After Rebirth—I Drag My Ex and His First Love into the Abyss

"We're taking enormous risks, all to clean up after those two," I said flatly. "Director Higgins, I can handle the mess this time.

"But the person who should be punished isn't just Beatrice."

I pressed both palms against the desk, leaning in. "If Darwin isn't dealt with properly, this will happen again. And next time... I can't promise I'll be able to save this hospital."

Director Higgins' expression darkened.

Darwin was his protégé, someone who had followed him since medical school. But when the hospital's core interests were at stake, even a protégé had to be sacrificed.

Especially now—when saving Augustus' sister, Carmella, depended entirely on me.

"That bastard!" Director Higgins snarled. "Riding on my promotion, thinking he can do anything he wants!"

He slammed the signed approval form hard on the desk. "Don't worry! Not only will I block his application for Outstanding Young Doctor, I'll kill his promotion report too. After this, he'll be stuck doing grunt work at the bottom. He'll never touch a core hospital post again!"

A faint smile tugged at my lips as I signed my name.

And just like that, the soaring path Darwin had taken in my previous life—from Outstanding Young Doctor to academician—was severed.

By nightfall, Carmella's vital signs had stabilized.

The baby's heartbeat was weak but steady, monitored closely in the ICU.

I was drenched in sweat under my surgical gown. The moment I stepped out of the operating room, a loud thud sounded and I collapsed onto the floor.

It took a full bottle of glucose before I could even sit up.

The colleagues who had operated together with Beatrice were crying as they clutched my hands.

"Thank you, Dr. Humphrey... Without you, we don't know what would have happened to our careers..."

"Exactly. Augustus is a madman. If his sister had died here, even our families wouldn't have been safe..."

I soothed them quietly. Finally, I could go home for a real rest.

But as I stepped into the underground parking lot, the echo of footsteps behind me made me whip around.

My brows furrowed when I didn't see anyone.

Muttering under my breath, I turned back—but the world went black.

"Mmmph—!"

I kicked and struggled, but someone dragged me into a pitch-dark room.

My right hand was forced down onto a table. Under the dim bulb, I caught the outline of the man in front of me.

"Darwin!"

The hand gripping mine froze for a second.

I was bound to a chair, thrashing wildly.

"Darwin! It's you, isn't it? What are you doing? We can talk, please—let me go! I saved Beatrice's life!"

He hesitated, then sighed, his voice low and soft. "No. You may have spared her from Augustus' punishment... but you've still left her in an impossible position."

"I'm sorry. If you really want to help her, you'll have to lose a hand. That way, no one will think you were the surgeon. They'll believe Beatrice was the one who turned the tide."

"I'll handle your colleagues. I'll delete the surgical records. Anna, this time... help her."

My eyes went wide in disbelief. "Darwin!"

A blade glinted as it rose high in the air. I struggled like a madwoman. "I'm a doctor! If I lose my hand, how am I supposed to live?"

The blade paused. In the dim light, I saw a flicker of hesitation in his eyes.

"I'll take care of you for the rest of your life, Anna."

"Wait!" I screamed. "If you cut off my hand, you can forget about being a doctor yourself!"

He shook his head slowly. "Anna... Director Higgins is my mentor. He won't let things go this far."