Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Over the next few days, I returned to work at the hospital, throwing myself into a brutal schedule to numb the agony tearing me apart.

While conducting a routine checkup on a ten-year-old pediatric patient, the girl's mother suddenly charged into the examination room and slapped me across the face.

Slap!

The sharp crack echoed down the corridor. My head whipped to the side, and the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

"You bitch! How dare you show your face here?!"

Spit flew from the woman's mouth as she screamed.

"Your own daughter died, and now you want to kill mine too, don't you?!"

I stumbled backward until my spine hit the cold tile wall.

"Ma'am, please calm down..."

A nurse rushed forward to intervene.

"Calm down my ass!"

The woman shoved the nurse aside, grabbed the lapel of my lab coat, and yanked violently.

With a loud tear, the buttons popped off, exposing my collarbone and bra strap.

Gasps rippled through the gathering crowd, and several people raised their phones to record.

"Look at her, everyone! This is the killer doctor who let her own kid die!"

The woman grabbed a fistful of my hair, forcing my face toward the onlookers.

"Her daughter's body is barely cold, and she's already back here touching our children! Would any of you trust this monster with your kid?!"

Sharp agony tore through my scalp as she yanked me down to my knees.

"Speak up! Aren't you good at playing innocent?!"

She kicked my shoulder with all her might.

"Your dead daughter is watching you from hell!"

Whispers buzzed through the hallway.

"How is someone like this allowed to practice medicine? Kick her out!"

Someone in the crowd threw an apple core at my head.

Then came water bottles, medical charts, and even a shoe.

"Get out of here!"

"Murderer!"

I knelt on the cold floor in my torn lab coat, hair disheveled, a bright red handprint burning on my cheek.

Without a word, I slowly gathered the scattered medical files, stacking them one by one.

"You're right."

I looked up, blood trickling from the corner of my lip, and offered a calm, steady smile.

"I'll arrange a transfer to another physician. I won't let someone as unlucky as me touch your child."

The woman froze.

She clearly didn't expect me to remain silent, shed no tears, and offer no retaliation.

If I had any fight left in me, I would have fought back when Landon moved heaven and earth to cover up the fact that Sierra had run over my daughter.

"Stop... stop trying to act like a martyr!"

Her voice wavered with unease, and she took an instinctive step back.

I got to my feet. The scraped skin on my knees bled, the warm trickle running down my shins and soaking into my sneakers.

It was sticky and warm.

Just like the fading warmth of my daughter when she died in my arms.

That afternoon, the hospital director summoned me to his office with a grim expression.

"Dr. Mercer, the video from this morning is trending everywhere online. The hashtag #KillerDoctor has over thirty million views."

He slid his phone across the desk.

"People are doxxing you, claiming you murdered your child and came back to harm more patients..."

The comment section was filled with vile, venomous attacks.

"Why hasn't this evil woman dropped dead yet?"

"Her poor kid―anyone cursed with a mother like that was doomed from the start."

"She looks like a pure psychopath."

I calmly scrolled through the screen, reading each hateful word.

"Dr. Mercer, you need to go on an indefinite suspension."

The director let out a heavy sigh.

"The hospital has our annual accreditation coming up. With this scandal... my hands are tied."

I nodded and put the phone down.

"I understand."

As I walked out of the director's office, the television at the end of the hall was broadcasting an entertainment news segment.

Landon and Sierra were walking the red carpet at a high-profile charity gala. Landon looked sharp in his bespoke tuxedo, while Sierra clung to his arm with an elegant, sweet smile.

A reporter thrust a microphone forward.

"Mr. Chase, rumors about your wife are spreading like wildfire online. Do you have any comment?"

Landon frowned slightly, his tone cold and detached.

"My daughter's passing was a tragic accident. I ask everyone to respect our privacy and drop the subject."

Sierra gently stroked his arm on camera, her voice dripping with tenderness.

"Don't be sad, Landon. I'll always be right here beside you."

The camera zoomed in. Landon looked down at her, his hardened gaze softening completely.

"I'm so lucky to have you."

The applause and laughter from the broadcast pierced the empty hallway, grating against my ears.

When I stepped outside the hospital entrance, the very man who had just appeared on screen was standing right in front of me.