Ashes of Longing

Before I could even react, several police officers rushed in and grabbed my wrists!

"Bentley Cooke, you are suspected of murdering Sebastian Wilson. You are now under arrest according to the law!"

The moment the cold handcuffs snapped around my wrists, my entire mind went blank.

"That’s impossible!" I struggled and shouted. "I just got back from Ashford Hollow. I haven’t even stepped into the hospital room! How could I have killed anyone?!

"Tell me, when did Sebastian Wilson die?!"

The memory of my past life’s tragedy surged back, and I demanded the answer at the top of my lungs.

Seeing my reaction, the lead officer, Detective Lewis Taylor, the same man who had led my arrest in my previous life, looked at me with clear confusion in his eyes.

Another younger officer sneered. "Arguing is useless. We have solid evidence."

I struggled wildly.

Detective Taylor watched me. After a moment of silence, he spoke, "Sebastian Wilson died in his hospital room at 3.00 a.m. last night."

By now, the hospital hallway was packed with people. They were the same netizens who had donated online earlier.

"It’s him!" a young woman holding a selfie stick screamed, pointing straight at me. "I said it during the fundraiser. Any doctor who refuses to save someone must have something wrong with them!"

The phone in her hand streamed a live broadcast, comments flooding the screen.

"Trash like this deserves to be a doctor?"

"He should be executed on the spot!"

"I heard he even takes bribes from patients!"

The hallway erupted with overlapping shouts.

"Heartless doctor!"

"Murderer!"

A young man in a baseball cap suddenly rushed forward. "Ptui!"

A mouthful of spit landed directly on my face. "That girl got on her knees begging you, and not only did you refuse to save him, but you killed him? You animal!!"

Through the chaos, I saw my mother standing in the crowd. Her face was pale.

"Mom…" My voice caught in my throat. "Please believe me. I didn’t do anything."

"You’ve disappointed me so much." Her voice trembled. "How could you do something like this?"

The hospital deputy director, Dr. Victor Langford, stared at me coldly. "Bentley, the hospital spent years training you, gave you the best resources, and this is what you’ve done?"

"Director!" I struggled forward. The handcuffs clanged sharply. "I was in Ashford Hollow yesterday. I just got back today. How could I possibly—"

"Enough!" Dr. Langford cut me off sharply, his voice echoing through the hall.

"First, you took leave to avoid responsibility, and now you’re standing here making excuses! You’ve completely ruined the hospital’s reputation!"

Around me, my colleagues gathered in small groups, their whispers drilling into my ears.

"He always acted so decent…"

"I heard he takes bribes from patients all the time…"

"I even saw him harassing a nurse once…"

My heart sank, little by little. Things I had never done were now being treated as the undeniable truth.

"Dr. Cooke, I never expected you to be this kind of person."

I turned my head. Dr. Corey Brown from my department was looking at me with open contempt.

"Earlier, that girl knelt and begged you to save her father, and you said she couldn’t afford it. Then, when she finally raised the money, you took leave and disappeared." He shook his head. "And now look, you’ve caused someone’s death."

"You said I took leave," I raised my voice, locking my eyes onto him, "then how could I have killed anyone?"

"The police arrested you. Of course, they have evidence!" He let out a cold laugh. "Did you forget?

"The hospital has surveillance cameras."