I'd just found out I was pregnant when the hospital sent out a notice canceling my eligibility for the Chief Physician review.

The reason: 【pregnancy would tie up resources, plus the conflict-of-interest policy】.

I went to argue it out with my husband, Isaac Henson, the hospital director. He barely glanced at me.

"You're pregnant now. Stay home and take care of yourself. Let Joyce Dickerson have the Chief Physician title."

I froze where I stood.

For that one slot, I'd worked more than sixteen hours a day in this hospital.

Over six years, one thousand three hundred and sixty-five surgeries. Zero post-op complications.

The hardest procedures, the double-valve resets and replacements, no one in this entire hospital could do them but me.

My research papers had won the hospital thirty million in funding.

By skill, by contribution, that title should have been mine.

And now he wanted to hand it to an ordinary physician who'd been here less than six months.

I said it flat out.

"I don't agree."

Isaac frowned.

"Pregnancy and the baby will set you back at least three years. Giving you the Chief title now just means the slot sits there wasted. I'm the director. I can't abuse my position for personal gain. Can't you be a little reasonable?"

"Joyce just got here. She needs to find her footing. It's only a title. Why do you care so much about an empty name? You're older than she is. Just let her have it."

Something in me went cold.

I looked at him, and I smiled.

"Fine. I'll let it go. You included."

……

I turned and started gathering my things. Isaac thought I'd given in, and his tone softened. "That's more like it. Once the baby's born, there'll be plenty of chances."

I took off my badge, set it on his desk, and walked out.

Behind me, his voice dropped.

"Marion, what's that supposed to mean?"

I didn't stop.

"Exactly what it looks like."

He got up and grabbed my arm.

"It's one Chief Physician slot. Do you really have to make a scene over this? It's not like there won't be other chances."

"Make a scene?"

I turned and looked at him.

"Six years. You've said that to me every single time. The first time, I gave it up for Nadine, because you said she'd put in eight years, it wasn't easy for her."

"The second time I gave it up for young Gordon, because you said the hospital needed fresh talent."

"The third time, the fourth time, you always had a reason for me to step aside. Six times, Isaac. I'm thirty-two. I'm not young anymore!"

He frowned, impatient.

"But you're pregnant. The hospital can't let a pregnant woman who'll be useless soon sit on a slot. You did this to yourself."

I almost laughed in his face.

"Nora in Neurology got promoted to Chief Physician while she was pregnant. So did Rachel in General Surgery. Plenty of others too. Do you want me to list them all?"

His face soured.

"But none of them have a husband who runs the hospital. If I went ahead and gave you the Chief title anyway, what would people think? Marion, since when did you get this selfish?"

"I'm selfish?"

I laughed.

"Nora's husband is head of the administrative office. Rachel's father is executive deputy director. Which one of them recused themselves?"

"But I'm the director—"

"So what if you're the director?"

My eyes stung, hot.

"I, Marion Butler, earn my title with my skill, with my dedication to this work, with the research strength that brings this hospital its funding. Not through my connection to you, the director!"

"So I can't be promoted because I'm pregnant, and I have to recuse myself because I'm the director's wife. Isaac, is it the rules that don't hold up, or is it that you simply don't think much of me at all?"

"You want to talk to me about recusal? You and Joyce grew up together, childhood sweethearts, and that doesn't need recusing? You hand the Chief Physician title to an ordinary doctor with six months on the job, and that isn't abusing your position for personal gain?"

Isaac's face went dark.

Right then, Joyce pushed the door open.

She saw me, and started explaining, careful and timid.

"Marion, Isaac only gave me special consideration because my dad helped the Henson family. Please don't take it the wrong way."

"If this is going to make you fight with Isaac, then let me give the title back to you—"

"What are you saying?" Isaac cut her off gently. "The Chief Physician title was the hospital's decision. Your qualifications and ability are above hers. You've earned it, you don't need to give it up."

He turned to me, his patience gone.

"Marion, take a page from Joyce. Think of the bigger picture. Not like you, throwing away your dignity over a bit of empty prestige."

"Go clear out your desk for Joyce. A pregnant woman should act like one. Your focus should be resting and carrying the baby, not competing over who's better."

Watching him defend Joyce with everything he had, the last small flicker of hope in me went out completely.

I was about to speak when he gave me a look, like he was doing me a favor.

"All right, be a good girl and do as you're told. Next week there's the surgery for the state official. Joyce operates, you assist. This is the surgery that decides whether the hospital gets top-tier status, so treat it with care. Getting to assist a Chief Physician this young is an honor for you."

Joyce flushed, all fake modesty. "Isaac, wouldn't that look bad? Marion is the authority in cardiology."

"There's nothing bad about it. You're the talent this hospital is investing in. No matter who it is, they cooperate with you, no conditions."

The words landed like a slap across my face.

That surgery was a plan I'd spent three months preparing.

From the pre-op assessment to the surgical workflow, I'd finalized every piece of it myself. The state had named me by name to lead it.

And now she was ordering me to assist Joyce?

My stomach clenched, and my nails nearly dug into my palms.

Just then, a text came through on my phone.

【Director Butler, this is the Director of Puren Hospital. I've heard all about your Chief Physician qualification being canceled. You're welcome to join us anytime.】

Puren Hospital was one of only two top-tier hospitals in the city.

Advanced equipment, and physicians of the highest caliber.

Three years ago, Puren had tried to recruit me. But for Isaac's promotion to director, I'd turned them down.

A moment later he sent an email. The compensation package.

Position: Chief of Cardiology.

Title: Chief Physician.

Salary: $800K a year.

A private research lab, fully funded.

I looked at those lines, my eyes burning.

Six years. I'd been at this hospital six years.

Killing myself for it, and still only a department deputy chief, making less than $300K a year.

The research funding I'd earned myself, and I didn't even have the right to bring it into a lab.

Every time I wanted to run a project, I had to beg and grovel my way through report after report.

And Puren was handing me, just like that, the Chief Physician title I'd dreamed of.

This wasn't an olive branch.

This was them recognizing what I was worth.

I replied: 【But I'm pregnant now.】

The answer came instantly: 【Director Butler, our hospital does not discriminate against women or pregnant staff. Come, and I'll make all the arrangements for you.】

I sent back one word: 【Yes.】

The whole walk back to my department, I felt eyes burning into me.

Sympathy, pity, quiet glee.

And a bleak kind of dread, the fear of sharing my fate.

I heard a heavily pregnant nurse crying softly.

"Marion's the director's wife and even she got cut when she got pregnant. I'm just a nurse. Am I going to lose my job after I give birth?"

The person beside her had no comfort to offer.

I paid it no attention and went straight back to my office, and started packing my things.

Head Nurse Finch pushed the door open, furious on my behalf.

"Marion, you're just going to leave? Who do they think they are? Why not file a complaint with the State Health Department?"

I smiled a little. "No need."

Joyce pushed the door open and gave a soft laugh.

"Filing a complaint won't do anything either. Isaac is the director. Every year he brings in millions in research funding for this hospital. You think they're going to let him go?"

"Even the State Health Department would praise him for putting the bigger picture first, for being fair and clean."

I ignored her. Pearl stormed off too, still fuming.

Joyce walked over to my desk, pulled up a chair, and sat down.

"Marion, Isaac wants you to hand over the surgical plan for the official from the State Health Department. The full procedure, the staffing, the family's contact information, the post-op precautions, everything. Put it together properly and give it to me."

"Isaac says there can't be a single mistake, or it'll cost us the top-tier hospital rating. And you can't afford to be the one who caused that."

I didn't look up.

"No."

She froze.

"On what grounds?"

"Hospital rules. Whoever performs the surgery uses their own plan. It keeps the operation clean and it makes responsibility clear. If you use my plan and the surgery fails, whose fault is that?"

"Yours, obviously—"

"If it's mine, then I do the surgery, and you don't need the plan at all."

That shut her up. She bit her lip hard.

"Marion, don't think you can corner me like this. If you won't give it to me, I'll have Isaac come and ask. He's the director. You wouldn't dare refuse him."

I said nothing. Right in front of her, I dragged the surgical plan into the trash, then formatted the computer.

Joyce stared, dumbfounded.

"Marion, are you insane? You wiped everything. Do you want to lose your job?"

I glanced up at her.

"Yes. I'm done."

Joyce lunged and grabbed my hand, gripping so hard it felt like she'd snap the bone.

"Marion, even if you're quitting, that's the hospital's patient data. What right do you have to wipe it?"

The pain made my vision go black. "What I wiped was my own work. The patient records are all in the system. You can pull them anytime. It's none of your business. Now let go of me!"

Joyce didn't let go. She looked at my belly, and something vicious flashed through her eyes.

She pretended to lose her footing and threw her whole weight into me.

My feet slipped and my lower back slammed into the desk.

The pain tore through me all at once. My hand went to my belly on instinct, cold sweat breaking over me.

Joyce took two steps back, a smug little smile on her face.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry, Marion. My foot slipped. I lost my balance."

I was so furious I raised my hand to slap her, but the door banged open and Isaac caught my wrist and flung it away hard.

"Marion! What are you doing?"

The same spot took a second blow, and I couldn't straighten up from the pain.

There was a dull, dragging ache low in my belly, and cold sweat soaked through the back of my shirt.

I clenched my teeth and couldn't get a single word out.

Isaac acted as if he saw none of it, planting himself in front of Joyce, his eyes cold on me.

"Marion, are you done? This is a hospital, not somewhere for you to throw a fit. Apologize to Joyce, now!"

I forced my head up, my face slick with sweat.

"Isaac, are you blind? She shoved me on purpose!"

He caught the wrongness in me and his expression stalled, but it went cold again fast.

"All I saw was you about to hit her. She knows you're pregnant. Why would she push you? Don't stand there slandering people!"

"Marion, you never used to be like this. Coming to blows over a title. You've truly outdone yourself in my eyes."

Right on cue, Joyce's eyes reddened. She hid behind Isaac, her voice thick with tears.

"Isaac, let it go. Marion's pregnant, her emotions are all over the place, I understand. She has more seniority than me. Why don't we just give her the Chief Physician spot after all, and let her be lead surgeon on the official's operation too—"