Chapter 4

Rita whipped out pictures she'd taken at the hospital that day and several medical reports.

She even had a video showing that she'd entered the hospital and personally handed me the outpatient slip.

I thought to myself, "Look at that same video taken at the same angle."

Everything was playing out just like it had in my previous life.

I replayed Rita's video over and over again and quickly found that even the tiniest details were the same as the ones in my previous life.

It was summer, but I felt as if I'd been dunked into a vat of ice.

I scrolled through the comments and found that some of my former patients were speaking in my defense. Unfortunately, they were vastly outgunned and weren't able to do anything against Rita's accusations.

Things took a turn for the worse two hours later as a picture of Ryan and me kissing intimately was made public.

Everyone knew that Ryan was the heir to the Wood Corporation. Thus, the woman who could marry into the Wood family would enjoy immense wealth and power.

If this had been revealed before the scandal, people would've sent me heartfelt well wishes.

Unfortunately, this revelation had caused the incident to spiral out of control. It escalated what was supposed to be a medical accident to a scandal involving the rich and powerful.

As expected, it immediately became a trending topic.

Rita soon posted an update on her social media.

"I'm so sorry, everyone. I just found out that Dr. Summers is my brother's girlfriend. My hands were shaking when I saw the picture. If I'd known earlier, I wouldn't have acted so rashly and put my brother or Dr. Summers in such an awkward position.

"Maybe I was just being overly sensitive. My family has been urging my brother to have an heir. After all, my father made it clear that his grandson would inherit his money. Ryan also told me that Cleo has been working hard toward that goal.

"Perhaps she made a mistake when she found out I was pregnant while she wasn't. Although I'm a little upset, we're still family. I'll try to take a step back from this. Thank you for speaking up for me, everyone. Please don't blame Dr. Summers. She's got it hard too."

It might look like she was coming to my aid, but what she really did was incite the netizens further.

And so, a medical dispute was thus transformed into a wealthy family drama.

Her post immediately made it to the top of the trending list. The comment sections were rife with abuse toward me.

"What a disgusting doctor. How could she be envious of a pregnant woman just because she can't have children of her own?"

"Don't you understand what these affluent families are like? She'll likely be kicked to the curb if she can't produce an heir. That's why she's so jealous."

"I heard Ms. Wood went through IVF to get pregnant. The poor thing nearly lost her baby just because of a woman's jealousy."

"Why is someone this cruel still allowed to practice medicine?"

"You're right! Cleo Summers should be kicked out of the medical field!"

…

With me staying silent and Rita constantly stirring up the hornet's nest, the netizens' anger only soared to greater heights.

Several major media outlets eventually swarmed toward my house.

Rita, who was in tears, had come with them. She looked as innocent as ever. When she saw me, she even took a fearful step back like I was some sort of man-eating monster.

The crowd instantly lost it. Some even spat at me and lobbed trash at me.

The media did nothing. They chose to watch it all unfold, livestreaming it all.

I was soon forced into a corner. Nevertheless, I still caught the triumphant smile on Rita's lips through the throng of people coming at me.

As time passed, the mob grew out of control. Some of them eventually started throwing punches at me.

I failed to dodge and could only curl into a ball, feeling them rain down heavy and painful blows on my body.

Yet, Rita wasn't satisfied. She started crying crocodile tears as she pleaded, "Guys, please stop! Ryan will get upset if he sees this."

A cold laugh escaped my lips as I slowly pushed myself to my feet.

Finally, all the pieces were now in place.

"What if I have evidence to prove my innocence?" I asked.

Several reporters wasted no time thrusting their microphones at me.

I raised my voice and declared confidently, "Please come with me. The truth will come to light soon enough."