Chapter 1

I stood at the speaker's podium in the hearing hall of the State Department of Health.

Three days ago I was the youngest chief credentialing examiner in the state medical system. A single stroke of my pen could decide the career of any clinician alive.

Now I was the "cancer of the profession" the whole internet wanted to burn, the woman who'd used her position for a personal vendetta, who'd maliciously blocked a genius young doctor's promotion out of spite.

Eighteen years ago, my mother lay in a hospital resuscitation room, waiting for her husband, the cardiac surgeon, to come back and save her life.

She died still waiting.

That day, her husband was throwing a birthday party for his illegitimate daughter.

And that illegitimate daughter is this very genius young doctor.

1

I'd just finished going through three associate-chief promotion files when someone pushed open my office door.

It was Craig Lambert, director of Farhaven Hospital, with Ann Henson trailing behind him in her white coat.

Craig set the file envelope on my desk. "Examiner Winfield, sorry to bother you when you're so busy."

"This is the promotion package for Dr. Ann Henson, from our cardiac surgery department. Please take a look.

"She's an exceptional young woman. One of the top talents we're grooming."

I glanced at Ann. She was pretending not to know me, so naturally I wasn't going to greet her either.

"Director Lambert," I said evenly, "promotion packages just go through the system. There's no need to make a special trip."

"Follow the process. What should pass will pass on its own."

Craig smiled, all warmth. "It's only that I'm worried the process is slow!

"If everything's fine on your end, give us a little leeway, and Farhaven Hospital will owe you a personal favor."

Beside him, Ann spoke softly. "Hello, Examiner Winfield. I'm Ann Henson.

"All my evaluation scores are in the file.

"I'm confident my qualifications fully meet the promotion standard."

I reached for the envelope, broke the seal, and turned through it page by page.

Surgical records, papers, award certificates. Every one of them looked beautiful.

When I finished, I closed the file and pushed it back toward Craig.

"Sorry. There are questions about this file. I can't approve it."

The smile froze on Craig's face. "Examiner Winfield, what do you mean by that?

"Ann meets every condition. Straight top marks on the simulation assessment. What is there to question?"

My tone stayed flat. "Twelve core surgeries where she was lead surgeon, and only the after-the-fact surgical summaries exist.

"The records for all twelve were backfilled in one batch last week.

"Per regulation, any promotion application with questionable original case files is rejected outright."

Craig's voice climbed. "That's extremely common in this field. What hospital doesn't have a data lag now and then? Examiner Winfield, you can't use that as an excuse to block someone."

I raised my eyes to him. "Whether it's an excuse, Director Lambert knows perfectly well.

"The formal rejection letter will go out through the system tomorrow.

"If Dr. Henson disputes the outcome, she can apply for a review through the proper channels."

Craig's voice went sharp. "Evangeline Winfield!

"This is a small circle. Don't back yourself into a corner. By the time you regret it, it'll be too late."

"I'm doing my job by the book," I answered. "I have nothing to regret."

Ann took a step forward, her brows drawn tight. "Examiner Winfield, I was personally on the table for every one of those surgeries. I've never falsified anything.

"Can you tell me exactly which twelve are the problem? I can bring the original records and confront you point by point."

"You can check the originals in your own hospital's medical records room," I said coldly.

"If there's really no problem, the review will pass on its own."

Craig let out a cold laugh and snatched up the envelope. "Very tough, Examiner Winfield.

"I'd like to see whether you can hold on to that seat of yours."

The two of them slammed the door on their way out. I leaned back in my chair, my chest tight and aching.

That afternoon, the internet blew up.

Several medical media accounts posted at the same time, each headline more glaring than the last.

【Youngest Chief Examiner Settling a Personal Score? Genius Young Doctor's Promotion Cruelly Blocked!】

【Medical Prodigy No Match for Private Grudge? Where's the Fairness in This Profession?】

The comment sections were worse.

"She's targeting Ann on purpose just because Ann's her half-sister?"

"Heard her mother died young. Probably left her twisted, can't stand to see anyone else do well."

"Full investigation needed! How did someone like this ever become chief examiner?"