On my wedding day, my rival kidnapped my fiancé and my first love. She poured a bottle of poison down each of their throats and even live-streamed the whole thing to millions. "I hear Dr. Hayes is the best toxicologist in the world, with medical skills that can bring the dead back to life!" "But there's only one dose of the antidote! Faced with her old flame and her new love, will the great Dr. Hayes save her ex, or her husband-to-be?" Everyone held their breath, waiting for this cruel choice. No matter who I saved, I would lose someone I loved. Under the watchful eyes of millions, I maintained a blank expression and poured the single bottle of antidote straight down the drain. "Adults don't make choices. I don't want either of them!" ...... Chapter 1 The two men tied to the chairs were staring at me with wide, disbelieving eyes. On the left was my fiancé, Arthur Sterling, the heir to the Sterling Group. His custom-tailored suit was now covered in dust. On the right was my first love, Leo Vance, a currently trending pop idol. His face—the one that made thousands of teenage girls scream—was twisted in agony. Chloe, holding the empty poison vials, was trembling all over. "Stella! You cold-blooded monster! Arthur is your fiancé, and Leo is the man you loved for seven years!" She lunged forward, trying to grab me by the collar. I took a step to the side, avoiding her with obvious disgust. "Correction." I slowly peeled off my white latex gloves and tossed them into the nearby trash can. "Former fiancé, and ex-boyfriend." "Also, whether it's recyclable trash or hazardous waste, I'm only responsible for throwing it out. Not fixing it." Arthur struggled violently, muffled grunts escaping his gagged mouth. His eyes were filled with shock and rage. As if to say: How dare you? How could you? Leo, on the other hand, had tears pooling in his eyes, trying to use those signature puppy-dog eyes to awaken my old feelings for him. If it were the old Stella Hayes, I probably would have dropped to my knees, crying and begging Chloe for the antidote. I might have even handed the antidote to Arthur without hesitation, then chosen to die alongside Leo. Or, I might have given the antidote to Leo, only to be blacklisted and destroyed by the powerful Sterling family. What a moving, tragic, and profound love story that would have been. What a pity. Today's Stella Hayes had finally drained the water from her brain. I glanced at the Patek Philippe on my wrist. "Ms. Chloe, three minutes until the poison takes effect." I leisurely pulled out a chair and sat down, even feeling tempted to cross my legs. "As a doctor, I'll offer a friendly warning." "When this type of neurotoxin sets in, the paralysis starts at the fingertips, moves to the limbs, and finally hits the respiratory muscles." "The process is excruciating. There will be incontinence, convulsions, and foaming at the mouth." I pointed at Arthur, who was writhing frantically. "If a dignified man like Mr. Sterling here soils his pants in front of tens of millions of viewers..." Arthur's face instantly went from red to white, then from white to a sickly green. He clamped his legs tightly together. The comments in the live stream immediately shifted tone. [Holy shit, is Dr. Hayes pulling a reverse Uno card?] [That's ruthless, but why do I find it kind of satisfying?] [Where are your morals?! Those are two human lives!] Chloe was completely panicked. This wasn't how her script was supposed to play out. She was supposed to be the queen holding the power of life and death, watching me agonize between two men, knowing that no matter who I chose, my reputation would be ruined. But right now, I looked like an outside spectator watching a show. "Stella! Aren't you afraid of going to jail?! This is murder!" Chloe pointed at me, her finger trembling. I let out a soft laugh, my eyes as cold as a scalpel. "You're the one who kidnapped them. You're the one who fed them poison. You're the one live-streaming this." "I'm just a passing victim who accidentally slipped and dropped a bottle." "What is a judge going to charge me with? Destruction of property?" "How much did that vial cost? I'll compensate you ten times over." Just then, Arthur suddenly convulsed violently. Leo also started rolling his eyes back into his head. Time was up. Chapter 2 It wasn't a real toxic reaction. I'm a doctor. I could tell at a glance that they were acting. The frequency of the convulsions and the degree of muscle rigidity were absurdly fake. But I didn't expose them. I just watched quietly. I watched Arthur writhe on the floor like a maggot. Sure enough, a large wet patch appeared on his expensive suit pants. I couldn't tell if he actually wet himself out of fear or if it was just for realistic effect. Leo was even better, directly starting to foam at the mouth. I saw it clearly; it was an effervescent tablet hidden under his tongue. Good acting. Truly worthy of his "Razzie Award-winning" actor status. Chloe threw herself onto Arthur, crying beautifully. "Arthur! Arthur, don't scare me! Stella, you murderer!" "Someone call an ambulance! Call 911!" I calmly pulled out my phone. "No need to call." "The police arrived downstairs three minutes ago." "As for an ambulance..." I pointed to the ID badge on my chest. "The best surgeon in the city is right here. Who else do you need to call?" The moment the words left my mouth, the warehouse doors were violently busted open. Fully armed SWAT officers stormed in. "Freeze! Police!" As Chloe was pinned to the floor, she was still screaming hoarsely: "It's her! Stella killed them! She poured out the antidote!" The police quickly secured the scene and checked on the two "victims." The lead detective glanced at me, his expression complicated. "Dr. Hayes, we meet again." I hadn't expected the team leader to be an old acquaintance, Detective Lee from the Major Crimes Division. "Detective Lee, sorry for the trouble." My tone was calm, completely lacking the panic of a "murder suspect." "Are they poisoned?" Detective Lee frowned, looking at the two men still twitching on the floor. "Maybe." I shrugged. "I recommend getting their stomachs pumped. Thoroughly." Arthur and Leo were loaded onto stretchers. As he passed by me, Arthur suddenly stopped twitching. He stared at me intently. There was no fear of impending death in his eyes, only the furious rage of being humiliated. He gritted his teeth and whispered in a voice only I could hear: "Stella, you're dead." "When I get out, I'm going to make you wish you were dead." I leaned down and whispered softly in his ear: "Mr. Sterling, if you've peed your pants, maybe hold off on the tough guy act." "The smell is quite strong." Arthur almost passed away from sheer anger right then and there. Leo, meanwhile, weakly opened his eyes and looked at me with those affectionate, soulful eyes: "Stella, I don't blame you..." "I know you were forced..." I laughed. I laughed so hard I doubled over. "Leo, save it." "Your effervescent tablet foam got on my shoes." Leo's expression froze instantly. The ambulances sped away with sirens wailing. As a "person of interest," I was politely escorted into a police cruiser. Although the live stream had been cut, public opinion online had completely exploded. #StellaHayesToxicWoman# #ArthurSterlingLeoVanceCriticalCondition# #StellaHayesThrowsAwayAntidote# The top three trending topics were all my name. Everyone was calling me cold-blooded, calling me a psychopath. Inside the police car, Detective Lee handed me a bottle of water. "Stella, what exactly is going on here?" "Were those two really poisoned?" I unscrewed the cap and took a sip. "Detective Lee, if I told you this whole thing was a play directed and acted out by them, would you believe me?" Detective Lee paused. I looked out the window at the passing city streets, my eyes growing colder by the second. "It wasn't just a play." "It was a carefully designed 'compliance test' meant to force my submission." Chapter 3 The lights in the interrogation room were blinding. But I was used to it. The surgical lights in the OR were ten times brighter than this. "Ms. Hayes, according to the scene investigation and Chloe's statement, she did provide you with a vial of antidote." "And you did, in fact, pour it down the drain." The young rookie taking my statement looked incredibly serious, even carrying a hint of disdain. In his eyes, I was probably just a crazy woman driven mad by love and jealousy. "That was glucose." I stated plainly. The rookie paused. "What?" "The 'poison' Chloe forced down their throats was blueberry-flavored sports drink." "The so-called 'antidote' was a 5% glucose solution." "As for the white foam in Leo's mouth, that was from a vitamin C effervescent tablet." I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms. "Officer, if you don't believe me, you can check their stomach contents at the hospital." "Or just ask Chloe directly. She probably still has the unused props in her bag." The rookie was clearly thrown off by my composure and turned to look at Detective Lee through the two-way mirror. Half an hour later, Detective Lee pushed the door open. His expression was a bit strange. "Stella, you guessed right." "The hospital just sent word. The stomach pumping results show absolutely no toxins, only sports drink and effervescent tablet residue." "Chloe confessed too. She said this was a 'prank live stream' orchestrated by Arthur and Leo." Detective Lee sighed and slammed the statement file onto the table. "Are these rich people out of their damn minds?" "Filing a false police report, wasting police resources, disturbing the peace!" "What were they trying to accomplish?" I lowered my eyes, hiding the coldness within. "They wanted to domesticate me." Detective Lee frowned. "What do you mean?" I didn't explain. Because it was too sickening. Arthur Sterling: CEO of the Sterling Group, a control freak psychopath. Leo Vance: A washed-up idol desperate for attention, a classic moocher. Chloe: Arthur's "adopted" younger sister, Leo's rumored girlfriend, and my sworn enemy. These three got together and staged this entire "kidnapping" farce. With only one goal in mind: To force me to choose between my "new love" and my "old flame" in front of the entire internet. No matter who I chose, I would carry a moral burden for the rest of my life. If I chose Arthur, Leo would "die," and I would feel guilty forever, submitting entirely to Arthur as a form of atonement. If I chose Leo, Arthur would "die," and I would be branded a traitor to my fiancé. The Sterling family would hold that over me, and I would be entirely at their mercy just to keep Leo safe. It was a meticulously designed scam. They were betting on my so-called "healer's compassion" and my reputation for being blindly devoted to love. What a pity. They didn't know that the Stella Hayes who was blinded by love had died last night. "Am I free to go?" I stood up and smoothed out my skirt. Detective Lee nodded, his expression complex. "Although no actual harm was done, your action of pouring out the 'antidote' is morally..." "Detective Lee." I cut him off. "Morals are meant to constrain human beings." "When dealing with animals, there's no need for morals." Stepping out of the precinct's front doors. Countless camera flashes instantly engulfed me. The reporters were like sharks smelling blood. "Ms. Hayes! We heard Mr. Sterling and Mr. Vance are out of danger. Do you have anything to say?" "Ms. Hayes, what were you thinking when you poured out the antidote?" "Ms. Hayes, did you know all along that it was a prank?" I stopped in my tracks. I took off my sunglasses and stared directly into the lens of the camera right in front of me. It belonged to a media outlet owned by the Sterling Group. I knew that Arthur was definitely lying in a VIP hospital bed right now, watching this live broadcast. I looked at the camera and flashed the brightest, most radiant smile. "Want to know why I poured out the antidote?" The entire crowd instantly fell silent. I parted my red lips: "Because I found them disgusting." Chapter 4 Returning to the hospital, I didn't go to the patient ward; I went straight back to my office. On my desk lay a report printed just yesterday. Six Weeks Pregnant. I had found this in Arthur's suit pocket yesterday. The name on it was Chloe. And underneath that report was a Share Transfer Agreement. The beneficiary was Leo Vance. So that was it. It turned out Arthur had knocked Chloe up a long time ago, and the upcoming wedding was just a smokescreen. He needed the Hayes family's medical resources and connections to solidify his position within his company. And Leo, the first love who kept saying he still loved me and regretted the past, had actually been bought off by Arthur long ago. They partnered up to stage this play, not just to psychologically break me. But to completely destroy my reputation on the eve of the wedding. What right would a "cold-blooded," "heartless" female doctor who "refused to save a dying man" have to run the Hayes family's private hospital? When that time came, Arthur could legitimately take over everything I owned, claiming I was "mentally unstable." He might even lock me up in a psychiatric ward. What a brilliant calculation. If it weren't for an accidental "eavesdropping" session yesterday, I might have actually fallen for it. Yesterday afternoon, I was taking a nap in the lounge outside Arthur's office. The soundproofing wasn't great. I overheard his conversation with Leo. "Tomorrow's live stream has to look real. Make sure Chloe goes hard." "As long as Stella makes a choice—it doesn't matter who she chooses—she'll never be able to bounce back for the rest of her life." "Once it's done, I'll give you five percent of the shares in the Hayes family hospital." In that moment. My world collapsed. The fiancé I had loved for three years, and the first love I had pined for for seven years. Were discussing how to eat my flesh and drink my blood. I lay in the lounge, my body freezing cold, my fingernails digging into my palms until they bled. But I didn't storm out to confront them. I simply got up quietly, wiped my tears, and left the Sterling Group building. I knew that crying and screaming were useless. In the adult world, it's only about winning and losing. Since you want to put on a play, I'll act right along with you. Since you want to see me make a choice, I'll just flip the whole table. The office door was shoved violently open. Arthur stood in the doorway in a hospital gown, his face dark as a thundercloud. Behind him trailed a very guilty-looking Leo. "Stella! What kind of nonsense were you spouting to the media just now?!" Arthur strode over, raising his hand to strike me. I didn't flinch. But a scalpel suddenly appeared in my hand. A flash of cold steel. Arthur's hand froze in mid-air, the tip of the blade a mere centimeter away. "Mr. Sterling, if you don't want that hand anymore, you can donate it to someone in need." I twirled the scalpel, my eyes cold and indifferent. Arthur's chest heaved with rage. "You knew all along, didn't you? You knew it was fake!" "If you knew it was fake, why did you pour out the antidote?! You wanted to make us look like fools in front of the entire internet!" Leo chimed in too, looking utterly heartbroken. "Stella, even if it was a joke, you were too ruthless. Arthur and I were genuinely terrified at the time. What if Chloe had grabbed the wrong bottles?" Listen to this. This is men for you. They clearly set a trap to destroy me, but now they're blaming me for being too ruthless. "A joke?" I let out a soft laugh, stood up, and advanced on them step by step. "Arthur, Chloe being six weeks pregnant... is that a joke?" Arthur's pupils contracted sharply. "Leo, that fifty-million-dollar share transfer agreement... is that a joke?" Leo's face instantly went ashen. The room fell into dead silence. I looked at their terrified expressions, feeling an unspeakable sense of vindication. "Did you think I poured out the antidote just to make you look bad?" I shook my head, pulling a cold smirk. "No." "I poured out the antidote because..." "I added a little something extra to that glucose solution." Arthur and Leo's eyes widened simultaneously. "What did you say?" I pointed to the trash can. "The real antidote—I really did pour it out." "But the stuff Chloe forced down your throats wasn't just a sports drink." "It was a slow-acting neurotoxin that I specially prepared for you." "This time, it's real." Chapter 5 "You're lying!" Arthur stumbled backward, slamming into the doorframe. "The police said it was just a sports drink! The stomach pumping report came back totally normal!" Despite his tough talk, fine beads of cold sweat were already forming on his forehead. As a doctor, I knew exactly how to shatter someone's psychological defenses. "Mr. Sterling, did you forget who runs the pathology lab at the Hayes family hospital?" I casually sat back down in my chair, twirling a pen in my fingers. "Besides, standard toxicology screens can't detect this specific toxin." "It stays dormant in your nervous system and only begins to take effect after twenty-four hours." "The initial symptoms are... auditory hallucinations, paranoia, and irritability." I looked at Arthur with a half-smile. "Right now, do you feel a faint buzzing sound in your ears?" Arthur instinctively clapped his hands over his ears, his face deathly pale. There was no buzzing. It was just the physiological response of a person under extreme stress. Also known as paranoia creating its own demons. Leo, meanwhile, was so terrified his legs gave out, and he dropped to his knees with a thud. "Stella! Stella, I was wrong! Arthur forced me to do it!" "I love you! I really just did it for the money... no, I did it for our future!" "Please, give me the antidote! I don't want to die!" Watching the man I once loved begging like a dog. I felt absolutely nothing. Only disgust. "Leo, your acting skills have really gone downhill." I looked at him coldly. "Back when you played the devoted lover, at least you managed to fool me. Now, playing the terrified coward? Too over the top." Arthur kicked Leo aside and pointed at me, roaring: "Stella! This is a crime! I'm calling the police! I'm going to have you thrown in jail!" "Go ahead." I spread my hands. "The police just left. Do you want me to call Detective Lee back for you?" "When he gets here, I'll just say I'm suffering from delusions and was talking nonsense." "After all, the lab reports are clean, and you have no proof I poisoned you." "However..." I shifted my tone, my eyes turning dark. "When the toxin takes effect, I'm the only one with the antidote." "Arthur, are you willing to bet your life on that?" Arthur froze. He wasn't. The richer people are, the more terrified they are of dying. Especially a crown prince like him, about to inherit a massive empire, with an illegitimate child on the way. He stared at me, the fury in his eyes slowly morphing into raw fear. "What exactly do you want?" He asked through gritted teeth. I pulled a document from my drawer and tossed it onto the desk. "It's simple." "Sign it." Arthur picked up the document, took one look, and his eyes widened. "A share transfer agreement? You want ten percent of the Sterling Group?!" "You're insane! That's impossible!" "Then wait to die." I lowered my head and started reviewing patient charts, ignoring him. "Show them out." Arthur’s hand shook as he held the document. Ten percent of the shares—that was half his life. But if he didn't sign, it would be his whole life. "Stella, you'll regret this." Arthur spat the threat viciously, turned on his heel, and stormed out. Leo scrambled to his feet and stumbled after him. "Arthur! Arthur, wait for me! What about me?" Watching their pathetic retreat. I picked up my phone and made a call. "Hello, Dr. Wang in Pathology?" "The stomach fluid samples from Arthur Sterling and Leo Vance... have they been destroyed?" "Excellent. Make sure there's no trace left." I hung up the phone. I looked out the window at the setting sun, the sky a bloody crimson. Actually, I hadn't poisoned them at all. The liquid in Chloe's bottles really was just a sports drink. And what I poured down the drain really was just glucose. The so-called "slow-acting neurotoxin" was just a story I made up to scare them. But for these two men, who already had guilty consciences. Fear was the most lethal poison of all. For the next twenty-four hours. I was going to let them experience what "a fate worse than death" truly meant.
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