I ignored the onlookers and turned to the ground staff.

"A refund is fine. But you must clearly state, in black and white on the refund form, that this was caused by your airline's overbooking and forced denial of boarding."

Otherwise, when the Stafford family came knocking, they'd think I had deliberately breached the agreement. I would not take the blame for that.

The chief flight attendant's expression darkened. She slammed her hand against the counter.

"Dream on! We offered you a solution and you refused it, and now you want to smear our airline?

"Security! Are you all dead? Get this crazy woman out of here!"

Several airport security guards rushed over immediately, grabbing my arms on either side.

"Let go!"

I struggled with everything I had, but they ignored me, dragging me straight toward the airport exit.

As I passed the chief flight attendant, I couldn't help but remind her, "You'd better remember my face today. And every word you just said. Very soon, you'll be kneeling, begging me."

Not only was she unfazed, she kicked my suitcase over.

The already damaged case burst open completely. Clothes and specially prepared medicine spilled across the floor.

She stepped down hard, crushing one of the medicine bottles. The custom-made pills inside instantly turned to powder.

My heart dropped. That was the medicine I had personally prepared for William Stafford—there was only that one batch. Without it, he wouldn't survive the postoperative recovery period.

"Oh my, how careless of me," she sneered from behind, her tone dripping with mockery.

Countless phone cameras turned toward me in an instant. Waves of laughter and ridicule swallowed me whole.

I was thrown out of the terminal, hitting the concrete hard.

Like tossing out trash, she flung my luggage on top of me.

"Take your junk and get lost! Cause any more trouble, and we'll call the police on you for disturbing public order!"

Just then, my phone began vibrating wildly.

The moment I answered, a barrage of accusations came crashing through the line.

"What's going on with you?! The plane took off ages ago. I checked the passenger list—your name isn't even on it!"

It was the Stafford family's butler, his voice thick with reproach and arrogance.

"Our family went to great lengths to invite you. We even transferred the deposit, and now you pull this stunt at the last minute? Who do you think you are, making the Stafford family wait for you? If it weren't for your surgical skills, do you think you'd be qualified to treat our heir?"

I tried to explain that it was the airline's fault, but he wouldn't listen.

"I'm warning you—our heir's terminal illness cannot be delayed. If you're not standing in the operating room at Scallow City's Goldson Hospital before nightfall today, don't blame the Stafford family for what happens next!

"You took our money and dare to not do the job? Believe it or not, I can make sure you never work in the medical field again!"

The call ended with a sharp click, the busy tone ringing in my ear.

…

Suppressing the anger in my chest, I called him back.

The moment the line connected, the butler's impatient voice came through.

"What else do you have to say? Figure out a way to charter a plane and get here!"

"No need," I said coolly. "If you want to know why I didn't board, go ask the chief flight attendant of the flight William is on."

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said."

I hung up without another word.

Then I opened my mobile banking app, found the 300-thousand-dollar "good faith deposit" the Stafford family had transferred earlier, and returned it in full—straight back the way it came.

The postscript contained only five words: Please find someone more capable.

300 thousand dollars might be an astronomical sum to others, but to me, it wasn't enough to offset the humiliation I'd suffered today.

After that, I blocked every contact from the Stafford family, cutting off all ties completely.

Looking at the crushed powder of my custom-made medicine scattered across the floor, I let out a cold laugh.

'William, your life is no longer my concern.'

I hailed a taxi and went straight back to the hospital.

The moment I sat down in my office, my phone began vibrating wildly again.

As soon as I answered, the hospital director, Dr. George Whitman's furious roar exploded through the line.

"Diana! What the hell are you doing?! The Stafford family has already called me! They said you caused trouble at the airport and even tried to assault William! The chief flight attendant only had you removed to protect him, and instead of reflecting on your actions, you even dared to return their deposit?!"

I froze for a second, then couldn't help laughing out loud.

That flight attendant's ability to twist the truth was truly impressive. To shirk responsibility for the overbooking, she had fabricated such an outrageous lie. Even more ridiculous was the Stafford family believing it without the slightest attempt to verify.

"The patriarch of the Stafford family has given his order. Get to Scallow City immediately, kneel and apologize to William, and proceed with the surgery at once! If you refuse, you're fired!"

I ignored the shouting on the other end, pulled out a blank sheet of paper, and quickly wrote my resignation letter. Then I went upstairs and pushed open the door to the director's office.

Dr. Whitman was still holding his phone. He froze when he saw me walk in.

I slapped the resignation letter down on his desk.

"No need for you to fire me. I quit."

He stared at the paper, eyes wide. "Are you out of your mind? Do you think resigning will let you escape this?"

I braced both hands on the desk and looked down at him.

"Dr. Whitman, I've been too tired lately. I'm planning to take an extended break out of town. If the Stafford family has the ability to revoke my medical license, let them. And if they want to blacklist me, then so be it."

With that, I turned and walked out.

"Stop right there! Get back here!"

His furious shouting trailed behind me, powerless and ineffective.

I didn't look back.

The timing should be about right.

William's terminal illness had been sustained solely by my custom medicine, keeping him alive by a thread.

Now the medicine was gone—and he was tens of thousands of feet in the air.

The onset of his condition… should be imminent.

…

After returning home, I turned off my phone, drew the curtains, and fell into a deep sleep.

Early the next morning, when I finally switched my phone back on, it was flooded with missed calls from the Stafford family.

Moments later, an unfamiliar local number came through.

As soon as I answered, a familiar voice rang out.

"Dr. Sullivan! Please come back to the airport immediately! Mr. Stafford is vomiting blood and has fallen unconscious on the plane!"

"The airline has specially approved a free business-class seat for you. They'll arrange a dedicated flight to take you to Scallow City!"

It was the same chief flight attendant from yesterday.

I let out a cold scoff, exposing her hypocrisy without hesitation.

"A free business-class seat? Didn't you call me a pathetic nobody who deserved to be thrown off the plane?"

"Cut the nonsense!" She was clearly panicking, though her tone remained as domineering as ever. "The Stafford family is putting pressure on the airline right now. If I lose my job because of you, I won't let you off! Get over here right now!"

I hung up immediately and blocked the number as well.

Less than half an hour later, loud banging suddenly erupted at my door.

A sharp, pungent smell filled the air.

"Diana! You damned quack! Get your ass out here!"

I yanked the door open.

A bucket of red paint had been splashed across my security door, dripping down through the seams.

The chief flight attendant stood there with several airline security guards, blocking my doorway with aggressive force.

The hallway was already crowded with curious neighbors, craning their necks and whispering among themselves.

"Unbelievable… she seemed like such an honest girl. Who would've thought she's a black-hearted doctor?"

"Exactly. If people are already at her door throwing paint, she must've done something awful!"

Hearing the murmurs, the flight attendant grew even more smug.

"Everyone, take a look! This is the quack! She took a patient's money and refused to do the job, deliberately delaying treatment until the patient's life is in danger! Now she's hiding at home playing dead. A doctor like this should be arrested and sentenced!"

Her face twisted with malice—clearly cornered by the Stafford family and desperate to use me as a scapegoat to earn their favor.

"You think hiding will save you? Even if you have to crawl, you're going to Scallow City today!"

I glanced at the red paint all over the floor and was just about to call the police when heavy footsteps echoed from the stairwell.

Several men in black shoved the onlooking neighbors aside.

The Stafford family's butler stepped up the stairs, looking down at me with cold authority.

The flight attendant rushed forward at once.

"Sir, look—I found her! Mr. Stafford will be saved in no time!"

He didn't even spare her a glance, walking straight up to me instead.

"Dr. Sullivan, have you finished throwing your tantrum?"

He pulled out a check, holding it between his fingers as he waved it slightly.

"600 thousand dollars. That's double the price. Come with me right now, and the Stafford family will let bygones be bygones."

I didn't even look at the check. I replied coldly with two words, "Not interested."

"Don't push your luck!" The butler's expression darkened instantly, his pretense gone. "Do you really think you can afford to offend the Stafford family?"

He leaned in slightly, his voice lowered but laced with chilling menace.

"If you won't go willingly, then today, I'll drag you there if I have to. If you refuse to operate, we have plenty of ways to make you. I heard your mother is currently staying at Rejuveen Sanatorium?"

My whole body stiffened. They had actually sunk so low as to track down my mother.

"Touch my mother and see what happens!"

I clenched my teeth, glaring at him.

"As long as it saves our heir, there's nothing the Stafford family wouldn't do."

The butler sneered, arrogance written all over his face.

"You'd better be smart about this and start packing now. Otherwise, I guarantee your mother will be thrown out of the sanatorium today and left on the streets!"

The bodyguards stepped forward immediately, restraining me.

The flight attendant chimed in from the side, gloating.

"You hear that? Still acting high and mighty in front of the Stafford family—guess you won't learn until it's too late!"

Looking at their faces, twisted with arrogance and cruelty, I suddenly laughed.

The butler frowned, his impatience evident. "What are you laughing at?"

"I'm laughing at how stupid you all are."

I let the smile fade and turned to the still-smug flight attendant beside him.

"You think I don't want to save William? Even if I go now… he won't survive."

The butler's expression changed drastically. He grabbed my collar.

"What do you mean?"