I hadn't even reached the medical affairs office when I heard my colleague's strained voice coming from inside.

"Ma'am, we're not refusing to help. It's simply that there is no doctor here named Sherry Olsen," said a nurse.

Renee's voice shot up to a shrill pitch. "Stop covering for her! She drew my blood yesterday, witnessed by some nurses!"

The moment I pushed the door open, her eyes lit up with malicious delight. "Look who decided to show up!"

The nurse blinked in confusion. "Her? She's our new..."

"Exactly! She's new! Just look at what she did to my arm!" Renee interrupted, yanking up her sleeve.

The injection site was swollen and angry red, dotted with hives.

"It hurt when she inserted the needle. I complained a little, and she deliberately ground the cotton ball into the wound!" she protested. "The surveillance footage will prove it. Now I can't even bend my arm. This is affecting my ability to grade papers. Isn't this medical malpractice?"

It was an obvious allergic reaction she had almost certainly manufactured herself—a setup to frame me.

The nurse took a steadying breath. "Let me take you for an examination first. Then we can discuss compensation."

Renee jerked her sleeve down, shaking her head. "No need. I didn't come here to extort you. I have two demands. First, suspend this incompetent doctor immediately. Second, my pregnant daughter has developed a baffling illness that no one can diagnose. I hear your new director of obstetrics and gynecology is outstanding. I want her to be my daughter's attending physician."

She paused for dramatic effect. "I already reported this to the Health Commission. Cooperate, and I'll withdraw the complaint. Refuse, and I will escalate all the way to the top and camp out here every single day."

The nurse was speechless, her expression hovering between disbelief and dark amusement.

I looked Renee straight in the eye. "You're a respected educator. Don't you feel embarrassed behaving like a fishwife?"

Her gaze flickered, but she lifted her chin. "Everything I do is for my daughter. It's worth it."

I remembered a time in middle school when the home teacher mistakenly thought I was dating someone. In her anger, she demanded that my parents come in for a meeting, but they were too proud to show up.

"Please, Mom, I'm not dating anyone. You need to explain this to my teacher," I pleaded tearfully. "If you don't go, she'll just get angrier."

Instead of helping, she slapped me hard across the face. "You deserve that for your misconduct! This is your problem, not mine."

That entire day, I was barred from entering class while the boy's parents and the teachers banded together to scold me, their voices echoing in my ears like a relentless drumbeat.

I never expected Renee to set aside her pride one day. Sadly, it wasn't for me.

"The director of our hospital is on his way. Just wait for a while," I said, crossing my arms.

I picked up the medical file she had slammed onto the table and leafed through it. Cora's symptoms matched the rare gestational hormonal disorder I was currently researching.

She had already slipped into a coma; both mother and child were at risk of dying within two weeks if left untreated.

I was still reading when Renee snatched the folder away, sulking, "What are you doing? You think you can understand this? This is for Dr. Coffey to read!"

Just then, Director Robert Franklin walked in, glancing at me, then at her. "Dr. Coffey? Isn't that who you're looking for?"

Renee's eyes widened as she scanned me from top to bottom, then burst into laughter.

"No kidding. I'm here to file a complaint against her," she said. "It's Dr. Coffey I'm looking for. With that brain of hers, she thinks she can impersonate an expert?"

Standing behind her, I gave Robert a tiny shake of my head. He frowned, then tried to smooth things over in his usual conciliatory way.

"I understand the situation. Let me escort Ms. Olsen to dermatology for treatment," he suggested. "We'll cover all medical expenses here, and I'll handle Dr. Coffey's arrangements. Let's meet halfway and put this behind us. Is that alright?"

My mother slammed her palm on the table, disgust plain on her face. "Absolutely not! If you let a doctor without medical ethics go unpunished today, who knows how many more patients she'll harm tomorrow?"

She had always been obsessed with crushing me. When I was a child, she once accused me of stealing her ring and beat me savagely.

Later, when the ring was found in a drawer, she still looked down on me as if I were beneath her. "That's your fault for not finding it sooner."

In her world, I was always wrong.

I folded my arms. "I have no intention of apologizing to someone like you. I will cooperate fully with the investigation and expose your lies. My lawyer has already advised me to sue you for defamation. Expect the papers soon. And you wanted me suspended? Sure."

I unclipped my badge, turned it face-down, and set it on the table. "Mr. Franklin, don't try to persuade me. Just go ahead and process my suspension."

Renee hadn't expected such calm defiance. Her voice rose in fury. "Alright! At least suspend her for a month and issue a public notice as a warning!"

Robert rubbed his temples. "Everyone, calm down. Ms. Olsen, weren't you looking for Dr. Coffey to treat your daughter? If she's suspended now, what happens to your daughter?"

Renee's eyes widened. "What do you mean? Are you threatening me to protect a rookie doctor? Let me tell you, my daughter's case is extremely rare. Dr. Coffey should be thanking me for this golden research opportunity!"

I wasn't impressed even in the slightest. "It's all right, Mr. Franklin. No need to reason with someone who refuses to listen. I'm volunteering. Please proceed with the paperwork."

He remained hesitant. "I understand you're upset, but as medical professionals, how can we..."

Renee had completely lost her ability to comprehend rational speech. She held her phone high, showing the name flashing on the screen. "My patience is limited. This needs to be handled now, right in front of me. The spouse of my colleague works at the Health Commission. With one phone call, I can have them inspect your hospital. Your hands certainly aren't clean either."

Robert was speechless. "Fine, let's do it your way. Just don't regret it later."

The one-month suspension notice was issued within the hour and spread through the hospital like wildfire.

Renee looked at me triumphantly. I turned on my heels and walked out. Behind me, she was still demanding that Robert summon Dr. Coffey.

The next moment, she flipped over the badge I had left on the table. Her expression shifted as soon as her eyes landed on the characters.