Chapter 2

The head nurse changed her tone, patting my back with forced friendliness.

"Chloe, you know the hospital has always been understaffed."

"You're a veteran here. You need to set a good example and follow orders."

I stared at the eight certificates of excellence on my desk without saying a word.

The first certificate came from spending half a year on the pandemic frontlines.

The second came from participating in nearly a thousand surgeries without a single mistake.

The eighth came from working night shifts every Christmas for eight consecutive years.

I'd already set enough of a good example. I'd already followed enough orders.

When I looked up again, my voice was soft. "I'm going to see the director."

The head nurse finally dropped her smile, her face turning ashen.

She said, "Go ahead. It won't make any difference."

I took a breath and knocked on Director David Harris's door.

Dr. Melody Harris was actually inside too.

What was a doctor from another department doing in our department director's office?

But I figured out the answer soon enough.

Melody placed two boxes of tea on David Harris's desk and laughed lightly.

"Uncle David, this is tea from back home. Give it a try."

"Dad said this is your favorite."

David Harris's face showed an expression of warmth I'd never seen before.

"Your father really knows me. That's cousins for you."

"Melody, go home and rest now. I've already arranged for you to have fewer shifts."

"You need to take it easy in early pregnancy. I'm waiting to give my grand-nephew a red envelope."

Melody turned around and brushed past me.

She glanced at my belly like she was looking at a piece of dead meat.

"Chloe, what are you doing here?"

David Harris resumed his businesslike demeanor.

"Director Harris, I think the hospital's arrangement for me to have an abortion is unreasonable."

"My work doesn't conflict with Dr. Harris's. I'm the only one pregnant in our department. The work can easily be covered."

But David Harris just lazily lifted his eyelids. "Chloe, this is the hospital's decision. There's nothing I can do."

I clenched my fists. "Then why do I have to abort? Why not Dr. Harris?"

At the mention of his niece's name, David Harris shot up from his seat.

"Chloe, what are you trying to say?"

"Dr. Harris is a top-tier graduate, a rising star in this hospital. It's perfectly natural for her to be pregnant!"

"Who told you not to get pregnant earlier? You're so old now and suddenly want a baby. Shameless."

But David Harris knew better than anyone why I hadn't gotten pregnant earlier.

When I was younger, I'd thought about trying for a baby.

He said the hospital was short-staffed, that I was the most reliable, that I needed to dedicate myself to the medical cause.

I listened. And then what? What did I get in return?

I grabbed the door handle and pulled it open a crack.

"If you won't handle this, I'll go to the hospital director for an explanation."

David Harris said nothing, his expression unnaturally calm.

When I knocked on the hospital director's office door, I understood why he'd been so calm.

Because on the director's desk sat two boxes of fresh tea.

Identical to the ones Melody had given David Harris.

Before I could even speak, the director pulled up a chair and began earnestly.

"Chloe, I know you're here about the baby, but there's nothing I can do either."

"The hospital does have a rule—only one internal pregnancy slot per year. After all, we save lives. We can't afford to be short-staffed."

"Why isn't Melody the one who has to abort?" I continued.

The director frowned, seeming to find me completely unreasonable.

"Dr. Harris is a young backbone doctor with high education and high qualifications. How can you, a nurse, compare to her?"

"Chloe, you're a veteran here. Be reasonable. Show some spirit of dedication."

I spoke calmly. "Is it because Melody is David Harris's niece?"

The director immediately flared up. "Chloe, what nonsense are you spouting!"

"Our hospital maintains high ethical standards. We don't have that kind of nepotism! You'd better watch what you say."

"Fine. I understand." I stood up.

"Director, I won't abort. I agree to transfer to logistics."

The director pushed up his glasses, his expression unreadable. "You've thought this through? Is it worth sacrificing your career for a baby?"

"If you really want a child that badly, I'll give you special approval for next year's slot, okay?"

I said nothing and left the office.

The director had it wrong.

Transferring to logistics wasn't surrender—it was a declaration of war.

Since they all looked down on nurses, I'd guarantee that within a week, the department would fall apart.