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 Even her position as chief was revoked by the hospital, followed by an indefinite suspension.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 her mother's killer 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 and 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 too!" 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 nostrils. Margot sat up like a walking corpse. She then went to the nurse's 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."