Chapter 4

Everything around Miranda seemed to freeze. Through the crowd, she locked eyes with Jerome. She clearly saw a flash of pain in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by cold indifference. "Miranda, you made a mistake, and you must be punished." Miranda froze, and in the next instant, a sharp crack echoed through the room. Agonizing pain shot up her wrist. Her body trembled uncontrollably, and cold sweat poured down her face. Another commotion broke out at the doorway. The hospital director, accompanied by the department head, pushed through the crowd and tossed a piece of paper at Miranda. "Miranda Payne, you have seriously violated medical ethics," he said coldly. "Your medical license is hereby revoked. You are dismissed, and you will never be employed here again." Miranda looked at the termination notice in front of her, and a bitter laugh escaped her lips. Her eyes rolled back, and she lost consciousness once more. … Once again, Miranda woke up in the hospital room. A sharp, stabbing pain shot through her hand, and she realized her wrist was wrapped in a thick cast, completely useless. Panicked, she looked at Jerome, who had been staying by her side the whole time. "What happened to my hand?" A trace of sympathy flashed in Jerome's eyes. "Miranda, your wrist is shattered. You will never hold a scalpel again." The words struck her like a death sentence. Miranda froze, her mind blank. She stared at Jerome, opening her mouth, but no sound came out. The hands she had been most proud of—the hands that had made her a respected doctor—were ruined. She couldn't accept it, no matter how hard she tried; nothing could make her come to terms with it. Seeing how lost and broken Miranda looked, Jerome pulled her into his arms, a trace of tenderness in his expression. "It's okay, Miranda. You still have me. I'll take care of you—" She shoved him away violently before he could finish. "You?" Miranda grabbed the fruit knife from the bedside table, tears streaming down her face. Her voice shook violently. "Jerome, if you hadn't kidnapped Fred and forced him to donate his kidney to that bastard… if you hadn't made me save him first and delayed saving Fred…" "Enough!" Jerome interrupted impatiently. "Miranda, stop calling him a bastard. Fred and Dami are both my children. Now that Fred is gone, Dami is my only child. "I know that you're devastated, but Dami is innocent. You hurt a child, and now you're facing the consequences you brought on yourself!" "Consequences I brought on myself? You're right. If I hadn't been blinded back then and insisted on marrying you, I never would've ended up like this." Miranda tightened her grip on the fruit knife and drove it straight into Jerome's chest. The blade sank in, blood gushing instantly. Jerome stared at Miranda's bloodshot eyes in disbelief. "Are you trying to kill me?" The two faced each other in silence, and finally, Jerome softened his stance. He pulled the bloodied fruit knife out. "I know what happened to Fred hurt you deeply. Consider this stab as my way of making it up to you." Then his tone hardened, carrying a warning. "But now that you've vented your anger, don't go after Madison and Dami again." Miranda stared at him in a daze. It felt as if a knife had pierced her own chest, tearing her heart to pieces. She let out a bitter laugh. "Don't worry. I won't lay a hand on them again." After all, Damian was innocent. Now that she had calmed down, Miranda naturally couldn't bring herself to harm a child again. But the next day, Jerome suddenly stormed into the hospital room, his face dark with fury. "Miranda, how dare you bribe a nurse to poison Dami!" Miranda frowned and protested, "I didn't!" "That nurse already confessed," Jerome snapped. "If she hadn't been so nervous and been caught by Madison, Dami would already be dead because of you." His accusing and furious gaze pierced Miranda's heart like a dagger, sending a sharp ache through her chest and making her breath catch in trembling gasps. She was too exhausted to argue. "Jerome, with your resources, you could find out the truth anytime." "The truth is already clear. No one else would harm Dami except you." With that, he grabbed her wrist and dragged her out of the room. Miranda struggled. "What are you doing?" Jerome's voice was icy. "Because of this little stunt you pull, you'll kneel at Dami's door and confess your sins." "I won't!" Miranda shouted. Her reputation was already ruined. Kneeling now would only confirm her guilt. "You have no choice," Jerome said. He kicked her hard in the back of the knee and coldly ordered his bodyguards, "Hold her down and make her kneel. She may not get up without my permission."