Threat

I picked up the cardboard box and went to the first-floor lobby. Jebediah drifted out from behind a pillar like a wraith. "Aw, are you in a rush, Dr. Birch?"

He deliberately stood before me, his eyes glinting with another scheme. "There's one final process to go through."

I looked at him coldly. 'Out of my way."

Jebediah froze before chortling. "Temper, temper, Dr. Birch." He didn't seem to have heard me as he continued, "Just to answer the Internet's curiosity, we've decided to make a broadcast about your punishment."

"What?" That must be a joke. A broadcast? On the Internet?

Jebediah took his phone out and showed me the screen. It was the hospital's official account, and they posted something titled 'A public announcement about Jessica Birch's unlawful charging.'

There were thousands of comments already. I scrolled through them with shaky hands.

'I can't believe you'd steal something that cheap, trash doctor!'

'How'd she even become a doctor? Look into her case!'

'Thanks for punishing her! She deserves it!'

No one even asked for the whole story. No one talked about how I had conducted three surgeries before the final one. No one knew that the IV drip saved an arm and a whole family. All they cared about was the unlawful charging.

A chill went straight up my spine. So, this was the patient I risked my life saving. "I won't do it," I said icily.

Jebediah knew I would say that, and his smarmy smile remained. "I'm afraid that's not up to you, Dr. Birch."

Then, he had the gall to pat my arm and say in a faux-sweet tone, "It's the director's idea. The public needs an answer if we are to calm this storm."

The director? The same man who encouraged me and said I was the hospital's future? My stomach was churning again.

Jebediah was pleased with the look on my face.

He called someone and put his phone beside my ear.

"Jessica," said the director.

I said nothing.

A while later, the director continued drily, "I'm sure Mr. Constantine has told you everything. We're under a lot of pressure. You know how hard it is to keep the Internet in check. Just… deal with it. I'm sorry you have to go through this."

That nearly made me laugh. He was sorry that I had to go through this? He made it sound like it was just another day and not him ruining my career.

"When this blows over, I'll try to give you your bonus back next month. Get some rest. Come back to work when you feel better."

He was serving me another empty promise. They took away what I deserved and tried to make it sound like they were doing me a favor.

I sneered. "Save it, Mr. West. I quit."

The director froze. "Calm down, Jessica! It's just a small mat—"

"A small matter?" I interrupted. "So my reputation, my work, and my dignity are nothing but a small matter you could just do with as you please? A pawn you can discard on a whim? Yeah, no. I'm not staying here, not any longer."

I hung up and tossed the phone back to Jebediah. He was shocked by my sudden resignation. That threw a wrench in his plans.

If I were to leave, his useless nephew would lose his excuse to shut the department up if they were to talk about him.

So, Jebediah sneered and threatened, "You'd better think long and hard, Jessica. I don't care if you're quitting, but you're not leaving until the broadcast is over! That's the rule! If you ignore that, I'll make sure you have no place in the medical world!

"No hospital will ever hire a blacklisted doctor the Internet hates!"

He might as well be shooting daggers at me with his furious glare. "The skills you're so proud of will rot with you!"

My hands clenched down on my box.

The lobby was filled with people.

I hated Jebediah's smug look, but I had bills to pay. So, I had no other choice but to clench my teeth as I spat, "Fine."

The Ignorant Internet

The streaming room's lights were harsher than the operating theater's. Jebediah was right beside me, a gloating grin curling his lips. The chatroom was exploding.

'Get out of the medical world, scum!'

'You'd even steal something that cheap? You should have your license taken away!'

'The hospital did the right thing!'

My heart was turning stone cold. Jebediah elbowed me. With a low voice, he said, "Your turn to speak, Dr. Birch. And be genuine."

I raised my head and faced the camera, then I took a deep breath. I said hoarsely, "I acknowledge my fault in this matter. I've failed my patient and the hospital."

The chatroom exploded again.

'At least someone knows she's a failure!'

'You should've confessed sooner!'

'You shouldn't even be a doctor! You'd kill someone!'

I laughed at myself. Then I enunciated, "I, Jessica Birch, hereby announce my departure from Mercy Hospital. I resign as the surgical department's attending physician."

The chatroom fell silent.

Shortly after, a deluge of mocking comments showed up.

'Good! Get out of here!'

'Now the hospital is free of filth!'

Jebediah's smile kept growing wider. This was what he wanted.

The broadcast came to an end. I left the hospital without turning back. That night, I had a dream. In that dream, all I could see were fingers pointing at me while everyone yelled at me.

"You liar!"

"You butcher!"

I tried to defend myself and said that IV drip was used to save a life, but they all refused to hear me out. The yells turned into screams, and I… I jolted awake.

It was 5 a.m.

So, my episode woke my husband up. He turned on the table lamp and looked at me, worried. "Another nightmare?"

He had seen the broadcast, but he asked no questions and stayed with me in silent solidarity.

As he held my icy hands, he murmured softly, "You don't have to do this, honey. Everything will turn out fine as long as your conscience is clear. Your skills will be treasured somewhere else."

That did it.

My emotions broke through, and I bawled into his chest. I had spent my last decade for nothing. I spent hours upon hours and risked my life all to have my reputation ruined while the netizens cheered for my dismissal.

The director called me a week later.

I hesitated, but eventually accepted the call. "Jessica! No, Dr. Birch! I think you've had enough rest. You need to get back to work!"

I thought I was hallucinating.

The director continued, "The penalty's been removed! I'll get finance to give you your bonus! Double bonus!"

I sneered. "Why would you do that?"

The director paused. When he spoke again, he was in disbelief. "Why? Haven't you scrolled through the Internet for the past week?"

Innocence

I'd turned off all social media's push notifications and uninstalled all my social media apps. I knew it would tear my already fragile heart if I saw one venomous about me. Still, the director sounded serious.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"The patient's family has posted an open apology to you! It's been the headline for days! Tristan himself spoke in your defense! You know, that patient you saved!"

The director's voice was filled with excitement. He sounded as if I'd gotten the best deal in the world.

Unfortunately for him, I felt nothing.

If anything, I was amused by his fervor. "Sure," I said coolly.

The director fell silent.

He had expected me to be furious, excited, or even elated. However, he never thought I'd be indifferent or even respond with an agreement that sounded perfunctory at best.

"What is with that attitude? The misunderstanding has been solved, and your penalty's been lifted. So you…"

"Mr. West," I interrupted. "I've resigned. I've even made that clear to the Internet during the broadcast. I apologize, but I'm not returning to the hospital."

"No!" Benjamin West roared. "You must continue working with us! Name your terms! We can talk it out! Just come back!"

He was panicking.

The sneer on my lips sharpened.

A week ago, they made me apologize to the whole Internet and tried to step all over me. And now they were begging me to go back to them? Talk about ironic.

"Why do you want me back?" I inquired quietly.

Benjamin immediately stopped short. I didn't push him for an answer. Instead, I patiently waited for an answer.

A long while later, he finally spoke. I could hear the plea in his voice as he stammered, "W-Well, after you left, orthopedics got a high-level amputation case. Nathan was on the case, but the patient ran an infection post-surgery and died."

He continued, "Then, neurosurgery got a brain aneurysm case. They'd started craniotomy and realized they got the wrong spot, so they stitched the patient back up. No one wanted to take the risk. And then there's general surgery…"

My heart sank further with every case Benjamin brought up.

They were my colleagues, so I was well aware of their limited skills. If I had been there, perhaps…

I quickly shut that thought down. "Enough," I interjected. "So, you're trying to say the hospital's reputation took a hit."

"Yes," replied Benjamin, utterly defeated. "Our success rate has dropped by 30%. The public's saying we're only second-rate without you."

His answer was so hilarious to me that I nearly cried.

These people kicked me out when my portfolio was tainted. Now that they realized they couldn't survive without me, they were trying to win me back with a pathetic show of flattery and a bonus that I was supposed to get anyway?

Yeah, that was not happening.

"I'm tired, Mr. West. I can't save everyone, especially not your hospital's reputation. I'm afraid I won't be returning." Then, I hung up before he could say anything.

As I leaned on the back of my couch, I mused for a moment and grabbed my phone. For the first time in a week, I reinstalled my social media apps and clicked one of them open. The ad was still playing, but I could already see the most popular hashtag—#TristanandfamilyapologizetoDrBirch

It was top of the list, so I clicked on the link.