Mom Promoted the Wrong Son

I was an excellent internal medicine doctor, but my mother Judy, who was the hospital director, promoted Jamesthe son of her first love, Johnto department head instead.

James secretly beat and verbally abused me, and even refused to admit my critically ill father to the hospital.

After Dad died, Mom praised James even more.

"James is the backbone of our hospital. I hereby announce he is my successor!"

But later, when James killed the supervisor's wife through surgical malpractice, Mom Judy pinned the crime on me.

I raised my scalpel triumphantly and said:

"That's right, I was the one who performed that surgery!"

Today was the big day for James's promotion to head of internal medicine at Grace Harmony Hospital.

Many colleagues gave me pitying looks.

But before I could feel disappointed, my neighbor called to tell me Dad had suffered a sudden heart attack.

In the emergency room, I was preparing to change clothes to operate on Dad when James came in with security guards and pushed Dad away.

I desperately protected Dad and demanded to know why they were doing this.

James's eyes were full of venom:

"Torres, you're just a junior doctoryou're not qualified to perform surgery. What, are you so desperate for a promotion that you want to practice on your own father?"

The security guards looked at me with contempt, accusing me of being an unfilial son.

Seeing Dad's pained expression, I frantically dialed Judy's number.

It wasn't until the tenth call that she finally picked up, taking her sweet time.

After hearing my request, she said without hesitation:

"Don't you think I know your father's situation? Don't think putting on this pathetic act will fool me."

"The hospital equipment suddenly broke down today, so we've suspended admissions for heart patients. Thank goodness James stopped you in time, or youyou useless wastewould have caused major trouble for our hospital!"

"James is your superior. You must follow his decisions in everything. If you dare defy him, don't blame me for firing you on the spot!"

Her tone was cold, but I could still detect a hint of gloating satisfaction.

I knew these were all excuses she made up. What was broken wasn't the equipmentit was her heart.

Then James took a phone call, summoned more security guards, and had them carry Dad to the hospital entrance and dump him there.

I used to be the most skilled physician in the hospital, saving countless lives.

But now, I could only watch helplessly as my own father's life slowly slipped away, powerless to do anything.

By the time I transferred Dad to the nearest hospital, I was told it was already too late.

Dad gripped my hand, tears of regret streaming down his face:

"Torres, it's all my fault for trusting Judy back then. I held you back from achieving success. I'm so filled with regret..."

"Listen to mewhile you're still young, transfer to another hospital quickly. Don't let Judy bury your talent..."

Watching Dad die with such resentment, I could no longer suppress my grief and broke down sobbing.

But I couldn't transfer hospitals yet, because I had to watch them destroy themselves!

Judy used to be a small-time nurse at Hospital A.

When she learned that Dad, as the director's son, was working at the grassroots level for training, her desire for power and status was instantly ignited.

She abandoned her childhood sweetheart John and used every trick in the book to pursue Dad.

Simple and honest Dad had never experienced such passionate pursuit and soon fell for her.

After marriage, Dad defied everyone's opposition and insisted on using the family's resources to help Judy rise to the position of hospital director.

But she turned around and abandoned Dad. When she next appeared, she was brazenly going on intimate outings with John and his son.

She even arranged jobs for both of them at the hospitalone as head of the security team, the other as an attending physician despite just graduating.

At that time, I had already accumulated three years of surgical experience at the hospital, with countless successful cases, and had just been appointed as an attending physician.

But as soon as she became director, she demoted me to junior doctor.

Even though I had a master's degree from a prestigious university, Judy insisted on supporting James, who only had a vocational diploma.

No matter how much Dad tried to persuade her, she ignored him and transferred me to the records room to do menial work.

All the hospital's quality resources were allocated to James. Though everyone complained privately, no one dared speak up publicly.

To cover for James, Judy even assigned the most experienced professor to be his assistant.

Meanwhile, Iwho used to need appointments booked half a year in advancecould only sit alone in the empty storage room, nursing my sorrow.

A senior colleague who had mentored me couldn't bear to see me wasted like this, so along with other colleagues friendly to me, they went to confront her.

The next day, they were all fired from the hospital.

Each one was a backbone member of the hospital, yet they kept hitting walls when looking for new jobs.

Later I learned that Judy had spread rumors in the industry that they had lawsuits over patient deaths, so no one dared hire them.

From then on, I became isolated and helpless in the hospital.

James began coming to harass me with John, periodically locking me up and beating and berating me.

Once, when Judy passed by the door, I desperately called out to her for help.

To my shock, she gave me a look of disgust and walked away without looking back.

With Judy's tacit approval, James came to find me more and more frequently.

"Torres, you clearly know Judy doesn't like you and deliberately targets you. Why do you insist on staying here?"

When I didn't respond, he flew into a rage and encouraged John to really hurt me.

"If you know what's good for you, get the hell out of here. Otherwise, I'll beat you up every time I see you until you're disabled!"

From that point on, seeds of hatred toward the three of them took root in my heart.

Until Dad died, those seeds shot straight to my head, ready to burst forth.

After handling Dad's funeral, I went to the hospital in a daze.

As soon as I entered, I saw everyone in chaos.

I learned that today was the day for the supervisor's wife to have heart surgery.

The lead surgeon was none other than the current department head, James.

The surgery wasn't particularly difficult, and with the professor assisting and supervising, the success rate should have been over ninety percent.

But James, being incompetent, got nervous and his hand shook. He accidentally cut a major artery, causing severe blood loss in the patient.

After examination by several professors at the hospital, the supervisor's wife was deemed beyond saving.

At this point, everyone in the hospital was terrified and at a loss.

The supervisor was an influential figure in the state and even at higher levels.

Offending him would be tantamount to pushing the hospital toward destruction.

Just then, two security guards dragged me away with my eyes covered and mouth gagged.

In the darkness, I felt someone dressing and undressing me.

After I heard the door lock, I removed the blindfold to find myself standing in scrubs in an operating room.

A patient lay silently on the hospital bed. After checking the file, I confirmed she was the hospital's current hot potatothe supervisor's wife.

Voices came from outside the door.

James stamped his feet anxiously:

"Judy, you have to save me! The surgery didn't fail because of meit's because the supervisor's wife suddenly moved, that's why I accidentally cut the blood vessel!"

"Dad, please beg Judy to save me. I'm your only soncan you bear to see me spend the rest of my life in prison?"

John patted James reassuringly:

"Don't panic. Hasn't Judy already sent in the scapegoat? Once the supervisor sees that scene with his own eyes, no one will suspect you!"

Judy's voice sounded very composed:

"Don't worry. You're closer to me than my own son. The hospital is locked down tight now. With me here, I absolutely won't let anything happen to you."

"However, even with Torres taking the fall, our hospital's reputation will still suffer some negative impact."

John lowered his voice:

"I have a foolproof plan. Later we'll quietly transfer Torres and the supervisor's wife to the small clinic next doora classic bait and switch!"

"John, you're brilliant! This way our family can continue living happily together!"

"Dad, that's a great idea. Time's tightlet's get moving!"

Hearing them gathering people to come in, I suddenly realized this operating room was a room within a room that only Dad and I knew about.

By pressing a switch, I could open a hidden chamber.

Just before they unlocked the door, I successfully transferred the supervisor's wife and closed the hidden chamber door.

The supervisor's wife's breathing was weak. Time was of the essence.

Though a second surgery carried extremely high risk, a doctor's job is to snatch lives from death's grasp.

As long as there was a shred of hope, I wouldn't give up easily.

I worked up a sweat in the inner chamber, while the monitor simultaneously showed what was happening in the outer room.

A group of people rushed in and stood frozen in shock at the empty operating room.

John's face darkened:

"What's going on? Are you sure it was this room?"

After receiving unanimous confirmation from the security guards, Judy roared:

"Search! Go search now! Turn the entire hospital upside down if you have to. I refuse to believe a useless waste and a corpse can just vanish into thin air!"

James collapsed on the floor wailing:

"It's over! It's over! If we can't find them, will I be taken away and executed? Dad, I'm so scared!"

John helped his son up, his face showing some impatience:

"Calm down. Even if the sky falls, your mother and I will hold it up. Pull yourself together. Don't fall apart before the final moment!"

After Judy arranged the personnel, she came over to smooth things over:

"Don't scare the boy. He's held up very well until now. If it were that useless Torres, he'd probably have jumped off a building already."

Her bias was evident in every word. She always acted like she wanted to praise James to the heavens. Those who didn't know would think James was her son.

I calmly wielded my scalpel, focused on the operation. No matter how chaotic it was outside or how loud the hospital alarm system blared, nothing could affect my concentration.

Fortunately, the hidden chamber was fully stocked with emergency supplies. After two harrowing hours, the surgery finally ended.

But the supervisor's wife still hadn't completely escaped danger and needed constant monitoring.

After sending a message, I left the hidden chamber amid the chaos.

It wasn't until someone screamed that everyone noticed me calmly walking among the crowd.

John and the security guards immediately surrounded me, looking relieved.

"Torres, you botched the supervisor's wife's surgery. Now the whole city is looking for you. I advise you to turn yourself in voluntarilymaybe you'll get a few years off your sentence."

I was about to speak when Judy led the furious supervisor toward me.

"Supervisor, I deeply apologize about your wife. Our hospital will definitely compensate for all damages. As for the source of the surgical failure, it's all because our Dr. Torres here lacks medical skill."

"Whatever you want to do with him, we have absolutely no objection."

Having successfully redirected the fire to me, only Mom and John's people remained at the scene.

From their various looks, I read contempt, indifference, and disgust.

The supervisor pointed at me but only took two steps before clutching his chest and being supported by someone.

Judy glanced coldly at me:

"Torres, get over here and apologize to the supervisor right now!"

Seeing my calm demeanor, she rushed over and slapped me twice.

"Don't think that being my son means you can easily escape responsibility! As the hospital director, I will only lead by example and support what's right, not my relatives!"

She gave John a look, and John immediately had his men restrain my hands behind my back.

A gleam flashed in James's tear-reddened eyes:

"A doctor's duty is to save lives, but Torres, you dared to kill someone through malpractice! John, beat this murderer to death!"

Pain shot through my hands. I frowned:

"Are you planning to extract a confession through torture?"

Judy picked up a scalpel in a rage, looking vicious.

"You conscienceless bastard! With so many witnesses present, you still want to deny it!"

"Pin down his hands. A villain like this can never be allowed to harm other innocent patients again."

"Today, in front of the supervisor and everyone here, I will eliminate youthis scum with no medical ethicsfor society!"

The security guards held my hands out to her. I started to panic.

A doctor's hands are equivalent to our lives. If they're damaged, I'll be cut off from medicine for the rest of my life.

I struggled desperately. Just as I was about to break free, John and James personally came over to restrain me.

Four large men held me firmly in place. The next second, sharp pain shot through my hands.

Blood splattered onto Mom's white coat, but there wasn't a trace of heartache on her face.

I couldn't help but shout:

"You already caused Dad's deathdo you want to destroy me too?"

Judy paused, then quickly recovered.

"Your father died because of his own bad luck. What does it have to do with me? No matter how much you beg today, I will carry out this punishment to the end!"

After several more stab wounds, I said trembling:

"Stop! I admit it! I performed that surgery! Stop now!"

But amid everyone's cheers, Judy seemed not to hear and grew more and more excited.

I don't know how much time passed, but my hands had gone numb with pain, blood pooling on the floor.

Just as John was about to hand me over to the police, a nurse pushed a hospital bed over.

"Honey..."

A weak voice awakened the supervisor from his grief.

He tremblingly walked over, and when he saw his beloved lying there, he broke down crying:

"My dear! Thank God, you're still alive!"