Chapter 4 - The Vicious Smear
The Chief of Surgery did not even give me a chance to defend myself.
He abruptly ended the call, leaving me standing in my stolen apartment with a dead phone in my hand.
Brenda let out a loud, theatrical sigh of fake sympathy.
"Oh, did you lose your little hospital job too?" she mocked, crossing her arms over her chest.
"I suppose it is highly illegal to perform surgery on a child while under the influence of narcotics."
My blood ran ice cold as her sinister words finally clicked in my brain.
"You filed a false medical board complaint against me," I realized, staring at the monster who was supposed to be my mother-in-law.
"Gemma filed it," Andrew corrected smoothly, stepping closer to his mother.
"She is a surgical nurse, so her anonymous tip about seeing you steal painkillers from the supply closet carries a lot of weight."
They had coordinated every single detail to ensure my absolute ruin.
Zachary stepped in front of me, placing his large frame between me and Andrew.
"Gather your things, Samantha, we are leaving," Zachary commanded, his authoritative tone making Andrew flinch backward.
"You have exactly one hour to get these bags out of my hallway, Foster, or I will have you arrested for illegal dumping."
We grabbed the trash bags filled with my clothes and carried them down to Zachary's car.
I sat in the passenger seat, burying my face in my hands as the tears finally began to fall.
"I have nothing left," I sobbed, the weight of the betrayal crushing the air out of my lungs.
"They took my money, my home, and now they are taking my medical license."
Zachary started the engine, his jaw locked in a rigid, determined line.
"They made a massive mistake today," Zachary said, turning the steering wheel sharply.
"What mistake?" I asked, wiping the mascara from my cheeks.
"They assumed you were fighting alone," he replied, handing me a sleek black business card.
I looked at the gold lettering on the card, which read: "Zachary Howard - CEO, Howard Global Legal Firm."
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"I am not just an accountant, Samantha," he revealed quietly.
"I own the largest corporate litigation firm in the state of Texas, and Andrew Foster just stole from the wrong woman."
