I Stopped Loving Him When He Let Me Bleed Out novel Chapter 216

The patients here were either exceptionally wealthy or wildly powerful. A single consultation fee was equivalent to half of what her monthly salary used to be.

On her very first day, Sienna was met with overwhelming warmth from her new colleagues and superiors.

Maeve Thorne was absolutely right.

Mercy International Hospital was a much better fit for her.

However, the hospital was notoriously exclusive. They rarely hired, and whenever a single position opened up, thousands of applicants fought for it.

If Maeve hadn't pulled strings to secure a recommendation, Sienna wouldn't have even landed an interview.

The HR coordinator was incredibly friendly.

"Dr. Sterling, Director Hayes rarely conducts interviews personally. But the moment he reviewed your resume, he said you were an excellent choice."

Sienna was genuinely surprised.

The HR coordinator offered a warm smile.

"Director Hayes's instincts are never wrong."

As they processed her paperwork, the coordinator casually asked a routine question.

"Dr. Sterling, do you have your physical personnel file? If you don't have it on hand, we'll need to request a transfer from your previous employer to finalize your onboarding. We need it on record to ensure your salary, bonuses, and stipends are processed on time each month."

Sienna's fingers stilled.

"My file is still at my former hospital."

"Alright, I'll save your profile for now. Once the file is transferred, we can finalize the backend process. Just try to expedite it so there's no delay in your paycheck next month."

"Thank you."

Sienna nodded, purposely omitting the fact that her file was currently being held hostage.

Telling HR wouldn't change anything. They couldn't fight her battles for her.

The compensation package at Mercy International far exceeded her wildest expectations—her total take-home pay would be ten times what she made before.

If she could just survive one more month until payday, her financial stress would evaporate.

But the missing personnel file hung over her head like a guillotine.

Just as Sienna stepped out of the HR office, her phone rang.

Seeing the caller ID, her finger hovered over the screen, her whole body rejecting the idea of answering.

She hesitated for a few agonizing seconds before finally swiping to accept.

Sienna's eyes burned fiercely. She forced the tears back.

"I was fired. So there you have it. I am nobody, and I have nothing. Please, do not count on me for anything."

She hung up the phone.

Her fingers were trembling violently.

The hallway was dead silent. Sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting long, geometric shadows across the polished floor.

She took a deep breath.

It was always like this.

She kept telling herself she was numb to it, that she didn't care anymore.

But every single time they called, her body betrayed her with a visceral trauma response.

Sienna leaned back against the cool wall and closed her eyes for a moment.

"Is the onboarding process giving you trouble?"

Sienna's eyes snapped open. Seeing the man standing before her, she jumped in sheer panic.