The hospital lab exploded with a deafening roar, trapping me and Seraphina King, the golden girl of St. Augustine's General, in a roaring inferno. My boyfriend, Liam, made his choice in a heartbeat. He abandoned me for her. I didn't scream for him. I didn't beg. I just watched as he left me to the mercy of the flames. I knew this would happen. In another life, I’d played my trump card—revealing I was the hospital director's daughter—and used the threat of his career to force him to save me. Seraphina had died in that fire. And Liam, after inheriting my family’s fortune, had waited until I was nine months pregnant, locked me in that same lab, and burned me and my unborn child alive. As I’d pleaded for our lives, he’d sneered, his face a mask of cruelty. "Phoebe! If you hadn't blackmailed me with your family's power, Seraphina would never have died so horribly!" His voice had been a venomous hiss. "I'm going to make you suffer everything she felt, a hundred times over!" When I opened my eyes again, I was back. Back to the day of the fire, trapped with Seraphina King. … CRACK! The sound of splintering wood jolted me back to consciousness as a heavy cabinet crashed down on me. Pain, sharp and blinding, ripped through my body. I fought to see through the thick, acrid smoke that clawed at my lungs, my eyes watering as I doubled over in a fit of violent coughing. A deep, pulling ache radiated from my lower abdomen. Instinctively, my hand went to my stomach. "Baby… just hold on…" But where my swollen, near-term belly should have been, there was only flatness. What… how? Before the thought could fully form, a frantic voice cut through the haze. "Seraphina! Seraphina! Are you okay?" That voice. It was so familiar. From the other side of the room, Seraphina's weak reply drifted through the smoke. "Liam… help me…" I lifted my head, my heart seizing in my chest. There was Liam, kneeling beside Seraphina, desperately trying to heave a collapsed table off her. The sight of them stole the air from my lungs. Wait… didn't Liam just lock me in a lab? Didn't he burn me alive? And my baby… A wave of agony, so profound it was physical, washed over me. I curled into a ball, my body trembling uncontrollably. From the doorway, my colleague Alison’s voice was a desperate shriek. "Liam! Are you insane? Get Phoebe out of there! She's your girlfriend!" The scene was so terrifyingly real. This wasn't a nightmare. I had been reborn. Reborn into the day I was trapped in the fire with Seraphina King. With a final, grating screech of metal, Liam wrenched the table free. He didn't even glance my way as he scooped Seraphina into his arms and bolted for the exit. A bitter, humorless laugh escaped my lips. Just like last time. I was his girlfriend, but he only had eyes for her. Of course he did. Seraphina was beautiful, the resident goddess of St. Augustine's. And the rumors were she was the heiress to the King Medical Group. Liam, ever the opportunist, must have fallen for her long ago. I tried to push myself up, but the cabinet pinned my legs. Shards of glass had sliced into my calf, and the floor around me was slick with blood. I couldn't move. Liam finally seemed to notice me. His eyes held no concern, only a cold, deep-seated annoyance. He scowled. "Seraphina is a King. If anything happens to her, the whole hospital goes under! I'm thinking of the big picture here!" He waved a dismissive hand in my direction. "You're not hurt that bad. I'll get her out, then come back for you." I almost laughed again. If I hadn't lived this once before, I might have actually believed his noble lie about the "big picture." I was bleeding out on the floor, and to him, I wasn't "hurt that bad." Alison, bless her heart, tried to rush into the inferno, but another colleague grabbed her, holding her back. "Alison, stop! The lab is full of flammable chemicals! It's too dangerous!" He was right. I remembered. This lab was a ticking time bomb, with maybe fifteen minutes left before a secondary, catastrophic explosion. In my last life, I’d been rescued and immediately screamed for everyone to evacuate, saving their lives. Liam had wanted to go back for Seraphina, but one look at the intensifying blaze had been enough to kill his courage. So how could I possibly believe he’d come back for me this time? I knew he wouldn't. But I wouldn't let the people who actually cared about me die for his mistake. Propping myself up on my elbows, I used every ounce of strength I had to yell, "Alison, don't come in! It's going to blow! Get everyone out of here! Run!" The word "blow" made Liam freeze in his tracks. He whipped his head around, his eyes locking onto me with an icy disbelief, as if seeing a stranger. "Phoebe, when did you become so manipulative?" "The fire department will have this contained in thirty minutes! What do you think our colleagues will think of me now that you’ve screamed that?" he seethed. "Why can't you be more like Seraphina? Why can't you have a shred of kindness?!" The sheer hypocrisy of it all was so absurd, I actually did laugh. "You didn't seem to mind my 'manipulative' side when you were fucking me, did you?" That struck a nerve. But Seraphina, ever the damsel, tugged weakly at his collar. "Liam, I don't feel so good…" Instantly, his attention snapped back to her, his expression softening. "Hang on, Seraphina. I won't let anything happen to you." With that, he turned and ran, leaving me behind without a second glance. Gritting my teeth against the searing pain, I shoved at the heavy cabinet. The agony was immense, but compared to the memory of being burned alive… this was nothing. Alison slumped to the ground in disbelief. "Liam! You bastard!" she screamed after him. "The Director will have your head for this!" Alison was the only one at the hospital who knew my father was the director. Her threat only earned a cruel, mocking laugh from Liam. "The Director?" he called back, his voice dripping with scorn. "Please! Seraphina is the sole heiress to King Medical! He'd have my head if anything happened to her!" I finally managed to squirm out from under the cabinet. The movement tore the wounds on my leg wider, staining my lab coat a deeper crimson, but I didn't care. I had to live. Time was running out. "Don't beg him!" I screamed at Alison. "Just run!" I would never forget it. The insane glint in Liam’s eyes as he doused me in gasoline in my last life. There was no love left, only a roaring, consuming hatred. He ignored my screams, ignored the baby in my womb, and lit the match. I finally understood then. He blamed me for Seraphina’s death. He hated me that much. The memory was still burning behind my eyes when Alison, ignoring the flames, plunged back into the lab. "Phoebe! Hang on!" The smoke was a physical thing, choking me, blurring my vision. But through the haze, Alison’s small, determined figure was crystal clear against the backdrop of fire. "Are you fucking crazy? Get out!" I roared. She ignored me, gritting her teeth as she hooked an arm under mine, hauling my dead weight up and dragging me, step by agonizing step, towards the door. The air was scorching, blistering our skin. I saw a lock of her hair catch fire, the ends glowing like embers, but she didn't even flinch. She just kept pulling me forward. Looking at her soot-stained profile, a storm of emotions churned inside me. I glanced at my watch. We were out of time. Any second now, we’d both be history. Taking a ragged breath, I shouted over the roar of the fire, "Alison, on three, we dive for the door! Don't look back, just go! You hear me?" "You can count all you want," she yelled back, her grip tightening. "I'm not letting go!" A warmth spread through my chest. No more words. I fixed my eyes on the doorway. Our only hope. Three! Two! One! "JUMP!" I shrieked, launching myself forward and pulling Alison with me with every last bit of my strength. BOOM! The world exploded behind us. We had barely cleared the threshold when a concussive blastwave threw us across the hallway. My eardrums felt like they’d been shattered. My vision went white, my hearing replaced by a high-pitched, unending shriek. "Phoebe! Phoebe! Can you hear me?" I don’t know how long I was out. Alison’s frantic voice slowly filtered through the ringing in my ears. I forced my eyes open. "I'm… I'm okay… my leg…" Alison’s gaze followed mine down to my leg. Her face went pale. "It's bad. Don't look. I'll… just wait here!" She scrambled away, her footsteps echoing down the hall. Moments later, she returned with a few colleagues and a stretcher. The look on their faces when they saw my leg said it all. A young resident gasped, "My God… how many stitches will that even take?" Every inch of my body felt broken, but I clung to consciousness. As they rushed me through the ER, I saw Liam. He was holding Seraphina, stroking her hair and whispering reassurances, as if he hadn't just left his girlfriend to die in an explosion. As if he had nothing to do with any of it. A head nurse I was friendly with gently examined my injuries, her face a mask of pity. "Oh, Phoebe, you poor thing… So many fractures. It could take a year for you to fully recover." Her voice cracked with emotion. "Thank God your right hand is okay. You'll still be able to operate once you heal." I tried to smile, to say something, but the pain was a gag in my mouth. The nurse leaned in, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "That Seraphina, you know? I heard she just has a few scratches. The way Dr. Collins was fussing over her, you’d think she was dying…" Alison heard her and finally snapped. She marched over to Liam and jabbed a finger in his face. "You! You are the most disgusting piece of—" Before she could finish, Seraphina let out a delicate little cough. "Liam," she whispered, "I'm feeling a bit tired." Liam’s attention was instantly hers. "Just hold on, Seraphina, help is coming," he murmured softly. Then he looked up, his gaze sweeping over me with utter indifference before landing on Alison. "Phoebe's fine, isn't she?" he snapped. "This is between me and her. Why don't you mind your own business?" I stared at his smug, revolting face, and the words came out, low and clear. "From now on, there is no 'us.'" "We're done." Alison nodded fiercely. "Good. No point trying to reason with an animal." Liam looked stunned, as if the thought of me leaving him was impossible. "Phoebe, what is this? What game are you playing now?" A cold laugh bubbled up from my chest. "Play you? You aren't even worth the game." I fought back the tears that threatened to spill, locking my eyes on Seraphina. "You chose to save another woman over your own girlfriend. Is that what you call being a boyfriend?" Seraphina’s tears came on cue, streaming down her perfect face. "Phoebe… how can you say that to him?" she sobbed. "He just knew you were stronger than me. He had faith in you! He chose to save the person who needed him more…" The hallway devolved into chaos—Liam’s angry accusations, Seraphina’s pathetic weeping, and the murmurs of onlookers drawn by the drama. "Well, the goddess has a point. She's so fragile, of course she needed help." "Yeah, Dr. Collins made a tough call for the good of the hospital. Dr. Cattrall is just being dramatic." "And let's be real, Miss King is from the King Medical Group… saving her was the smarter move." Just then, my father rushed in, having just flown back from an overseas conference. Liam’s entire demeanor shifted. He practically beamed as he intercepted him. "Director! The lab exploded… I managed to save Miss King, at great personal risk." He puffed out his chest. "And she said she can help strengthen the partnership between King Medical and our hospital!" My father’s face hardened. "Where is Phoebe Cattrall?" Liam, assuming my father was about to reprimand me for the accident, quickly threw me under the bus. "Director, she and Miss King were the only ones in the lab. I’m certain Miss King made no mistakes. This accident is entirely Phoebe's responsibility." He didn’t stop there. "She's been rescued and her injuries aren't severe. But I recommend she be kept away from lab work in the future. Miss King can handle the project on her own." My father's expression grew darker with every word. I lay on the gurney, a cold, vengeful smile playing on my lips. Just wait, Liam. Without me to protect you, you're about to find out what real suffering is. The world tilted, and before I could even register my father's face, everything went black. … The next time I woke up, it was evening the following day. My limbs were encased in heavy plaster and bandages, immobilizing me completely. But I felt… reborn. "Phoebe!" Alison, her face etched with exhaustion but her eyes bright with relief, rushed to my bedside. I tried to lift a hand to her, but a fresh wave of pain shot through me. Seeing my state, her composure crumbled. Tears streamed down her cheeks. "You idiot! Do you have any idea how badly you were hurt?" I managed a weak smile. "At least… I got to keep my life this time." This time, I owed Liam nothing. And this time, neither my father nor I would die. "You…" Alison sobbed and laughed at the same time, fumbling for a tissue. "I told your dad everything that happened. He was so furious he's calling a full incident review meeting for tomorrow morning!" At the mention of my father, my own eyes filled with tears. Last time, because of me, he lost everything… "Alison…" I struggled to compose myself. "There's one more thing I need you to do for me…" "Anything. Just name it." "The lab… the security footage from before the explosion. Can you… can you get it for me?" Alison gently smoothed my hair back. "Don't you worry," she said with a reassuring smile. "I already have it. There was a little… hiccup… trying to get it, but I took care of it." I looked at her, guilt washing over me. In my last life, Liam had convinced me Alison was just jealous, that she was trying to undermine me. We’d had a massive fight, and I’d cut her out of my life. I died without ever getting the chance to apologize. How could I have been so blind? Trading a diamond for a shard of glass. I was about to close my eyes and rest when Liam walked in. Trailing behind him was Seraphina. She looked completely untouched, not a hair out of place, casually flipping her hair and drawing the gazes of everyone in the ward. And then there was me, a broken doll held together by plaster and gauze. Alison took a deep breath. "Well, look at the goddess," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Not a scratch on her." Liam ignored her, walking over to my bed and reaching for my hand. I flinched away in disgust. He didn't seem to register his own fault in the slightest. In fact, he smiled. "See, Phoebe? You're fine." "Seraphina said she's going to push for a closer partnership between King Medical and our hospital. My promotion is basically guaranteed. Aren't you happy for me?" A choked, incredulous laugh escaped my lips. "Happy? I almost died in that lab, and you want me to be happy for you?" Seraphina sighed dramatically, her eyes narrowing. "I never realized how selfish you were, Phoebe. Willing to destroy Liam's future over a little jealousy… frankly, I find it pathetic." I fixed her with an icy stare. "You want to talk about destroyed futures? Let me tell you something. The moment Liam chose to leave me in that fire, his future was already over." Liam pointed a finger at me, his brow furrowed. "Phoebe! Seraphina came here out of the goodness of her heart, she was even going to apologize to you, and this is how you treat her? Don't forget, I'm your boyfriend! Instead of being grateful, you're cursing me?" "This dead-end job of yours barely pays the bills! Everything I do is for our future!" The man standing before me was a monster. I fought to keep my voice steady. "Liam, let me remind you, we are broken up. Now get the hell out of my room." The argument had drawn a crowd. Murmurs rippled through the onlookers. "I mean, Dr. Cattrall is okay now, she should just let it go. What’s more important than her boyfriend’s career…" "If it were me, I'd just take the hit. When Dr. Collins gets his promotion, she'll benefit too." … Alison spun around, her eyes blazing. "You have no idea what you're talking about, so shut your mouths!" she roared at the gossiping faces in the doorway. "The Director is holding an incident review tomorrow! We'll see who's laughing when the truth comes out!" Liam, who usually treated Alison like she was invisible, finally looked at her. "What are you talking about? What incident review?" Alison planted her hands on her hips, her eyes darting pointedly towards Seraphina. "That's right! A meeting to determine exactly how the lab accident was caused! I'm sure some people know exactly what happened!" At her words, Seraphina visibly flinched. The color drained from her face, and she swayed as if she might faint, the picture of fragile beauty. Liam immediately wrapped a protective arm around her. "Seraphina, don't be scared," he soothed. "It's okay. I believe you." She melted into his embrace, her tear-filled eyes gazing up at him. "Liam," she whispered, her voice trembling, "you won't believe their lies, will you? I tried to warn Phoebe in the lab, I really did…" She paused, shuddering as if recalling a terrible memory. "I told her… to be careful… but she wouldn't listen… she said I was being nosy… and then… then it exploded… I tried my best… I really wanted to save her…" The crowd, which had quieted down, now erupted in a fresh wave of condemnation aimed at me. "So it was Dr. Cattrall's mistake that caused the explosion…" "No wonder Dr. Collins didn't save her. The goddess was the innocent one…" Seeing Seraphina so helpless and vulnerable ignited Liam’s fury. He rounded on me, his face contorted with rage. "Phoebe! So you were at fault and you refuse to admit it? If you apologize to Seraphina right now, I might put in a good word for you at the meeting tomorrow, save you from—" Alison and I exchanged a knowing glance. I cut him off. "If you two get on your knees and apologize to me right now, I might consider showing you a shred of mercy tomorrow." Seraphina gave a faint, mocking smile. "Phoebe… I'm only trying to help you. Why must you be so ungrateful?" I was done with them. I pressed the call button for the nurse. The head nurse bustled in, pushing through the crowd. "What's going on?" I pointed at the two of them. "Last I checked, Dr. Collins and Dr. King don't work in this department. Why are they so far from their posts?" The nurse, who already disliked Liam, crossed her arms. "Dr. Collins, perhaps you should leave. Dr. Cattrall just came out of a full night of surgery and needs to rest." Seeing that his intimidation tactics weren't working, Liam could only point at me, sputtering, before grabbing Seraphina’s hand and storming out. Alison watched me for a long moment. "You've changed," she said quietly. I managed a wry twist of my lips, half bitter, half self-deprecating. "Dying once has a way of helping you see who's a man and who's a dog. It’s an expensive lesson, though."
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