up a spot in the National Clinical Skills Competition just to take on this high-risk surgery.

Yet, because the co-lead surgeon broke surgical protocols, a catastrophic medical accident occurred on the table.

Natalie, my own sister and the Department Head, pushed all the blame onto me.

Even Chloe, my girlfriend, stood firmly by the other doctor's side, publicly denouncing my surgical skills.

Overnight, I went from an admired medical prodigy to a disgraced pariah.

Unable to prove it wasn't my mistake, I was fired from the hospital and faced criminal charges.

My parents, who once bragged about me to everyone, pointed their fingers at my face and screamed,

"We don't have a murderer for a son!"

Crushed by severe depression and betrayal, I jumped from the hospital roof.

When I opened my eyes again, I was right back to the day before the surgery.

"This case is extremely complicated. The board decided to hand the lead position to you. Think you can handle it?"

In the office, Natalie smiled and placed the patient's chart in front of me.

Looking at that familiar file, my hands trembled slightly.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed it away and shook my head firmly.

"I just finished my fellowship and still need to get used to the workflow here. I'm not ready for a major operation like this."

In my previous life, this exact surgery dragged me straight into hell.

And Natalie—the loving sister sitting right in front of me—was the one who pushed me off the cliff.

Back then, I accepted the task without hesitation and operated alongside Julian, another attending surgeon in our department.

Julian was completely off his game, making blunder after blunder during the procedure.

Despite my constant warnings, he caused irreversible damage.

Even though I had done nothing wrong, a nightmare descended upon me.

Natalie pinned every single error on my head to protect Julian.

I became a monster overnight, despised by everyone and stripped of my medical career.

Unable to bear the overwhelming despair, I ended my own life.

Natalie frowned, a flash of disappointment in her eyes.

"This is a rare opportunity. I fought hard with the board to get this for you. Why are you backing out?"

I slid the chart back across the desk with a faint smile.

"My skills are limited. I can't take on such a heavy responsibility."

Hearing this, Chloe, who was standing nearby, instantly snapped at me.

"Ethan, can't you man up for once? If you keep being this timid, how are you ever going to move up in your career?"

Looking at her exasperated face, I wanted to laugh.

Both of them pretended to care about me so much.

In reality, neither of them gave a damn about me compared to Julian.

I stood up and looked directly at Chloe.

"Julian went to an Ivy League med school and has way more experience than me. He should lead this surgery alone."

The agony of my past life was still fresh in my mind.

Now that I had a second chance, I would never walk into their trap again.

Both Natalie and Chloe froze.

Then, Chloe grabbed my arm, softening her tone into an encouraging whisper.

"That's exactly why you need this! You should look up to Julian and strive to be an outstanding doctor like him."

Whenever she said Julian's name, her eyes lit up with an excitement she couldn't hide.

Swallowing my disgust, I pulled my arm away.

"I have the National Clinical Skills Competition coming up. I need to prepare. I don't have time for this surgery."

The real reason they desperately wanted me in that operating room was simple:

They both knew Julian didn't have the skills to pull off such a complex procedure on his own.

If it succeeded, Julian would get all the glory on his resume. If it failed, I would be the perfect scapegoat.