Chapter 1

Margot Monroe was a genius among the young overseas returnees in the Southbridge Military District. As the youngest chief of surgery at the district hospital, her priceless hands have performed countless major operations and saved numerous lives.

But right now, those hands lay beneath someone's boot as they were being grinded mercilessly against the floor. And the one responsible was her own husband, Colonel Cameron Reid, division commander of the Southbridge Military District.

Cameron sat calmly in his chair, his military uniform crisp and immaculate, his expression blank.

Behind him, in the next room, several large men have pinned Margot's younger sister down on a bed. Her sister, Eloise Monroe's broken, helpless cries kept echoing out, tearing Margot's heart to shreds.

Cameron said, "Margot, you have two choices. Get up and operate on Vera's mother, or I'll open your sister's door right now and let everyone in Southbridge see what kind of spectacle she's making."

Margot clenched her teeth, her eyes bloodshot as she stared at Cameron. "Cameron, why are you doing this to me? You know perfectly well that Vera killed my mother! Now, her mother has a brain tumor, and that's karma. Yet you're forcing me to operate on my enemy?"

A month ago, Margot's mother had been shopping at a farmers market when Vera Sanders from the military entertainment corps hit her with a car and killed her.

Margot immediately filed charges and took her to court. But within three days, someone else came forward to take the blame.

Watching the real culprit walk free, Margot couldn't accept the outcome. She appealed to the higher court repeatedly, only to be rejected every time. Even her position as chief was revoked by the hospital, followed by an indefinite suspension.

Just when she'd reached the depths of despair, Vera's mother fell ill. The tumor's location was so dangerous that no one in all of Southbridge was skilled enough to take on the surgery except Margot.

When Margot first received the news, her immediate reaction was to refuse. Operating on the mother of the girl who killed her mother would be worse than killing her.

However, suddenly, she was dragged into this guesthouse.

It wasn't until she saw Cameron that she finally understood what was happening. The husband who claimed to love her more than life itself had always been in love with someone else.

"Margot, you're running out of time!" Cameron's voice pulled Margot back from her thoughts.

He continued, "I'll give you three more minutes. If you still refuse to operate on Vera's mother, then I'll have no choice but to order someone to open Eloise's door. Let everyone in Southbridge see your sister in her debauchery with multiple men!

"Margot, you know what happens to a young woman's reputation when it's destroyed like this."

Her sister's heart-wrenching cries for help pierced through Margot like arrows, leaving her in unbearable agony.

Margot clenched her fists tightly, the taste of blood rising in her mouth. "Cameron, have you forgotten the promise you made when you married me?"

On their wedding day, Cameron, who was only a captain, had knelt before Margot and solemnly vowed, "Margot, from today forward, your family is my family. I will always protect them."

Cameron acted as though he hadn't heard Margot's hoarse voice, his gaze cold and indifferent. "Margot, you have one minute left. Your sister's fate is in your hands now!"

The light in Margot's eyes dimmed in that instant, leaving only despair. She clenched her teeth and spoke the words Cameron wanted to hear, her heart dead inside. "I agree to operate on Vera's mother."

Hearing Margot's answer, Cameron reached out and ruffled her hair with satisfaction. "Good girl, Margot! When the surgery is over, I'll buy you the finest jewelry as compensation."

Margot stared at the smile on Cameron's face. It was utterly sickening.

She was soon sent into an operating room. With limited equipment available, the tumor removal surgery lasted a full 12 hours.

Margot walked out of the operating room exhausted. Before she could even catch her breath, a nurse came running over. "Dr. Monroe, something terrible has happened! Your sister was caught in a compromising situation with multiple men at the guesthouse.

"The news has already spread throughout all of Southbridge, and your sister can't handle the humiliation. She's threatening to jump off a building."

Margot felt a thunderous explosion in her mind. She staggered as she ran out, her voice trembling. "How could this happen? Cameron, you promised me. You said if I performed the surgery, you'd let Ellie go."

Margot arrived at the hospital rooftop. A crowd of onlookers had gathered below. Her sister sat quietly at the edge of the roof, looking like a broken porcelain doll.

Margot stared at her sister in terror. "Ellie, I'm here. Please don't do anything foolish, okay? Everything will pass. Trust me, please?"

Eloise slowly turned her head. The moment she saw Margot, she finally showed a trace of a smile. "Maggie, you came!"

Margot slowly moved forward. "Ellie, come down! I'm begging you! I can't lose you!"

Eloise's eyes were hollow, her face completely devoid of any will to live. "Maggie, I'm sorry! But I really don't have the courage to keep living!"

With that, Eloise slowly stood up and looked at Margot with a faint smile. "I'm going to be with Mom now."

As soon as she said this, Eloise leaned backward without hesitation. Margot rushed forward like a madwoman but grasped nothing but air.

"No, Ellie, no!" Margot yelled.

In an instant, hospital security rushed up and held her back with all their strength.

She struggled desperately. "Let me go! I have nothing left! I don't have any family anymore!"

Margot felt her heart exploding with pain. A mouthful of fresh blood surged up, and suddenly everything went dark before her eyes.

When she woke again, the smell of disinfectant filled her nose.

Margot sat up, looking like a lifeless body. She then went to the nurses' station and dialed a number that she hadn't called for five years.

She said, "I accept your conditions, and I have only one requirement. I want Cameron and Vera to pay for what they've done!"

The other end of the line was silent for a long moment before a low voice came through. "No problem. I'll come to pick you up in a month."

After she hung up, Margot called her lawyer. "Prepare the divorce papers for a military marriage immediately."

Chapter 2

As soon as Margot sent the message, her hospital room door was shoved open forcefully.

Before she could see who it was, she was pulled into a familiar embrace. "Margot, I'm so sorry for what happened to Eloise. But it was all an accident. Someone barged in by mistake."

Cameron's gentle voice rang in her ear, but it only made Margot feel utterly nauseated. She pushed him away with an expressionless face. The love in her eyes had long since vanished, leaving only endless hatred.

Sensing Margot's coldness, Cameron grabbed her hand. His eyes were full of tenderness, as though nothing had happened. "Margot, you want your position back, don't you? I've already notified the hospital. Even that overseas exchange opportunity you've always wanted will be yours too, okay?"

Margot let out a cold laugh and yanked her hand away. "This is your compensation? This is what I get in exchange for my mother's and sister's lives?"

Margot had never imagined they would reach this point.

Years ago, Cameron had been ambushed during a mission. A bullet was lodged between his ribs, and no one in all of Southbridge dared perform the surgery.

She was the one who stepped forward without hesitation. Under enormous pressure, she successfully saved Cameron's life and captured his heart from that moment on.

After that, Cameron pursued Margot relentlessly. Flowers and jewelry constantly arrived at the hospital. He even transferred half of his assets into her name before the wedding, giving her complete security.

Everyone said Margot was the luckiest woman in all of Southbridge. Even she used to believe it.

That was until Cameron's first love returned to Southbridge and joined the military entertainment corps. When she saw Vera's face, which bore a striking resemblance to her own, she finally understood. She was nothing more than a pathetic substitute.

Just then, her lawyer, Andrew Pole, suddenly walked in holding a document, pulling Margot back from her thoughts.

The moment Cameron saw Andrew, his expression darkened. Something dark flashed in his eyes as he looked at Margot. "You still won't give up, will you? You're actually trying to sue Vera again?"

Margot took the divorce papers from Andrew and looked at Cameron mockingly. "Didn't you say you'd compensate me with jewelry? This is the latest design from overseas. Sign it."

Hearing it was about compensation, Cameron instantly relaxed. He was about to open the document to take a look when the hospital room door was pushed open again.

Vera rushed in, panic written all over her face. "Cameron, my mother suddenly said her chest hurts really bad! Did something go wrong with the surgery?"

Cameron's expression darkened. He reached out and gripped Margot's wrist tightly. "You said Vera's mother's surgery was successful. Why is this happening? What the hell did you do?"

Margot watched Cameron's anxious expression and thought back to his cold indifference on the day her own mother died. The irony wasn't lost on her.

She painly replied, "Post-surgical complications are very common."

Vera looked at Margot urgently. "Dr. Monroe, I know you don't like me. Whatever resentment you have, take it out on me, okay? Please, I'm begging you, don't hurt my mother!"

Cameron stared at Margot, his gaze dark. "Go treat Vera's mother right now. If anything else goes wrong, you know what I'm capable of."

However, Margot only looked coldly at the document in Cameron's hand. "Sign it. The moment you do, I'll go immediately."

Cameron stared at her, his expression menacing. "Margot, are you threatening me?"

"Cameron, this is what you owe me!" Margot's voice was cold yet carried a hint of something broken.

Cameron froze for a moment before stepping forward and quickly signing his name. "Are you satisfied now?"

Margot took the signed divorce agreement and immediately handed it to Andrew, who was standing nearby. "Submit it for approval as soon as possible."

Andrew quickly placed the divorce agreement in his briefcase and nodded at Margot. "Dr. Monroe, the entire process will take just 30 days."

As he watched Margot and Andrew talk, Cameron felt an inexplicable panic and an uneasy feeling rising in his chest.

After she saw Andrew off, Margot followed Vera to the private care ward. The moment she stepped through the door, a vase flew straight at her forehead.

Chapter 3

The vase shattered into pieces on the floor, and bright red blood slowly dripped down Margot's forehead.

Vera's mother, Winnie Lloyd, stared at Margot with a twisted expression. "You little bitch, did you sabotage my surgery? Why does my chest hurt so much?"

Margot clenched her fists, her gaze cold as she looked at the woman on the bed.

She had lost her sister and performed surgery for 12 straight hours to save this woman's life. And now, the moment she woke, the first thing this woman did was accuse her.

Margot explained, "Pain after surgery is completely normal. Since you still have the energy to curse at me, I'd say you're perfectly fine."

As she turned to leave, Vera blocked her path. "Dr. Monroe, if you don't examine my mother, I'm afraid you won't have much to report to Cameron."

Margot didn't want to cause any more trouble before the divorce was finalized. So, she suppressed her anger and walked toward the bed.

The moment she took out her stethoscope, Winnie suddenly raised her hand and slapped Margot across the face. "Do you even know what you're doing? They say you're some genius who studied abroad, and all you do is pull out a stethoscope? Are you mocking me?"

Margot clutched her reddened, swollen face and glared at the woman on the bed with fury. "Mrs. Sanders, if you question my abilities, you can request a different doctor. But you've assaulted me multiple times now, and that's a threat to my safety."

As soon as the words left her mouth, another sharp slap rang out. Winnie struck her again.

"So what if I hit you? What are you going to do, sue me? Have you forgotten how your sister died? Who knows, maybe next time it'll be you fooling around with men at some guesthouse." Winnie looked at Margot smugly.

She continued, "Then again, it runs in your family, doesn't it? Your mother was a scammer who deserved to get hit by a car. Your sister was a shameless whore who sold herself. I guess you're no different."

Hearing the people who killed her mother and sister now mocking them, Margot lunged forward like a madwoman and wrapped her hands around Winnie's throat.

Margot yelled, "You're the ones who killed them! What right do you have to insult them? I saved your life, and I can just as easily send you to hell!"

Suddenly, a forceful shove sent her flying backward. Her entire body slammed into the bedside table, and a searing pain coursed through her.

Cameron stood in front of the bed, shielding Vera and her mother behind him. He looked at Margot with disgust.

He said, "Margot, I thought you'd changed after what happened to Eloise. But here you are, even worse than before, attacking a patient. You've disappointed me beyond words."

Vera threw herself into Cameron's arms, sobbing pitifully. "Cameron, I don't know why Dr. Monroe suddenly went crazy. But my mother just had major surgery. Her body can't handle this kind of stress!"

Cameron looked at the tearful Vera and immediately pulled her into a tight embrace. He turned to Margot with cold eyes.

"Margot, apologize!" he yelled.

Margot clenched her fists, struggling to keep the tears from falling as she stared at Cameron defiantly. "Why should I? Why should I apologize to the people who have killed my family?"

Cameron's expression darkened as he looked at Margot, then raised his hand slightly toward the bodyguards behind him. "Since my wife refuses to apologize, take her to kneel at the estate chapel. She can come out when she realizes her mistake."

At the mention of the estate chapel, Margot's pupils contracted sharply.

The chapel was a forbidden ground in the Reid residence, and Cameron had kept two mastiffs there as guards. Those mastiffs were extremely vicious. Every year, multiple people were mauled by them

Margot looked at Cameron with fear in her eyes. "Cameron, you can't send me to the estate chapel!"

However, Cameron didn't even glance at her.

And so, Margot was practically dragged there. The moment she entered, the two mastiffs stared at her like starving demons, their eyes gleaming in the darkness.

Margot turned to run, but the bodyguards shut the heavy doors of the estate chapel without hesitation.

"Cameron, you can't do this to me! I can't stay here! I'll die!" she yelled.

The wound on Margot's forehead hadn't been treated yet, and the scent of blood still lingered. The moment the two dogs caught the smell, they lunged at her.

One dog clamped down hard on Margot's right hand while the other pinned her body down, leaving her completely immobilized. The mastiff's 180-pound weight pressed down on her chest, making it nearly impossible to breathe.

She endured the excruciating pain and pounded on the estate chapel doors. "Cameron, save me! The dogs have gone crazy!"

However, the voice that answered from behind the door was Vera's gentle tone. "Cameron, I remember the dogs were so obedient when I gave them to you! How could they possibly hurt anyone?"

Hearing Vera say this, Cameron's voice grew stern. "Margot, stop playing games. When you realize your mistake, I'll let you out."

Then, she heard the sound of two sets of footsteps walking away. Margot felt as though she'd fallen into an ice-cold pit.

So, he thought even her pleas for help were just manipulation.

The next second, she heard a sickening crack. The wrist the dog had clamped onto seemed to snap, and the tearing pain nearly made her lose consciousness.

She didn't even have the strength left to call for help. Crimson blood flowed continuously, and Margot's consciousness began to fade.

Before she blacked out, she thought she saw Cameron burst through the doors like a madman and pull her tightly into his arms.

"Margot, I'm sorry!" he cried.

Chapter 4

When Margot woke again, she found herself in a familiar hospital room.

A sharp, throbbing pain shot through her hand. That was when Margot realized she couldn't lift it up at all.

She sat up in a panic. Her right hand, aside from the pain, was completely useless. She couldn't summon any strength in it whatsoever.

"How could this happen?" Tears streamed down Margot's face in heavy drops.

She tried frantically to get out of bed. Hearing the commotion, Cameron rushed over from the couch and pulled her into his arms. "Margot, I'm so sorry. The mastiff severed the tendons in your hand. You'll never be able to hold a scalpel again."

Margot looked down at her hand. Her mouth opened, but no words came out. The hand she'd been most proud of, the hand that had been her foundation in the medical field, was now useless.

How could she accept this? How could anyone accept this?

...

Over the following days, Cameron stayed by Margot's side. He even personally helped her bathe and dress. She remained hospitalized for a full week before being discharged.

On the drive home, Margot stared out the window in silence. Cameron reached over and took her hand, his face full of tenderness. "Margot, I've arranged a memorial service for your mother and sister tomorrow. I'll make sure they're given a proper send-off."

At the mention of the memorial service, Margot's expression softened slightly. She was about to speak when Cameron's phone rang.

Margot heard Vera's voice on the other end. "Cameron, my mother's chest is hurting again. I don't know what to do. Can you come over?"

Cameron immediately slammed on the brakes, his expression grave as he turned to Margot. "Margot, you'll have to walk home on your own. Vera needs someone with her."

Margot let out a cold laugh. "Are you a doctor? What good will it do for you to go? Can you cure her mother?"

Cameron's face darkened instantly. "Margot, her mother only has these serious complications because you botched the surgery. I'm just trying to make up for your mistake."

With that, Cameron got out of the car and yanked Margot's door open. "Get out."

Margot looked at the man before her and found it laughable. So, love could be nothing but an act.

The moment Margot stepped out, Cameron started his car and sped off, leaving her alone on a deserted street.

This area was close to the outskirts of the city. Security had been poor lately, and thugs and troublemakers often lurked around here.

As the sky darkened, Margot was about to move forward when several large men emerged from an alley. Margot watched them warily, an ominous feeling rising in her chest.

She turned to run but was blocked by someone. "Well, if it isn't the sister of that student who's been all over the news lately. If the little sister knew how to have fun, I bet the older sister's got some skills too."

One of them grabbed Margot's hand. She tried to shake him off, but her hand had no strength left.

"Do you know who I am? If you dare touch me, I won't let you get away with this," she yelled.

The men laughed even more wildly at her struggling and began dragging her deeper into the alley. "Today, we're gonna have ourselves some fun."

Margot screamed at the top of her lungs, but all she got in return was their excited laughter.

"You can scream your throat raw and no one's coming to save you," one man said.

One of them violently tore at her clothes. Margot bit down hard on one man's hand and used every ounce of strength to run.

The men chased after her, then laughed even more triumphantly. "This is the outskirts. Behind you, there's nothing but Southbridge Lake."

Margot looked at the lake below the railing behind her. Without any hesitation, she jumped.

The icy water instantly engulfed Margot, and she thought she could hear people arguing on the shore. "That person only said to ruin her, not kill her. If something happens, who's going to take responsibility?"

Chapter 5

When Margot opened her eyes again, she was back at the Reid residence. She was about to sit up when she heard a loud crash from the living room.

Cameron smashed a vase in his hand to the floor. "I don't care what it costs. Find those men. My wife was assaulted. If anyone dares let this get out, I'll end them myself!"

Vera leaned against Cameron's shoulder, gently rubbing his back. "Cameron, Dr. Monroe is a victim in all this."

At the mention of Margot's name, Cameron's expression turned terrifyingly dark.

He slammed his fist down hard on the glass coffee table and said, "It doesn't matter. It's already happened. How could I possibly accept a wife who's been defiled? How is she any different from her sister now?"

Margot stood in the corner, her hands clenched tightly. Cameron's words were like sharp knives carving into her heart, making it impossible to breathe.

He hadn't even bothered to ask her what happened, and yet he'd already decided she was ruined.

Early the next morning, Margot arrived at the memorial service that Cameron had arranged for her mother and sister. In the main hall, photographs of the two people who had been alive just a month ago now sat beside their urns.

Margot kept rearranging the flowers. It seemed like the only thing that could ease her pain even slightly.

From 8:00 am until 12:00 pm, not a single person came to the memorial service. Even Cameron, who had promised to give her mother and sister a proper send-off, never showed up.

Margot glanced at the time. The time for burial was approaching. She looked at the empty hall and walked out alone, carrying her mother's and sister's urns.

The moment she stepped out of the memorial hall, a crowd of reporters surrounded her.

"Dr. Monroe, we heard you were assaulted by several men in an alley yesterday. Does Colonel Reid know about this?"

"Dr. Monroe, were you actually assaulted or was it consensual? Some people are saying you seduced them. Are you really just as promiscuous as your sister?"

"Dr. Monroe, first your mother was killed trying to scam someone, then your sister killed herself in shame after fooling around with men, and now you're involved with men too. Is your whole family like this?"

Each sharp, mocking question felt like a needle driving into Margot's bones. Her eyes turned bloodshot as she glared at the crowd in fury. "Shut up! My family is none of your business, you people who can't tell right from wrong!"

Margot tried to escape, but someone roughly pulled her back.

"Dr. Monroe, are you feeling guilty? News of your affair has spread throughout all of Southbridge. You're just as shameless as your sister. Aren't you afraid Colonel Reid will throw you out?"

Margot lost her footing and fell to the ground. The urns flew from her hands.

In the chaos, someone stepped on one of the urns. It burst open, and the ashes scattered across the ground.

Margot crawled forward on her knees like a madwoman, her hands trembling as she tried to gather the ashes into her palms. "Get away! All of you, get away!"

However, the crowd seemed to deliberately trampled on her mother's and sister's ashes.

Margot fell apart completely. "Don't step on my mother's and sister's ashes. Please, I'm begging you, don't step on them!"

The reporters ignored her completely, all pointing their cameras at the wretched Margot. Margot tried to stand, but someone shoved her hard. She fell backward, and a sharp pain shot through the back of her head.

Then, someone in the crowd let out a terrified scream. "Blood! So much blood!"

The next second, a dozen military jeeps slowly pulled up. Before the vehicle even stopped, Cameron jumped out. "What the hell are you people doing?"

Cameron stared at Margot lying in a pool of blood, his expression unreadable. He reached out to hold her, but his hand stopped mid-air.

He turned to his secretary, Caleb Greene. "Take my wife to the hospital."

Caleb looked at Cameron with some hesitation. "Colonel Reid, that's not really appropriate. You should carry Mrs. Reid yourself."

But Cameron turned his back, refusing to look at Margot again. "She's filthy."

Those words fell like a massive stone crushing down on Margot's heart.