Chapter 2

"What happened to Chloe?"

Derek's face changed instantly. He dropped the clipboard on my bed without a second thought. Without even looking at me, he dashed out of the room.

Julian followed him immediately. Before he left, he turned back to give me a cold glare. His eyes said it all: *See? I told you it wasn't a big deal.*

The doors swung shut behind them, locking out my last ray of hope.

I lay on the freezing operating table, feeling my life drain away with every contraction and every drop of blood.

On the fetal monitor, the line representing my baby's heartbeat grew flatter and flatter. The alarm beeped in a high-pitched, frantic rhythm.

"Where is Dr. Miller?"

"Why did the doctor leave? The patient is in bad shape!"

"Go get Dr. Miller back! She's hemorrhaging!"

The nurses scrambled. Someone ran out to find Derek, while others hooked me up to IV drips of pitocin and clotting medication. But it felt like trying to put out a forest fire with a cup of water.

My consciousness began to fade. The pain dulled, replaced by an all-consuming, icy coldness.

So, this was what dying felt like.

I don't know how much time passed—long enough for me to believe the world had abandoned me—before the doors finally opened again.

Derek returned. There were even a few drops of blood on his white coat that didn't belong to me.

He glanced at the monitor, where the vitals were nearly flatlining. He frowned, but there was no apology in his voice—only irritation.

"What happened here? Why did her blood pressure drop so fast?"

An older head nurse couldn't hold back anymore. "Dr. Miller, where were you? The patient almost—"

"Chloe's knee injury was very serious. I had to clean and dress her wound," Derek dismissed her coldly, as if saving his friend's sister from a scratch was far more important than the life-or-death crisis I was currently facing.

I stared at him. This was the boy who used to fight off bullies for me when we were kids.

This was the man who held me after my parents died and promised, *“Evelyn, from now on, I am your family.”*

Now, he had abandoned me on the brink of death for Chloe's tiny scratch.

Chloe had always been spoiled. Since we were kids, she copied my clothes, my style, and even my tone of voice.

Later, she began to take my things openly. And both Derek and Julian always took her side.

They would always say, *"Chloe is still young. Just let her have it."*

*"Chloe has always been fragile. Why do you have to be so petty with her?"*

So I let her have her way. I kept giving in.

But I never thought that in the end, I would have to give up my very life for her.

"The papers..." I whispered, my voice barely audible.

Derek finally seemed to remember why he was here. He placed the forgotten consent form in front of me and shoved a pen into my stiff fingers.

"If you've made up your mind, sign it quickly," he said, his voice cold as ice.

My hand shook so violently that I couldn't even grip the pen.

A nurse tried to step in to help me, but Derek stopped her with a sharp glare.

Using every ounce of strength in my body, I scribbled my name next to the signature line—*Evelyn Collins*.

Every stroke felt like a knife carving into my heart.

The moment I finished, all my energy vanished, and the pen rolled out of my hand.

Derek picked up the form, glanced at my signature, and a complex look flashed through his eyes. But he quickly turned to a very young man standing next to him—an intern who looked incredibly nervous.

"Tyler, you will perform this C-section. I'll supervise."

The intern, Tyler, froze. Panic was written all over his face.

"Dr. Miller, this is an emergency C-section. I don't have enough experience. I'm afraid—"

"Afraid of what?" Derek interrupted him sharply. "Your textbook knowledge is solid, isn't it? Practice is the only way to learn. Today is your best opportunity. Don't worry, I'm right here. Nothing will go wrong."

He spoke so casually, entirely ignoring the fact that Tyler’s hands were shaking so hard he could barely hold the scalpel.

My heart sank into a dark abyss.

To Derek, my life and my baby’s life were nothing more than a practice run for an inexperienced intern.

***

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