Chapter 1: Dr. Anya Perez

"Congratulations Dr. Anya!!" Her best friend Ales exaggeratingly exclaimed while hugging her. They are out to celebrate her being one of the Time's '30 under 30'.

"You're already out of reach Anya, would you still consider me as your friend?"

"Silly, of course I would. You are the one who supported me all throughout."

"But honestly, I couldn't be prouder! You have been working hard all your life so you really deserve to be on that list! And you also deserve to be happy so let's go to a nearby club later have some drinks and…"

"Come on Ales, we already agreed that we will just go out and grab a fancy dinner."

"Such a killjoy! Why just once in your life, you can't be happy? Seriously, does it still haunt you? Come on! It's been ten years Anya."

"Ten years, so easy for you to say because you have a prosperous life, you have a loving husband, a supportive family and me..."

"And you, have me, have us. Anya, just free yourself already. At least give your self another chance to be happy because you deserve it."

"But I killed…"

"And we are telling you that it is not your fault. It's just…"

"Ales, let's not talk about it okay? Come on let's just finish this dinner and move on."

She immediately changed the topic and she's happy that they ended the night on a positive note. She just can't ruin it. It is their first date night this month as she was so busy with her career and Ales is so busy with her life as a wife to John.

The moment she arrived home she immediately lay down and think about Ales' words earlier that got stuck in her mind. For the past ten years she's been blaming herself for the thing that almost caused her life, she should be the one who's dead, not him.

The next day…

"Dr. Anya Perez, please proceed to Dr. Maverick's office, thank you."

She was in her office finishing her research when she heard the announcement from the intercom. She sighed and put on her doctor's robe. She's usually not paged like this but if it does, then it must be something urgent and it must be from Dr. James Maverick the head and president of the MV International Hospital and Medical Center. He is one of Anya's inspirations on why she became a surgeon.

She saved what she is writing then immediately went to meet Dr. Maverick at his office. She's walking with poise, a smile plastered on her face. She's greeting every nurse and every patient that she passed through, that's how a woman should behave, she thought to herself.

When she reached Dr. Maverick's office, she immediately saw that he is with someone and even though the door of the office, she still knocked to gather the attention of the people inside the room. The man who is with Dr. Maverick is facing his back towards her so she didn't recognize him right away.

"Dr. Perez, please come in, I am sorry to call you last minute but you are the only person I know that can help me and our patient when it comes to this." The doctor said.

She entered the room and tried to catch a glimpse of the face of the man but she failed especially that Dr. Maverick quickly gets her attention by showing the patient's chart to her.

"Here's the chart of the patient." She studied the chart carefully, reading it thoroughly, making sure she won't miss a thing. "She's weak, the body is weak." She said out loud.

"In rare cases like this, her body is not capable of bearing a child but miracle did happen, she got pregnant, and now that it is almost her due, her body is failing too, and you Dr. Perez being the capable of all surgeon as you are, will be the assistant of Dr. Reynolds, you will help her deliver the child."

"But doc, that is out of my area of expertise." She protested.

"The delivering of the child, no, but the operation after that, yes."

"Wait, you want me to save the patient? Doc, it is impossible, she will die, or if she won't, the child will."

"The husband of the patient wanted to save the both of them." Dr. Maverick said and that's when she looked at the guy who's sitting quietly at the visitor's chair. Slowly, the guy turned his gaze to her and to her horror, it was the same face of the man she swore she will never forgive.

"No, I can't" She declined.

Dr. Maverick is surprise with her sudden outburst, she composed herself immediately.

"What I mean is that…I already have a long list of patients and I…"

"Anya please." Third pleaded.

"You both know each other?" Dr. Maverick butted in. She sighed.

"Can we talk in private James?" She asked.

Dr. Maverick looked at Third and nodded, the latter went out of the office and Anya heaved out a deep sigh before taking a seat.

"Now tell me what was that all about."

"He's my schoolmate back when I was still in college."

"And?"

"Nothing that's it."

"You're keeping a secret again, aren't you Anya?"

"James please…"

"Fine, but if he's a schoolmate then why don't you help him? Wait are you in bad terms with him?"

"No, I'm not!"

"His wife then?"

"Really? James come on! Just give them Dr. Bautista or Dr. Lee, give them any surgeon but not me."

She faced Dr. Maverick and she saw how he was intently looking at her.

"What?" She snapped at him.

"It's just…it is the very first time that you declined a patient. What happened to your principle, Anya?"

"You don't get it James."

"Fine, I don't get it. But we took an oath, we should help them even if it is against our will."

She looked away. She turned her gaze to the sky and mentally questioned it, 'do I really have to cross path with them again?'. She closed her eyes and she heard Dr. Maverick say…

"You are the only one who can help them, you know you do Anya. Besides, I already talked to the husband, he said if it is really impossible for you to save the both of them, then you must at least save his wife."

That statement of Dr. Maverick caused a pain to her chest. It's been ten years, why would she still be feeling the pain? She had moved on already, but why is she still hurting?

"Go home and take a rest Anya. Think about the offer and give me your answer tomorrow." Said Dr. Maverick and she obliged.

She went home and immediately lay down her bed and a sudden memory enters her mind.

FLASHBACK 14 YEARS AGO

RODRIGUEZ UNIVERSITY

It is already 6:53 am and her class is about to start at 7:30. She was still a freshman that's why being late is a no-no for her. She was pacing back and forth while waiting for someone. 'Where is he?' she mentally asked herself. She's been waiting in the abandoned building of their campus for about an hour. They have to meet secretly or the whole school will know about her dirty little secret.

It was already seven when she decided to leave, and that's when the person she's been waiting arrived.

"I'm sorry I'm late! I got caught up, Jasmine went to my house this morning so I have to drive her here and made up an excuse to meet you."

"Did you tell her you're gonna meet me?"

"Of course I didn't, if I'll do then…"

"It's okay. Here…" She said as she handed him the project that she managed to finish last night.

"Wow! Thank you, Anya! Seriously you are the best!" The guy exclaimed and hugged her which caught her off guard.

"Y-Yeah, no worries Jackson."

"I really could count on you!" Jackson said while smiling at her.

"You know you do."

"I promise, Anya. I'll settle my affair with Jasmine. I'm just looking for a perfect timing and when that time will come, I will break it off with her because I wanted to be with you. You know that you are the one that I love, right?" He said and gently brush her hair.

Anya nodded in response and as she was about to hug him, he stepped back and said…

"It's almost seven-thirty, you gotta go. Bye and thank you again, Anya."

She reluctantly left him and went to her classroom. She was still in a dazed when a guy knocked her off the reason for her to lose her balance. To make the matter worse, it was her mortal enemy

"William Reece Rosales III!!!!" She screamed out loud the students abruptly stopped doing what they're doing.

"Annabeth Frezzya Perez!! How dare you call me in my full name? It should be Third for you dear."

"And just how exactly dare you call me in my full name? Besides, I wouldn't do that if you haven't knocked me off! Why would you walk without looking, don't you have eyes?" She said which made their audience laugh.

"Well, it is not my fault you're walking without thinking! Don't you have a brain?" Third retorted which made the other students laugh, she glared at them.

Everyday in her life, this is her scenario. She and Third have been classmates since elementary and they hated each other's nerves. Everyday they are bickering and arguing even in just the smallest matter of things and all of the people that surrounds them got used to this drama.

She glared at Third too and he just smirked at her.

"Come on, Anya. Just admit that you like me, no one will get mad."

"The chemicals in the laboratory might have caused you a disease called 'over self-confidence' you better seek for a good medicine for that."

"Naaah, it's my charms talking."

"Eww!" She said then turned her back on him and continued walking.

She just rolled her eyes as she heard him laughing.

"What are jerk!"