Chapter 1

My mom, Dr. Helen Miller, is the most famous cardiothoracic surgeon in Miami. She saves countless lives every year.

Yet, she never cared about my heart condition, nor would she ever let me get treated at her hospital.

She always told me, "I have to avoid any conflict of interest, Chloe. If you come to my hospital, people will give you priority access, whether I want them to or not. That’s stealing medical resources from other patients."

I believed her. I was even proud of having such an selfless, ethical mother.

Until my heart condition flared up again, and I was rushed to her hospital anyway. That was when I met Mia, the patient my mother had been caring for since they were both young.

Mia was staying in the best VIP suite. The hospital was using the country's most advanced medical equipment on her.

Outside her room, the nurses were whispering.

"Mia is so lucky. Dr. Miller is such an amazing doctor. She even redirected her own daughter's matching donor heart to save Mia."

"Yeah, I heard Dr. Miller's daughter won't even live past twenty if she doesn't get a transplant soon."

I looked at the text on my phone from my mom, claiming the donor match had failed. Tears silently streamed down my face.

So, her so-called medical ethics required me to pay with my life.