Chapter 2

Daniel charged in without asking a single question about what happened. He went straight to Chloe and helped her off the floor.

I looked up at him. His face felt like a stranger's.

"Daniel, what the hell? I didn't touch her!"

He didn't spare me a glance. He just bent down, checking where Chloe had hit the cabinet corner, his voice soft.

"Does it hurt?"

Chloe nodded, eyes red and glistening.

"Daniel, I came here specifically to apologize to Evelyn, and she still thinks I did it on purpose."

"I just tried to grab her hand to explain, and she shook me off. I lost my balance…"

"Does Evelyn really hate me that much?"

"Maybe… I should just request a transfer to a different rotation group."

Daniel looked at her reddened eyes, then turned to me. His expression turned stone cold.

"Evelyn, since when did you become this petty?"

"Chloe just felt bad that those patients couldn't get into your clinic. She was trying to help them."

"Even if she messed up, it wasn't personal. Did you really have to do this?"

Out in the hallway, a few colleagues had been drawn in by the commotion.

After hearing Daniel, whispers started spreading.

"Wasn't she involved in that scheduling issue yesterday?"

"I heard there were over twenty extra patients."

"But even if it's a work issue, there's no need to make it this ugly…"

I watched Daniel defend Chloe without a shred of hesitation. It made my eyes sting.

"Daniel. You have zero evidence. What makes you so sure I'm the one bullying her?"

Chloe immediately turned to me, eyes wet.

"What's that supposed to mean, Evelyn?"

"It was just the two of us in the office."

"Are you saying I slammed myself into that cabinet to frame you?"

Then she pointed at a paper bag near the desk.

"I even went out early this morning to buy you breakfast."

"I just wanted to apologize."

Daniel followed her gaze. His face darkened further.

"Chloe knew you like the bread from that place. She went out of her way this morning to get it."

"You won't accept her apology, fine. But now you're accusing her of framing you?"

"Evelyn, are you even fit to keep running the clinic team?"

I let out a cold laugh.

"Whether I'm fit to run the clinic isn't for you to decide."

Daniel looked at me like I'd told a joke.

"I can't decide?"

"My management appointment is being announced today."

"You think once I'm officially in a leadership role, I won't even have the standing to recommend HR investigate your qualifications?"

Then, face like ice, he added:

"If you keep dragging personal grudges into work, I'll formally recommend the hospital review your management position."

Megan Collins hurried over.

"Evelyn, just let it go for today."

"It's already under investigation. There's no point fighting with him right now."

She turned to Daniel.

"Daniel, don't say things like that."

"This hospital isn't a place where someone gets promoted and suddenly gets to decide who stays and who goes."

I held Megan back.

"I don't need you to speak for me."

I looked at Daniel again.

"I'd actually love to see just how much power you think you have."

That wiped the last trace of composure off his face.

"Evelyn, you really wanna go there?"

"You keep pushing this, it won't just be a work issue."

"We won't need to continue our relationship either."

"Think about that."

I didn't hesitate.

"Then let's break up."

He froze.

Clearly hadn't expected me to agree that fast.

After a beat, he forced a smirk.

"You're using a breakup to threaten me?"

"I never knew you had that in you."

"Evelyn, think carefully."

"We've been together eight years."

"Don't go around telling people later that the second my career took off, I dumped you."

I was about to respond.

But Chloe beat me to it, her tone dripping with passive aggression.

"Daniel."

"Maybe Evelyn actually wants to use this as her chance to break up with you."