The golden window for emergency treatment was slipping away bit by bit, yet Joe remained unmoved.

It was not until the mayor lying on the hospital bed had nearly bled out that Melissa finally arrived 40 minutes later, carrying a large pot of herbal tea.

The hospital pantry was only a three-minute elevator ride from the department, yet Melissa put on an act like she was drenched in sweat. What a waste that she had not gone into acting.

When she saw everyone in the department still waiting for her in the hospital corridor, she instantly transformed into an award-winning actress, looking at everyone with touching gratitude.

"How can you all be so good to me? How can I ever repay everyone for taking such good care of me!"

Through the on-call room window, she shot me a mocking smile.

Joe took the kettle from her hands and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"Silly girl, of course it's because you deserve us treating you well!"

My phone rang at that moment. Looking at Dad's reply, I let out a soft laugh.

I hesitated no longer. I walked out of the on-call room and looked at everyone.

"Since Melissa is here, let's hurry and arrange surgery for the mayor!"

Everyone was no longer reluctant and began actively running around preparing for the emergency surgery.

While putting on surgical scrubs, Melissa held a cup of herbal tea and apologized to me with a face full of grievance.

"Kimberly, I'm sorry. This is all my fault. I just saw everyone working so hard, so I wanted to make herbal tea for everyone to help them relax."

Before I could speak, Joe pulled Melissa behind him protectively. "Melissa, what did you do wrong? That vain woman with no sense of loyalty to coworkers is the most shameful one here!"

The other colleagues drank their herbal tea while chiming in to comfort her.

"That's right, Melissa, don't blame yourself. We all voluntarily waited for you!"

"It was only a few minutes' delay. The mayor will be fine. You're so good to us, of course we have to return the favor! We're not like those selfish people!"

Listening to their passive-aggressive comments clearly aimed at me, my heart remained unmoved.

I hoped their precious "loyalty to coworkers" could last a little longer.

Otherwise, how would the good show continue after the surgery ended?

They had no idea what their choice would cost them, and the pot of herbal tea Melissa made for them would purchase away the remaining free time in their lives.

I paid them no more attention and walked straight into the operating room.

The mayor on the hospital bed was already deathly pal, with a large pool of blood beneath his legs. Everyone completely ignored my opinions and directly let Melissa be the lead surgeon.

Melissa looked at everyone, a flash of panic crossing her eyes.

"Are you sure you want me to be lead surgeon?"

Everyone looked at her with complete trust.

"Melissa, don't be afraid. We believe in your medical skills!"

Joe also affectionately patted her head.

"Don't be afraid. I'm here!”

"As long as you perform this surgery and save the mayor, you'll be the mayor's savior. From then on, you'll have a place in the medical field, and we'll all benefit from your success too!"

Melissa looked at Joe's doting gaze and hesitantly nodded.

The surgery began. Without consulting anyone, Joe began meticulously instructing Melissa on where to make incisions. Everyone had clear divisions of labor and worked in perfect coordination.

Only I was like an outsider, completely excluded from the surgery, given trivial tasks like changing water, wiping sweat, and passing instruments.

While I let them order me around, I quietly waited for the good show about to unfold.

Just then, Melissa cried out, and the scalpel fell to the ground.

The mayor on the operating table had long since missed the optimal rescue window. Excessive bleeding throughout his body had caused severe complications: tissue necrosis.

To prevent it from spreading throughout the body, the most direct solution was amputation.

Melissa was so frightened she crouched on the ground, muttering continuously.

"I can't do it... I can't do it..."

Seeing her frightened appearance, Joe felt a pang of heartache. He turned to look at me, his tone impatient.

"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and hand me the scalpel!"

My heart numb, I handed the scalpel to Joe. With everyone's help, he cut down on both of the mayor's legs without hesitation.

I laughed. These colleagues were about to get exactly what they deserved.

The surgery finally ended.

The mayor slowly woke up. Joe walked forward with Melissa on his arm, his face full of joy.

"Mr. Carter, you're finally awake!"

The entire department crowded into the hospital room, everyone wanting to leave a good impression on Richard.

Melissa once again transformed into an award-winning actress, looking at the mayor with tears in her eyes.

"Sir, this was my first time as lead surgeon, and it was for someone as important as you. I was so nervous, but fortunately everything went smoothly with the surgery."

The mayor looked at her and smiled weakly.

"I never would have thought... someone so young could have such advanced medical skills. I owe you, my life."

Joe wrapped his arm around Melissa's shoulder at just the right moment, his tone proud as he spoke to the mayor.

"Mr. Carter, Melissa was my direct junior at medical school. She's been at the hospital for less than six months. Being able to operate on you is her honor, and the honor of our entire department!"

The mayor surveyed everyone in the room and nodded with satisfaction.

"Young people today are truly impressive. Once I recover and leave the hospital, I must properly reward talented young people like you!"

I watched the smiles on everyone's faces, my heart ice-cold.

They had all conspired together, sacrificing everything just to make Melissa the mayor's savior and cement her place in the medical field.

What deep colleague loyalty indeed.

"Mr. Carter, people with talent like Melissa are exactly who our hospital should be cultivating. Unlike certain people who don't deserve their positions, who only became directors through family connections, and couldn't help at all during your surgery!"

Joe continued to embellish the story in front of the mayor while throwing me under the bus. Everyone turned their gazes toward me, each pair of eyes full of disgust.

Just then, the hospital room door burst open. Richard's wife and daughter rushed in with a group of officials.

Richard's wife, Jane Herbert, threw herself onto the mayor, tears streaming down her face.

"Honey, you nearly scared us to death! What would we do if something happened to you?"

The mayor patted his wife's shoulder comfortingly.

"I'm fine, aren't I? I have to thank Dr. Melissa Cross for her dedicated treatment. She saved my life."

Jane and the officials all turned to look at Melissa, thanking her profusely.

Melissa pretended to be humble as she thanked the mayor's wife, but the look she shot me was full of smug provocation.

I stood to the side, expressionless, watching everything unfold in the hospital room.

Jane immediately ordered someone to make a banner to send to the hospital to properly thank Melissa for saving the mayor's life. She even wanted to take Melissa as her goddaughter and treat her like her own child from now on.

Just as the entire hospital room was filled with a joyful atmosphere, Richard's six-year-old daughter, Emma, suddenly pulled back his blanket.

Emma immediately burst into tears.

"Daddy, your legs... where did your legs go?"

Everyone followed the little girl's cry and looked toward the mayor's legs.

Beneath the blanket, where the mayor's legs should have been, there was nothing but thick layers of gauze.

Jane's emotions, which had just stabilized, exploded again in an instant. She threw herself at the mayor's empty legs, large tears streaming down her face.

Her eyes bloodshot, she looked at Melissa.

"Dr. Cross, where are my husband's legs?"

Melissa's face instantly filled with panic, and her body began to shake. She stammered.

"Mrs. Carter, there's a reason for this. Please let me explain!"

However, Jane could not control her emotions. She slapped Melissa hard across the face.

"Explain? What explanation could there possibly be? You were the lead surgeon, weren't you? My husband was just in a car accident. The driver said it was only minor bleeding. Why has he been amputated? If you can't give me a proper explanation today, you'll all pay for this!"

Everyone in the department was frightened by Jane. Joe protectively pulled Melissa into his arms. Facing the intimidating presence of Jane and the officials, he suddenly pointed his finger at me.

"It's her! This is all Kimberly's fault! When the mayor came to the hospital for emergency treatment, she wasted time and caused him to miss the critical rescue window.”

"During the surgery, she was jealous that Melissa was lead surgeon, so she deliberately made mistakes that caused the mayor to bleed excessively. His legs became necrotic. Melissa had no choice but to amputate to save his life!"

Listening to his baseless slander, I found it absurd. To exonerate Melissa, he could actually make up something this ridiculous!

"I didn't perform the surgery."

I was about to explain when he stepped forward, kicked me to the ground, grabbed my hair, and forced me to kneel in front of the mayor's bed.

"Everyone in our department can testify that she deliberately delayed treatment. Her mistakes during surgery caused the mayor's amputation!"

At that moment, Melissa immediately looked at me with tears in her eyes.

"Kimberly, I can't keep covering for you anymore. Just admit what you did."

Everyone in the department looked at me coldly. Not a single person spoke up for me, allowing Joe and Melissa to twist the truth.

"Mr. and Mrs. Carter, we can testify that all the surgical errors were Kimberly's fault!"

"She used her father's money to buy her way into our hospital and became department director. In reality, she's completely incompetent and can't even write a proper prescription!"

"Mr. Carter, when she made mistakes during your surgery, she forced Melissa to take the blame, threatening that otherwise her father would have Melissa fired. Melissa did everything she could to save your life!"

"Her father's money is suspicious too, Mr. Carter. You shouldn't let him off the hook. Who knows how many officials he's bribed over the years to get that kind of wealth!"

The department colleagues spoke up one after another, throwing all kinds of accusations at me, even trying to drag my father down with me! Just like when they slandered me in front of the police in my previous life.

Everyone present completely believed Joe's version of events. I became the one responsible for the mayor's amputation.

Jane slapped me hard across the face. Then again and again. My ears rang, and blood filled my mouth.

Joe continued piling on.

"Kimberly, you used your family connections to become department director. Now you want to make Melissa take responsibility for your crimes. You've gone too far! I must have been blind to date someone like you!"

He began kicking me hard. My whole body hurt. The scene of my tragic death in my previous life surfaced in my mind. I absolutely could not let that nightmare repeat itself, and I could not let Joe and Melissa's lies become reality!

I shouted desperately.

"You were the ones who delayed the surgery for Melissa and made the mayor miss the critical treatment window. The surgical errors and the amputation have nothing to do with me."

Joe became even more furious after hearing this. "You still dare to argue?"

He kicked my abdomen even harder, as if determined to kill me. "A vicious woman like you doesn't deserve to live!"

Just as Joe was about to kick my head with full force, the hospital room door burst open.

"Everyone stop!"

Dad rushed into the room with a group of bodyguards. He held my barely conscious body in his arms, his eyes full of concern.

"Sweetheart, I'm so sorry I'm late!" His eyes bloodshot, he looked at everyone.

"Who gave you permission to touch my daughter?"

A department colleague said recklessly. "Kimberly made errors during surgery and caused a major medical accident. She's responsible for this!"

Dad nodded, and a bodyguard slapped that colleague to the ground.

"That's impossible!" Dad pulled out a tablet and showed it to everyone.

"The person who really caused the mayor to miss the critical treatment window and led to the amputation is Melissa Cross. I have surveillance footage as proof!"