As the days passed peacefully and fulfillingly, I gradually became convinced that the Grants wouldn't ever cross paths with me.

That was until one day, when my assistant Claire knocked on my office door and told me, "Dr. Simpson? You have a consultation. It's a Mr. Harry Grant, who wants our most expensive specialist to examine his younger sister."

My heart couldn't help skipping a beat at the mere mention of that name, but I took a deep breath to compose myself and said calmly, "Show him in."

A tall, well-dressed man soon entered.

Though Harry's youthfulness seemed to have faded, his mature appearance was somehow more handsome and elegant.

Nonetheless, those dark, captiving eyes of his were filled with shock and disbelief when he saw me.

It was natural, as he could never have imagined that the medical expert he'd been desperately seeking for would be me, the little girl he had deliberately abandoned twenty years ago.

Still, he finally found his voice after a long pause, his tone clearly skeptical as he asked, "Y-You're Dr. Simpson?"

I nodded. "Please take a seat and tell me about your sister's condition, Mr. Grant."

He ignored me as he kept studying me. "Are you really a doctor? How confident are you that you can cure my sister?"

He was already treating me like I was a fraud, and that naturally left Claire indignant. She couldn't stop herself from snapping, "Mr. Grant! Dr. Simpson is the most decorated specialist working in this hospital, and her time is very valuable!"

As for me, I smiled ever so faintly at Harry and nodded. "It seems that Mr. Grant here doesn't have much faith in my abilities, so why don't we call off this appointment? Claire, please see him out."

Harry's face darkened instantly and gritted his teeth.

However, he ultimately stayed silent before turning and leaving, slamming the door shut along the way.

Claire was left stamping her feet in frustration. "Did you see that?! He's so rude! Who does he think he is?"

I smiled nonchalantly. "That's fine. He's just yet another privileged patient."

The entire exchange was completely trivial, now that the Grants were not involved in my life at all.

However, just as I was about to leave the lab entrance for the day, Harry ambushed me, his expression dark as ever.

I frowned as I asked, "What do you want?"

He stared at me silently and intently for a long while before snarling through his teeth, "I'm warning you, Yvie Grant—it doesn't matter who you are now, but don't even think of hurting Susie."

I almost laughed out loud.

Twenty years ago, he'd cruelly prevented my biological parents from taking me home.

And now, here he was, ambushing me off work, calling me Yvie, and warning me not to hurt Susie?

Whatever made him think I'd waste my time on someone like Susie Grant?

I looked at him incredulously like he was a nutcase making a scene. "For your information, my name is Ruby Simpson. If you'd like to address me, at least address me by the right name.

"As a doctor, I have taken the Hippocratic Oath to do no harm. Also, I don't know you, and certainly not some Susie—what reason do I have to hurt a complete stranger?"

Harry was left dumbfounded.

"You don't remember me?" he asked in disbelief, his voice shrill in turn. "Twenty years ago, at the orphanage, I stopped our parents from—"

He stopped mid-sentence, realizing just then that it was difficult to bring up what he had done.

My heart was cold even as I watched him avert his eyes in embarrassment.

Of course I remembered—the way he looked at me in disgust and every insult he slung at me before he finally abandoned me.

All my delusions of family affection vaporized right then, but I pretended not to remember.

I creased my brows as if it took me some effort to recall.

"Oh…" I suddenly gasped in realization, deliberately letting myself trail off before flashing an innocent smile. "So that was you—I'm so sorry, but like you said, it happened twenty years ago. It was so long ago that I've forgotten it. See, as I've accomplished so much important research work day after day, who has time to remember such… trivialities?"

Trivialities?!

Harry's cheek flushed beet red, as he clearly believed that it was a big deal that he decided my fate, and it hurt him a lot more than insulting him.

He growled through his teeth in frustration, "You can stop pretending! You were just holding a grudge because I stopped our parents from taking you home, and now you want revenge against me and my sister!"

I finally had enough and burst out laughing.

But when I stopped, I narrowed my eyes coolly. "Mr. Grant, don't you think you're flattering yourself? Revenge against you? Who do you think you are?

"If anything, I should thank you for being so determined in stopping your parents from taking me back. Otherwise, Carl Simpson wouldn't have adopted me as his granddaughter, nor would I gain my present accomplishments… So why would I hate you at all?"

My words were indifferent, but also knives that cut deep into Harry's heart.

Still, his eyes soon lit up, and he laughed as if he had won. "Carl Simpson?! Bullshit! Did you think that changing your last name to Simpson makes you related to Carl?! Dream on! Someone like you won't even make it through their front door!"

But even as he finished, a black luxury car quietly stopped beside us, and a towering man with an air of nobility alighted.

He did not even look at Harry as he hurried to my side, draping a jacket over my shoulders, and tousled my hair affectionately.

"What are you hanging around for, Ruby? Grandpa is getting anxious…"

He trailed off, as it was only then that he noticed Harry. "Who's this?"

I hugged Yannick's arm and beamed. "Oh, just someone who came in for a consultation. We're just talking."

Harry froze as he stared at me hugging Yannick's arm intimately, and then at the luxury car that was a clear symbol of status.

He was not stupid and certainly recognized Yannick, the heir to the Simpsomnia conglomerate.

He was also aware that everyone in the Simpson family doted on Yannick's adopted sister.

However, he just never imagined that it would be me.

He couldn't help remembering that girl who kept tailing him everywhere in that bleached white dress, always calling out to her brother gingerly.

But now, the same girl was beaming and hugging another man's arm, while he was no longer her brother.

Even as Harry spaced out, I got into Yannick's car and left.

-

The next day, Claire informed me that Harry secured himself another consultation, complaining even as she sorted out some files, "Don't you think there's something wrong with that man, doc? He was completely skeptical not two days ago, and now, he's completely sucking up to you."

Pausing, she then exclaimed, "Wait, I think he must have found out that you're Carl Simpson's granddaughter and wants connections!"

I smiled but said nothing, signing and approving the consultation.

Let's see what tricks Harry was up to this time.

At 3 PM, all four members of the Grant family appeared at my office punctually.

Despite not having seen her for twenty years, Susie was just as I remembered—a delicate maiden who would win over anyone's heart.

And this time, Harry was a hundred times nicer, even apologizing, "I'm sorry, Dr. Simpson… I was brash before, and I apologize."

My father Mick and my mother Wanda stood gingerly nearby, watching me with a myriad of emotions.

But I wasn't bothered as I stared at Susie and said, "Everyone else, please step out while I examine the patient."

As soon as the door closed and no one could look inside, Susie's paleness faded as she glared at me in venomous jealousy.

She studied me from head to toe and eventually smirked in contempt. "Oh, Yvie… Wait, is it Ruby Simpson now? I'm surprised you're that lucky, sucking up to the Simpsons after we kicked you out. Impressive."

I simply watched her in amusement as I calmly said, "Please cooperate. Take your shirt off."

My indifference angered her, so she took her sweet time unbuttoning her shirt while dissing me, "What, you think you're that important after becoming a doctor? But here you are, having to be at my beck and call! So what if the Simpsons adopted you?! To Harry, you're not even worth mentioning compared to me!"

That was how she had always been—two-faced, in this life and the last.

In front of Harry and our parents, she was always the kind and understanding baby sister, while she bullied me and insulted me endlessly ruthlessly in private.

She would break Wanda's favorite vase and tear Harry's important work documents into pieces.

After that, she would cry hysterically and blame it on me.

Not once was I allowed to defend myself, while my parents and Harry would punish me in terrible ways at every turn.

But now, none of it mattered—after my reincarnation, I no longer cared about such laughable cheap tricks.

Nonetheless, I examined Susie meticulously, performing every procedure there flawlessly.

When I was done, I couldn't stop my rage and glared viciously at her, who was caught off guard and cringed in guilt.

Still, I told her to get dressed before stepping out of the examination room, silent but scowling.

Outside, Harry, Wanda, and Mick were waiting anxiously, with Harry hurrying to me when he saw me. "How is she, Dr. Simpson?"

Wanda was clawing my arm, her eyes red with tears. "What do you think, Dr. Simpson? Is there anything I can do?"

I scowled impatiently as I snapped at Harry, "There's nothing we can do for your sister."

Everyone froze right then—even Claire was staring at me in disbelief, as she had never seen me give up on a patient so quickly before.

It was just not my style!

All color drained from Mick's and Wanda's faces, with Wanda almost falling as her knees buckled. "No… how? If you can't help, then Susie is…"

That was when Harry bellowed at me in agitation, "That's impossible! You're the best specialist there is—you definitely can do something! You're just being petty now!"

That was when Susie stepped out of the examination room, smiling smugly as she had clearly heard me.

She quickly shed some tears while throwing herself meekly into Harry's arms, sobbing, "It's okay… I've known all along that there's nothing we can do. It isn't the doctor's fault…"

I watched coolly as they continued their antics and finally finished, "Because Susie Grant was never sick!"