After Rebirth, I Embrace a New Life
Chapter 1
My husband, Mark Williams, rushed into the hospital carrying a blood-soaked Lily Hayes.
She was a famous actress, and the sight of her in his arms made me sick to my stomach.
Lily’s uterus was severely damaged, potentially leading to infertility or death from hemorrhaging.
She demanded I perform the surgery, threatening to die in agony if I refused.
In my past life, I knew about her affair with Mark, but I still upheld my oath as a doctor and performed the operation.
The surgery was successful, but afterward, she falsely claimed I was negligent.
She spread lies online, costing me my job and my family’s acceptance.
Ultimately, the shame and accusations drove me to suicide.
She then happily moved on with Mark, her life seemingly untouched by my demise.
Now, reborn, I stared at Lily. I pointed to the door of another operating room. “This surgery is equally important. Find another surgeon.”
This new surgery was high-risk, and Lily was left with a stark choice: leave or die.
01.
“Doctor, doctor! Save her, she’s so young, she can’t lose her uterus!” Mark’s frantic pleas were sickening.
He made it seem like he was holding his wife, not his mistress.
His actual wife was me, the most promising resident in the hospital’s renowned gynecology department.
My mentor had retired last month, making me the most qualified surgeon here.
Mark had visited me several times before, so my colleagues recognized him.
A kind coworker quickly sent me a video recording of their arrival, along with a warning.
“She’s holding his hand, calling him ‘honey,’ begging him to save her. Be prepared for anything.”
Even though I’d lived through it once, the coworker’s warning brought tears to my eyes.
Last time, my colleagues had defended me against Lily’s online smear campaign, but the relentless attacks eventually drowned out their voices.
“Thank you,” I whispered, grateful for their support.
The coworker glanced toward the emergency room. “Oh no, they’re heading to your department. This surgery might fall to you. They’re on the elevator! You should hide!”
She feared I’d react impulsively, jeopardizing my career.
I frowned. The elevator doors opened, revealing Lily, pale and trembling, with Mark beside her.
He saw me and quickly looked away.
Lily, however, sat up, ignoring the doctors and nurses, and pointed directly at me. “I hear she’s the best. I want her to operate…”
02.
Lily’s accident was all over the news.
Videos of her arrival at the hospital were circulating online.
This surgery was a huge deal for the hospital’s reputation.
The vice president arrived and, hearing Lily’s demand, looked at me. “Dr. Lee, since Ms. Hayes trusts you so much, you should do it.”
Last time, I was on the verge of becoming chief resident. Lily’s lies had ruined that.
The vice president had played a role in my downfall, deleting the operating room security footage to help another doctor secure the promotion.
His current suggestion was a calculated move. He knew the surgery was risky.
If I refused, it would fall to Dr. Zhang, a less experienced colleague prone to errors.
He wanted to shift the responsibility, but I wasn’t falling for it. I pointed to a nearby operating room.
“I have a scheduled surgery at 10:30. It’s an emergency ectopic pregnancy – the patient is critical. I can’t perform two surgeries simultaneously. Find someone else. I suggest she transfers.”
Last time, because I was forced to operate on Lily, the ectopic pregnancy patient was found unconscious. Dr. Zhang had performed that surgery, and the patient bled out on the operating table.
A twenty-five-year-old woman, gone. Her husband, a soldier, arrived to find her in the morgue.
This time, my first act was to locate the patient an hour ago, get her admitted, and schedule an immediate operation. I was confident I could save her.
Lily, hearing my refusal, cried out in pain, demanding I operate.
She knew my skill. She knew I wouldn’t risk my career by sabotaging the surgery.
I scoffed. “Why? Her life matters, but others’ don’t? This woman has a serious ectopic pregnancy. If you delay her surgery due to your selfishness, are you willing to shoulder the consequences?”
03.
If Lily had any sense, she would’ve transferred or used Mark’s influence to assemble a specialist team.
Instead, she doubled down. “Her surgery is none of my business. You’re refusing because my husband loves me.”
The affair was out in the open. Gasps filled the room. Lily’s audacity was astounding.
She ignored the reactions and continued, “Doctors should separate personal feelings from their work. I’m a patient; you can’t refuse me. It’s negligent homicide!”
She was attempting to manipulate me with guilt.
I almost laughed. I put on my mask and turned to leave. “I need to prepare for surgery. Transfer now, before it’s too late.”
Seeing my resolve, she turned to Mark. “Honey, I’m in so much pain. Please beg her!”
Mark, caught between his affair and his wife, looked at me with a mixture of guilt and irritation. He hadn’t anticipated this. He hadn’t considered our five years of marriage, her inability to conceive. He believed it was my fault. Lily had promised to bear him children, he couldn’t allow this.
He reluctantly turned to me, his tone impatient. “Even if you’re angry about my affair, there’s a limit. Lightly is suffering. As a doctor, saving lives should be your priority. If you refuse, I’ll divorce you.”
My heart sank. This was the man I’d loved for five years? He chose Lily, allowing her to bully me.
But I was done. I didn’t need him or his family. I’d died once already. I wouldn’t let him control me.
“Fine, let’s divorce,” I said, “May you and your mistress live happily ever after.”
Mark’s arrogance vanished. He couldn’t retaliate at that moment. “Fine, let’s do it. You’ll regret this.”
I ignored him, entering the sterilization room, focusing on my work.
The heavy door closed, shutting out the drama. I was just a doctor. My patient’s life was my only concern.
Outside, Lily continued her tantrum. “I want her, and I want her now! Or I’ll die here!”
Mark tried to reason with her. “She’s already started another surgery. It’ll take hours. Let’s transfer you.”
The vice president also urged her to transfer, fearing the consequences if Lily died.
But Lily wouldn’t listen. She focused solely on becoming Mark’s wife. She even asked about my surgery’s duration and her willingness to wait.
The vice president arranged for her to be admitted while simultaneously sending someone to inquire about my surgery’s duration.
Soon, the response came. “One to eight hours.”
Lily, stubborn, refused to transfer and insisted on her preparations.
Mark, worried, called his secretary to arrange top specialists from nearby hospitals.
Lily, hearing this, forbade him. The vice president and Mark were forced out of the room as she prepared herself for the surgery.
Half an hour later, heavy bleeding started.
04.
Five hours later, the surgery ended.
As I handed the hemostat to my assistant, I was drenched in sweat. “The rest is up to you.”
Leaning against the wall, I felt drained, weak, and close to collapsing.
The nurse rushed over to help.
The surgery had been perilous, mirroring my last experience. The patient had hemorrhaged, but I’d managed to save her, losing only one fallopian tube.
Leaving the operating room, I felt I heard Lily’s cries of pain, though it might have been my imagination.
