Chapter 1

My world shattered in the sterile hallway of the city hospital.

Director Anderson looked at me, her face a mask of professional sympathy.

"Gabrielle, I'm sorry. The permanent position went to Nicole Chavez."

The words didn't register at first. I was the top candidate. I had the highest performance reviews, the most overtime hours, the best patient feedback. Everyone knew it.

"Why?" The word came out quiet, a dry whisper.

Director Anderson shifted some papers on her desk, avoiding my eyes. "Management made a decision based on compassionate grounds. Your husband, Matthew, he came to us. He explained Nicole's situation... a single mother, struggling desperately. He advocated for her."

My husband. Matthew.

The air left my lungs. A cold dread, heavy and familiar, settled in my stomach. It was the same feeling I'd had in my last life, the one that ended in a hospital bed, my body wasted by cancer.

In that life, I had accepted this. I went home, cried, and then got pregnant. I was laid off a year later, replaced by a fresh university graduate. I became a housewife, raising our child, caring for Matthew's sick parents, my own dreams fading into nothing.

Then, I died.

As a spirit, I watched my own funeral. I saw Matthew, my loving husband, holding Nicole's hand. I saw my own child, my sweet baby, at their wedding a year later, calling Nicole "mom."

"Mommy Nicole is the best," my child had said, "She supported us when we needed it most."

The memory burned through me, a rage so pure it felt like a physical force.

I was reborn on this exact day, this exact moment. The moment the betrayal began.

Not this time.

I looked at Director Anderson, my spine straightening. The grief, the shock, it was all still there, but now it had a sharp, cold edge.

"I understand," I said, my voice surprisingly steady. "Thank you for telling me in person."

I turned and walked out of her office, my steps even and controlled. I didn't go home to cry. I didn't call Matthew to scream.

I walked straight back into Director Anderson's office not ten minutes later.

She looked up, surprised.

"Gabrielle? Is everything alright?"

"Director," I said, placing a form on her desk. "I'd like to apply for a transfer."

She picked it up, her eyebrows shooting up. "The Appalachian medical aid program? Gabrielle, this is a two-year assignment in a very remote, underserved community. The conditions are... difficult."

"I'm aware," I said.

"But you're a newlywed. This will take you hundreds of miles away from your husband, from your home."

A bitter smile touched my lips. "My husband was the one who felt so strongly about helping someone in need. I'm just inspired by his example."

I let the words hang in the air.

"I feel a strong calling to serve a community that truly requires my skills. Staying here, under the circumstances... it would be difficult for everyone. This feels like the best way to avoid any potential conflict and do some real good."

Director Anderson stared at me, her expression shifting from confusion to a dawning, uncomfortable understanding. She knew how good I was. She knew what this hospital was losing.

She picked up her pen.

"The program is tough," she said, her voice serious. "But anyone who completes it is guaranteed a senior permanent position upon their return. No questions asked."

She signed the form with a firm, decisive stroke. "I'll approve the transfer. Your start date is in two weeks."

"Thank you, Director," I said.

I felt a grim sense of victory. My new life had just begun.