"We need people right now. Can you start in three days?"

I smiled and agreed, then hung up.

Honestly, my father's cardiology department wasn't even ranked that high nationally. I'd only been so set on joining because I wanted to fight alongside him. Now that I no longer needed to... I could finally chase my own dream.

For days after, Dad never reached out—but the relatives did. First, my uncle.

"Alice, don't be so immature! Your dad is the Gilbert family's public face. If you—a little girl—cost him his career over some petty grudge, the whole family will never forgive you!"

Then my aunt.

"Alice, how can you compete with your own father? He has a point—if you join his hospital, even if you earned it yourself, people will gossip that he played favorites! You need to know how to avoid that. Don't ever go to his hospital again, you hear me?!"

"Don't worry, Aunt. I'll never go again. I've already cut him off!"

"Then I hope you'll practice what you preach! Next time your daughter's daughter-in-law's friend has a second baby, don't come crawling to him for hospital favors!"

I hung up on her mid-rant. Thinking about it now, Dad's so-called "avoiding suspicion" had only ever meant avoiding me.

I was about to prepare my documents for starting work when Mercy General called. The voice on the other end stuttered.

"Sorry, Ms. Gilbert. The offer was... sent to the wrong person. You don't need to come in after all..."

My legs buckled. I nearly collapsed.

"Wrong person? I have the recording of your director's call right here. That clear of an invitation, and you're saying it was a mistake?!"

After a long silence, a steady but helpless voice came through.

"Alice, some of our weaker departments still rely on your father. He spoke to us..."

My vision went black. I crumpled to the floor. I didn't catch the rest of what he said. After hanging up, I opened my email—the hundred-plus enthusiastic offers I'd received just that morning had all turned into rejections.

I shattered.

Staggering to my feet, I gripped my phone and rushed back to my father's hospital.

Today was his exclusive interview with Capital City Broadcasting—the one about "mentoring students everywhere." I shoved through the thick wall of reporters, hit play on the recording, and charged in.

"Nathaniel Gilbert! For your precious reputation, I already gave up my spot to your favorite disciple. Why won't you leave me alone?!"

"Mercy General already sent me an offer. What gives you the right to make them take it back?!"

The set—seconds ago filled with laughter—went deathly silent. The only sound was the director's helpless sigh echoing from my phone through the massive room. The reporters outside exchanged stunned glances.

My father's face went livid. He shot up from his chair and swung.

"Ungrateful wretch! How dare you call your father by his name in public?! All those years of education—did you learn nothing?!"

The slap landed like fire. My head spun. A salty, metallic taste flooded my mouth. I wiped my lip—blood.

Dad's chest heaved, his anger undiminished.

I wiped the blood from my mouth and met his furious gaze.

"Dad, I just called you by your name. I'm sorry—but I need you to answer me.

I worked my way here on my own. I scored forty-eight points higher than Chloe, yet you admitted her instead.

Fine. You want her—I can go elsewhere. But why did you force them to rescind my offer?

And the acceptance letters from nearly a hundred other hospitals—you called every single one and had them revoked, didn't you? I don't understand. Why?! You want me to call you 'Dad,' but have you ever once treated me like your daughter?!"

"It's precisely because you're my daughter that I had to do this!

This is training—for a child who's had everything handed to her since birth!

It's punishment—for not understanding how to avoid conflicts of interest!

And it's fairness—for a child like Chloe who came from nothing!

Look at your attitude today. What I just did wasn't punishment enough!

Since I can't teach you, I'll let someone else do it!"

The moment Dad finished, uniformed officers rushed out from behind and seized me.

"Ma'am, you're suspected of disturbing public order. Come with us."

Hundreds—thousands—of cameras aimed at me.

Dad pulled Chloe protectively behind him, a trace of smugness flickering at the corner of his eye.

Of course. The "medical authority" who'd held power for so long had once again chosen righteousness over family—all to champion a child from poverty.

How noble.

Dad basked in applause and praise.

My heart sank into the abyss.

Within hours, the video of my arrest would flood the internet.

My future was over.

Three days later, the moment I stepped out of the precinct, I heard whispers.

"Hey, isn't that Director Gilbert's daughter? The one who demanded special treatment from her own father—that ungrateful brat?"

"That's her! They say she scored forty-something points higher than that Chloe girl and tried to force Director Gilbert to let her in. He rejected her outright. She claims she outscored Chloe—who knows if the grader just inflated her scores because of her father's reputation?"

"Must be! Why else would Director Gilbert refuse her? He even wrote 'never hire' next to her name. Honestly, he spared her some dignity—there's more he could've said, but she has no shame!"

"A kid like that would only drag him down. If you ask me, he should just disown her!"

"Someone as kind as Director Gilbert probably wouldn't. I heard he's holding a free clinic at the hospital this afternoon—says he wants to thank everyone for their support."

A middle-aged woman passing by spat onto my pants, then laughed and chatted with the others as they headed toward Dad's hospital.

My legs moved on their own, following them.

I knew I had no future left in this city. One last look wouldn't hurt. A farewell.

Maybe the bond between us really did end here.

The clinic was packed. Every face, every voice overflowed with gratitude for Dad.

I drifted in with the crowd, but the moment I reached the entrance, a slender palm shoved hard against my chest and pushed me back.

"Alice, are you a stray dog? What are you doing here? Director Gilbert doesn't want you!"

"Get lost."

I shoved Chloe's hand off me and turned to walk inside.

"Alice, what do you still have to be so arrogant about?!"

Chloe grabbed my wrist, her eyes gleaming with smug satisfaction.

"You're a criminal with a record now. You'll never touch a scalpel again, will you? Treat me nicely, and maybe I can beg Director Gilbert to let you collect trash at the hospital!"

She leaned closer. "Oh right, I forgot to tell you. After today's free clinic, Director Gilbert is taking me in as his goddaughter. From now on, I'll be his good daughter—and you'll be a useless piece of trash with no dad and no mom!"

Years of suppressed rage erupted.

I seized her wrist, raised my other hand, and swung—

But before my palm could connect, someone grabbed it from behind.

"Alice!"

Dad rushed up and shoved me away, positioning himself between us like a shield—for her.

"Haven't you caused enough trouble?! Two punishments weren't enough?!"

Behind him, Chloe covered her mouth and snickered.

I stared at him in disbelief. "Dad, she pushed me first. She said you were taking her as your daughter. She said I have no dad and no mom—"

"Shut up!"

He cut me off before I could finish.

"Chloe is such a well-behaved kid. She would never say something like that. You're lying!"

"If I don't punish you until it hurts, you'll never learn!"

"Today, I'm going to make an example of you!"

His eyes filled with disgust. He picked up the microphone and faced the dense crowd.

"Hello everyone, this is my daughter Alice. Because she doesn't understand how to avoid conflicts of interest..."

He was mid-speech when a familiar, forceful female voice rang out from behind—

"Nathaniel Gilbert, you think you're worthy of talking about conflicts of interest?! You know exactly how you got your position today, don't you?!"