The prognosis was bleak. The nerve damage was so extensive that I couldn't move my hand at all for the time being and there was a significant chance it might never regain its full range of motion. I stared at the medical report, each word clear, yet the full scope of the situation seemed to elude me. I was so engrossed in the report that I didn't notice when Benjamin quietly left the room. It was only when I finally set the medical record aside that I realized I was alone. The once-bustling hospital room had fallen eerily silent, overwhelmed by a deep sense of confusion and isolation that seemed to close in on me.

“How is she? Is she ok- What happened to your face?” Rachel’s voice, filled with shock, cut through the silence from outside the door.

Benjamin took a deep breath before responding in his usual calm and measured tone. “It’s fine. Cora’s upset about her injury and she vented out a bit. Nothing I can’t manage.” 

“Just because she’s injured, doesn’t justify her for taking her anger out on you. Hitting you on the face, of all places. How can you show up looking like that? It’s outrageous!”

Benjamin sighed, clearly trying to keep his composure. “Her mood is just a little messy right now. She’ll get over it in a few days. Let’s not provoke her further.”

Rachel, still fuming, shot back, “What? Am I just supposed to sit here and watch her walk all over you? She’s—”

“That’s not what I meant,” Benjamin interrupted gently. “You’ve been here for hours. You should get some rest. With Cora out, your team will need you. Don’t let this delay your work.”

Rachel’s frustration seemed to waver, her expression softening as she tried to regain her composure. “Don’t worry, I’ll handle things while Cora’s away,” she said, her voice tinged with reluctant determination.

Unable to endure the tension any longer, I threw open the door to the hospital room. 

“This is a hospital. If you’re going to gossip, do it somewhere else!” I snapped, my voice echoing off the sterile walls. With that, I slammed the door shut, the force of it reverberating through the hallway. Benjamin and Rachel stared at each other in stunned silence, the abruptness of my outburst hanging heavily in the air.

I returned to my bed with a weary sigh, feeling the weight of the day’s events settle over me. As I lay back and closed my eyes, the exhaustion overcame me and I drifted off to sleep.

Benjamin and I grew up together; we were childhood friends who knew each other's families well. I was aware of his family’s financial struggles, which drove his relentless pursuit of success. Yet, he never let on about his hardships, always maintaining a façade of gentleness and grace.

He was relentless in overcoming any obstacle in his path and I once believed that I was an exception to his ruthless ambition. But now, I saw him for who he truly was. Even if his selfishness wasn’t deliberate, someone like him—so blind to the needs of others—didn’t deserve my love. 

As someone who relied on my hands for my career, what would become of me now that they were ruined? Benjamin had destroyed my career, yet he treated it as a minor issue, trying to shirk responsibility. He caused me great harm, so I reported him to the police. He was detained for only half a month and had to pay a small bail. My parents traveled from our hometown to support me, their faces etched with heartbreak when they saw me. Their disappointment was palpable as they shook their heads, their silence speaking volumes.

“I can’t believe he did this to you. We always thought he was a good man, even treated him like a son,” my dad said, his face stern. “If he ever shows up again, I’m going to make him regret it.”

“I’m so sorry this happened to you, honey,” my mom said, her concern evident as she gently caressed my face.

The week I spent in the hospital felt like a blur of sterile white walls and endless medical procedures. When I finally returned to work a month later, it was with a mix of relief and trepidation. The physical demands of my job had been replaced by the mental grind of catching up and managing my rehabilitation.

Benjamin seemed unaffected by the incident. To my dismay, I learned that the manager had even spoken up for him, defending his actions as unintentional. The company’s operations continued smoothly, as if my brief disruption hadn't made a dent. One day, as I returned from upstairs with a report, the usually quiet lab was in an uproar.

“If you’re so pissed about it, don’t take it out on me! It’s not my fault. I have a lot of things to do and none of them are easy. If the clumsy Cora hadn’t had that accident and left a mess for me to clean up and if she hadn’t insisted on sending Benjamin to jail, everything would be fine. There wouldn’t have been any project delays and we wouldn’t be in this chaos. This is a group project and I’m not the only one to blame here. If I ever hear that this gets to the manager’s table, I’ll show you what I can do to end your career!”

Rachel’s commanding speech, full of self-righteous indignation, initially seemed reasonable and caused the other two girls to fall silent. Rachel strutted away victoriously, her head held high. As she turned her back, I quickly stepped in front of her.

“What did you say? Do you know that I can sue you for defamation?” 

“You haven’t forgotten why I was injured, have you?” I asked coldly. “Benjamin is in jail because of you. Do you still think you’re some kind of saint? Any normal person who had caused such harm would be so overwhelmed with guilt they’d barely be able to eat. Yet here you are, stirring up trouble.”

With me standing between Rachel and the girls who were arguing with her, their expressions shifted. Unwilling to concede defeat, the second girl, Aria, retorted, “Even if what you say is true, you should think about the company. You’ve been an intern for quite a while. How many projects have been delayed because you’re not doing your job and always making fuss and how much has it cost the company?”

I smiled at her smart comeback. I glanced at the drawer near me and broke into a wide grin. Rachel stared at me in confusion as I walked toward the table beside her and opened the drawer. I kept a smile on my face while reaching for one of her hands and placing it gently on the table, then took out a pair of scissors. I lifted them high and drove them down forcefully. My expression was calm and devoid of aggression and everything happened in a flash. No one had time to react.

The sharp, piercing scream reverberated through the lab. Rachel’s tears flowed instantly, her makeup smudged beyond recognition. The scissors stopped just one centimeter above her palm. I remained composed while returning her words.

“If the scissors had gone a few inches lower, would you still keep this from the manager’s table?”

Rachel trembled, frozen in fear. Her eyes, the only part of her body still moving, were teary and burning with hatred as they locked onto me, as if she wanted to devour me.

Suddenly, a sharp pain pierced through my right shoulder, causing my body to lurch sideways. My balance faltered and I stumbled, slamming my lower back into the corner of the table. The impact made me gasp in agony, the pain radiating through my spine.

As I struggled to regain my composure, my eyes met the scene unfolding before me. Benjamin was standing beside Rachel, his hand gripping her shoulder with a protective urgency. His face was flushed with a mix of anger and concern, his eyes blazing with a fierce intensity.

“Cora, there’s a limit to what you can joke about. I could even hear the commotion from outside. Look at her! You’ve made her cry. This isn’t a joke; it’s workplace bullying!” He paused for a moment before continuing,

“If you have a problem with me, then come at me. Don’t take out your anger on an innocent girl. She has nothing to do with this.”

As he spoke, his grip on Rachel’s shoulder tightened, a protective shield against the scene that had erupted around us. The room was filled with a tense silence, broken only by the muted sounds of Rachel’s sobs and Benjamin's resolute declarations.

Benjamin’s righteous indignation and severe condemnation of me might have seemed justified, but his actions were fundamentally flawed. The issue wasn’t with me but with his own behavior and no amount of bluster could silence the murmurs of discontent.

“How can he say that when he’s the one who caused Cora’s injury?” Aria remarked.

“If my hand had been harmed and I was subjected to such mockery afterward, my reaction would be even more intense,” Aria’s friend added.

“Whose boyfriend is he exactly? Why is he defending another girl over his own girlfriend? He’s a disgrace,” someone else chimed in. 

Rachel’s brows furrowed as her tears fell to the ground. Her face, though smeared with tears, bore a vulnerability and poignancy that could rival the most dramatic TV dramas.

“I can’t defend myself against all your accusations when you outnumber me,” she said, her voice trembling. “Even though I’m an intern, everything I’ve said and done has been aboveboard. I’m done making pointless excuses. I believe the truth will speak for itself.” Rachel bit her lip and added as she left, “I’m here to earn a living, not to engage in office’s drama.”

Benjamin moved swiftly to intercept Rachel, his hand resting gently on her shoulder as he murmured a few soothing words into her ear. With a calm but firm tone, he guided her away from the chaotic scene, his eyes flashing with a mix of concern and calculation. Once he was satisfied that Rachel was somewhat calmed, he turned his attention to me, his expression shifting to one of feigned seriousness.

“Can't you be less impulsive?” he asked, his voice laced with a condescending edge. “What would have happened if I hadn't stepped in to defend you? Do you really think this situation could have ended well without my intervention?”

He paused for a moment, as if weighing his next words carefully. “Here’s what you need to do,” he continued, his tone now more measured. “Apologize to Rachel and all of this will be forgotten. It’s the easiest way to smooth things over and put this mess behind us.”

“I should have slapped you for saying that, but I decided against it. I don’t want to dirty my hands.” I took a few steps forward and pointed at the repulsive man. “Just leave. Don’t you have work to do? Your presence here is just irritating and your knight-in-shining-armor act just now is disrupting our experiments.”

Benjamin’s face turned a deep shade of embarrassment. Just as he was about to retort, the team leader, Mrs. Gates arrived to address the matter.

Mrs. Gates’ voice was tinged with concern, but also a hint of impatience. “Cora, you have two projects nearing the deadline and the client is rushing out. How is your hands? Do you think you can handle it?”

Before I could respond, Rachel stepped forward, her tears now dry but her face still carrying a shadow of recent distress. “I can take over the projects, Mrs. Gates. I’ve been here for two months and I’m confident in my abilities. I can handle them.”

Benjamin, who had been observing silently, nodded in agreement. “I’ve worked with Rachel recently and she’s proven to be efficient and competent. I believe she’s capable of managing these projects.”

Mrs. Gates hesitated, her gaze shifting between Rachel and me. “Alright then. You can use this opportunity to gain experience. Newcomers need a chance to grow.”

Turning to me, she added, “That doesn’t mean you’re off duty, Cora. You’ll be the supervisor and help me keep an eye on things.”

As I listened, a wave of unease washed over me. I knew Rachel’s work abilities all too well, having trained her myself. Her basic aseptic techniques were consistently flawed and I worried that these projects, critical to our clients, might not proceed smoothly under her oversight. The thought of potential errors and setbacks made my stomach churn. Despite her confident demeanor, I feared that the pressure of these high-stakes projects might overwhelm her, causing further complications.