Chapter 1

As I lay dying of cancer, I bound myself to a Survival System. I was told that as long as I could earn Caroline Davis' love, I'd be able to return to the real world with a healthy body.

So, to make her fall in love with me, I catered to her every whim until I successfully married her. Yet, in the end, my endless devotion only landed me in prison.

The day I dragged myself out of prison, my legs felt like lead. The sunlight was so blinding that I could barely keep my eyes open, and my whole body trembled uncontrollably.

Caroline looked at me with open disgust, her tone sharp with impatience. "Are you putting on this pitiful act just to make me feel guilty? All I asked was for you to serve a three-year sentence in Kyle's place. He's your brother, for goodness' sake. Don't be so petty!"

I clenched my fists so tightly that the veins bulged beneath my skin. But with one finger missing from each hand, the gesture looked ridiculously absurd.

She had said it so casually, but it felt like a giant hand had crushed my heart, leaving me unable to breathe from the pain.

Three years ago, my brother Kyle Holden misdiagnosed a patient with stomach cancer. He prescribed cancer treatments and even removed a third of the patient's stomach during surgery to cover up his mistake.

Later, when the patient went to another hospital for treatment, he learned that he only had a common gastric issue that never required surgery.

The patient exposed everything. Kyle's actions constituted medical malpractice, carrying a three-year prison sentence.

When Caroline found out, she—completely disregarding my future and career—pulled every string she could to force me, also a doctor, to go to prison in Kyle's stead.

Back then, with bloodshot eyes, I had asked her, "Have you ever loved me at all?"

But she only turned her face away. "I'll make it up to you after you get out."

Although I was bound to the Survival System, it provided absolutely no information about what might happen next, only insisting that I had to complete the mission on my own.

For the past three years, I spent my days working the sewing machines and my nights washing the prison kingpin's feet while constantly showering him in flattery. The second my attention slipped, I was pinned to the ground and beaten.

Once, because I failed to cater to him to a level that satisfied him, he brutally broke two of my fingers. Even now, I could still remember the suffocating agony that instantly flooded my brain when it happened.

But in Caroline's eyes, my time in prison had apparently been as comfortable as lounging around at home.

"Quit looking so miserable," Caroline snapped, frowning as she drove. "Kyle was thrilled to hear you were getting out today, and he booked a private room at a restaurant to throw you a welcome-back dinner. Be tactful for once, and don't embarrass me later. Got it?"

Three years ago, if Caroline had spoken to me like this, I probably would've "punished" her a little, like making her cook soup for me for a whole week or asking her to go volunteer at a free community clinic with me.

But now, after three years of prison and inhuman torture, all my sharp edges had been worn down. Her cruel words merely bounced off me, leaving me feeling nothing at all.

Lowering my head, I stared at the patch sewn onto the knees of my pants. "Whatever you say, Ms. Davis."

…

The moment we arrived at the private room, the door swung open, and Kyle appeared in front of me. When he saw me, a look of revulsion and smugness flashed across his eyes, but it was quickly replaced with surprise and joy.

"Dominic, you're finally out. Dad got so angry about you going to jail that he fell ill. He'll definitely get better now when he hears that you're back."

He spread his arms and stepped forward to hug me, but I sidestepped him immediately. He ended up hugging the empty air instead, and his face flushed crimson.

When Caroline saw his expression, she turned livid and shot me a piercing glare.

"Dominic Holden, Kyle organized this welcome-back dinner for you. Don't be ungrateful."

I rubbed the hem of my shirt. My heart was already entirely numb, but I still lowered my voice and said, "I'm filthy. I'm worried about dirtying Dr. Holden's clothes."

The clothes that had fit me perfectly three years ago now hung loosely on my frame. A hole had ripped open under the armpit, and the soles of my shoes were peeling apart. One more step and my toes would probably peek through.

Caroline looked visibly uncomfortable before she hurried me inside.

The private room was filled with Caroline and Kyle's friends. The moment they saw me walk in, they started whispering among themselves.

"Dominic spent three years in prison. His record is permanently stained. No hospital will ever hire him now."

"So what if they don't? He's married to the eldest daughter of the Davis family. Living off her money for the rest of his life counts as a skill in its own right."

"But Caroline's first love has always been Kyle. Dominic couldn't even compare to him when he was a brilliant oncology expert. Now that he's an ex-con, he's even less worthy."

My heart was so still it didn't register a single emotion, and I just sat there silently. But Kyle approached me, holding a wine glass in his hand.

"Dominic, prison must've been rough on you these past three years," he said. "Here, I'll drink to you. Let bygones be bygones."