1

I was reborn. The moment of my return was the second before I was about to explain the pre-operative instructions to my boyfriend’s childhood sweetheart.

In my last life, I was doing my rounds when I saw the patient drinking a smoothie. I stopped her immediately and informed my boyfriend, the attending surgeon, that the patient hadn’t fasted. For her own safety, the surgery had to be postponed.

The patient then blasted the story all over the internet, blaming me for not reminding her.

My professionalism was torn to shreds. I tried desperately to explain, to clear my name, but no one believed me. Then, my own boyfriend, Leo, started a rumor that my nursing degree was fake, that I’d gotten my job through shady connections.

The internet turned on me. I was doxxed. An enraged stranger threw acid in my face.

It wasn't until after I was run down by a car and killed that my soul, hovering above, saw the truth: the patient was Leo’s childhood sweetheart. It had all been a setup.

…

They say nurses are angels in white, saving lives.

I gave the patient her pre-op instructions. But when I checked on her, I found her sipping a smoothie.

Guided by my professional ethics and a concern for her safety, I told my boyfriend, the surgeon, that we had to postpone.

The patient, Mia, accused me of never telling her.

By that afternoon, I was trending. Another patient in the same room had filmed the confrontation and posted it online.

The internet mob questioned my competence.

I posted my degrees, my awards, my commendations from university and my career. It did nothing.

Then Leo, my Leo, posted a video with his own name attached, claiming I was a fraud who had used connections to get my job.

The harassment escalated. Sulfuric acid scarred my face forever. Finally, a so-called "vigilante" ran me over with his car.

After I died, I watched as Leo and Mia built their careers on the ashes of my life, profiting handsomely from my public execution. Floating in the air, I watched them embrace, and my ethereal hands clenched into fists. Only then did I understand. It was all a trap they had laid for me.

“Brandy? Oh, you’re here! Does this mean it’s almost time for my surgery?”

A familiar, nauseatingly sweet voice echoed in my ear.

I looked up, and my vision was filled with a deceptively innocent face.

A tearing, ripping pain spread from my heart through every inch of my body. It was only when my lungs filled with the sharp, cold, antiseptic air of the hospital that I realized I was alive again.

Reborn. In the exact moment before I was to give pre-op instructions to Mia, Leo’s childhood sweetheart.

“I’ve been waiting for so long, I’m so excited for the surgery,” she said, her voice raspy. “I even took a whole week off work for this, and I’m still in my probationary period! You’ll take good care of me, won’t you, Brandy?”

She touched her neck as she spoke, as if it were a great effort.

Last time, I’d felt sorry for her. A fresh graduate, all alone in the hospital. I’d given her extra attention, soothed her anxiety when she fretted, especially when the other patients chimed in on her behalf. Before leaving, I had explicitly told her: no food or water before the surgery.

And yet, the next morning, I found her drinking a smoothie.

I had told her with genuine regret that we’d have to postpone, that eating before anesthesia was dangerous.

Mia had burst into tears. “Why didn’t you remind me properly? Are you trying to get me fired? I’m never coming to this hospital again!”

2

The other patients in the room heard her hoarse, strained voice and saw me standing there, silent and still. They jumped to her defense.

“She’s just a young girl who just landed a job! You need to take extra care of her during her probation period. It’s so hard to find a job these days. You can’t be the reason she loses it.”

Oh, right. Of course. Saint Mia. Her life is so hard, her situation so fragile. And all of you, with your unsolicited advice, you think you’re so noble. You care more about her than my own boyfriend—no, ex-boyfriend—does.

I quietly took out my phone and hit the record button. Then, I launched into my full, by-the-book, award-winning nursing protocol.

“Excuse me, are you patient Mia Sullivan?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

“As per pre-operative procedure, you must abstain from all food and drink. Failure to do so will result in the postponement of your surgery. Patient Mia Sullivan, do you understand?”

“I understand,” Mia rasped, a flicker of annoyance in her eyes.

A patient nearby snickered. “What’s with all the theatrics? Such pointless formality.”

Mia nodded slightly, a smug look crossing her face. “I know, right? All this red tape… I wonder if it actually helps them take care of patients.”

I smiled, a tight, professional mask. “Patient Sullivan expressed some anxiety about her procedure. To reassure her and demonstrate my professional competence, I am utilizing this highly structured protocol.”

This was the exact procedure that had won me a national nursing skills competition. Damn right it was structured.

Looking at Mia’s phony, self-satisfied act, I had to resist the urge to slap her back to reality. The audacity of someone who plays the victim while setting a trap.

Let’s see how you play the victim tomorrow.

3

During my pre-op rounds the next morning, I timed my visit perfectly, deliberately avoiding the moment she was eating.

With my recording pen active and my professional smile plastered on, I approached her bed.

“Patient Sullivan, your surgery is scheduled for this morning. Can you confirm that you have not had any food or water since 10 p.m. last night?”

“Of course,” she said, her voice still hoarse but laced with triumph. “I haven’t had a bite to eat or a drop to drink since yesterday afternoon. Well, except for the smoothie I just finished.”

As she spoke, she glanced at me from the corner of her eye, watching for my reaction.

I, who had been watching her every move, caught the micro-expression. I kept my smile frozen in place.

“I’m very sorry, but since you did not follow pre-operative instructions, your surgery will have to be postponed.”

Just then, as if on cue, Leo walked into the room. I grabbed his arm and pulled him outside.

A tidal wave of pain and despair washed over me. Hatred filled my chest until I thought I would suffocate. In my last life, I gave up a position at a prestigious, top-tier medical center to be a nurse at this small community hospital for him.

And he repaid me by destroying my life.

My nails dug into my palms, the sharp pain the only thing keeping the volcanic rage from erupting. I forced a smile. “The patient ate before surgery. We have to postpone.”

“And also,” I added, “after your shift, let’s call off the engagement.”

“What the hell is wrong with you?” he snapped. “Now her surgery has to be delayed. And don’t you dare play these hard-to-get games with me. Who do you think will want you after you break up with me?”

We parted on that ugly note.

Did he have any idea the trouble I was going to, just to extricate myself from this mess? I truly hope you two vipers have the loving life you deserve.

When I returned to the room, Mia was in the middle of a full-blown meltdown, snot and tears smearing her face.

“Why didn’t you remind me properly?” she wailed. “You did this on purpose!”

The other patients started to comfort her, but when they learned the reason for her hysterics, they fell silent. My grand, formal procedure from the day before had left a deep impression. Even these bystanders knew she was supposed to fast. Her own negligence was to blame.

Seeing that she had lost her audience, Mia leaped from the bed, grabbed her thermos, and flung its contents at me. It was the rest of her morning smoothie.

I didn’t move. I let the lukewarm liquid splatter across my face.

Because I saw it. The other patients in the room, their phones all raised, all recording.

I went straight to the restroom and splashed my face with cold water. In the ripples of the sink, I saw my own reflection, a wide, triumphant smile spreading across my face. I looked at my skin, slightly pink from the not-so-hot liquid. Not quite enough.

I dried my face and took a small pot of blush out of my pocket—a sample I’d packed in anticipation of this very moment. With Mia’s temper, an outburst was inevitable. I swept a heavy amount across my cheeks, then took a quick photo of my profile. I touched my face, almost laughing out loud.

I knew the double-edged sword of the internet better than anyone.

Last time, it destroyed my reputation overnight and made Mia a star. But why should a woman like that get to build her success on the backs of other women?

Since she used this stage to ruin me, I was going to make sure she choked on her own performance.

You wanted to go viral, Mia? You’ve got it. Let’s see if you can handle the fame.

After being fired, Brandy is at her lowest point. Her ex-boyfriend has betrayed her, his lover has framed her, and the world believes she is a negligent, incompetent nurse. But Brandy has a plan. Armed with evidence and a deep understanding of the very weapon used against her, she is ready to turn the tables.

Now, it was my turn to fight back. And I wondered if Leo and Mia were ready for the storm.