The medical assistant, incensed by what Tricia and Director Fontaine had just said,shed out at Charlotte. “Dr. Sterling, is this what you call Director Fontaine’s arrangement? As a doctor, you can’t even uphold your duty to your post–do you really think you deserve to wear that title?”

Tricia lowered her eyes, hiding a sly smile before feigning sympathy. “Come on, don’t be so harsh. Maybe Dr. Sterling really had something important to deal with–something so urgent she just had to miss the surgery.”

The assistant wasn’t buying it. “What could possibly be more important than saving

a life?”

Director Fontaine turned to Charlotte, face flushed with righteous indignation. “Dr. Sterling, this is uneptable. I’ll be reporting today’s events to the chief of staff and the board. However they choose to handle it–that’s on you.”

Charlotte’s tightly clenched fists finally rxed.

She bit her lip, then let out a cold, mirthlessugh. “What a convenient little performance you’ve put on.”

Director Fontaine exchanged a look with Tricia, his expression souring. “Charlotte, how long are you going to keep this up? Can’t you tell right from wrong?”

Charlotte turned to face him, her eyes cool and unreadable.

For a moment, facing her steady gaze, Director Fontaine felt a flicker of guilt–though he didn’t dare avert his eyes.

“I found it odd that you suddenly reassigned me to another department,” Charlotte said calmly. “So, just to be cautious, I recorded our conversation.”

Director Fontaine’s face drained of color. “You… you recorded…”

“Dr. Sterling, surely you’re joking.” Tricia tried tough it off, unwilling to believe Charlotte would actually do such a thing. After all,st time Charlotte had bluffed her bway /bout. And since this arrangement was sost–minute, there was no way she bcould /bhave seen bit /bing.

b“/bbYou /bbsay /byou have ba /brecording–well, where is it? Threatening people with fake bevidence /bisn’t funnyb./bb” /b

bDirector /bbFontaine/bb, /bbhearing /bTricia’s skepticismb, /bfinally exhaled in relief.

The bnext /bbsecond/b, his relief vanished.

bOR /bb42/b:

Charlotte pressed y on her phone. In the quiet of the staff lounge, every word from their office conversation rang out, clear and unmistakable:

“Emergency’s short–handed, and your schedule’s been lighttely. Is it really a problem for you to go help out over there?”

“In these three days, all six of my scheduled surgeries have been reassigned without exnation. We don’t have enough surgeons as it is, and with this kind of scheduling, how are the rest of us supposed to get any real rest?”

“That’s not your concern…”

The room fell silent.

Tricia’s face went pale, her hands clenched tight. Had she been tricked again? That bitch really did have a recording!

Director Fontaine’s face turned stony, his jaw rigid with anger and embarrassment. “Charlotte, you-b” /b

“I had no choice,” Charlotte said, as if nothing unusual had happened, tucking her phone away. “I started getting suspicious the first time you switched my assignment, Director Fontaine.” She raised her eyes, voice cutting deep. “Word is, you’re hoping to be the next chief of staff. So you’re trying to curry favor with Mr. Howard by making things difficult for me, all for someone else’s sake–isn’t that right?”

Everyone in the room knew exactly who “someone else” was.

Tricia struggled to keep the panic out of her voice. “Dr. Sterling, that’s nder. I… I have nothing to do with Director Fontaine, and you don’t need to drag me binto /bthisb./bb” /b

Director Fontaine’s dress shirt was damp with cold sweat.

bDid /bbshe /bboverhear /bwhat bI /bbsaid /bto bDirector /bbWinthrop /bbin /bbthe /bbward /bbthat /bbday/bb? /b

bSeeing /bbtheir /bbsilence/bb, /bbCharlotte /bbgave /bba /bbsoft /bbugh/b. “bLooks /bblike /bbI /bbwas /bbright/bb. /bbNo /b

wonder

it’s a bpity /bbyou’ve /bbyed /bbyour /bbhand /bbwrong/bb. /bWhether I stay at Metropolitan General or

coesn’t matter to me. bEven /bif Mr. Howard tries to protect byou /bboth. it

nothing. My job bis /bbopen /bto anyone capable enough to take it. I bhope /byou

one suitable soon.

all, there were only two months left

smoothed the smile from her face and walked out of the lounge without

Director Fontaine stood there, humiliated, unable to bear staying a second longer.

He stormed out.

Tricia followed, her gaze in the hallway even colder and more vicious than before.