Incision of the Heart ✓

Chapter 1: Rivals in the Making

The day had been uncomfortably warm for late spring in Boston.

The campus of Harvard Medical School was buzzing with students, their faces a mix of exhaustion and excitement.

It was the kind of place where ambition was palpable in every corner, but today, Emily Carter and Liam Grant were too absorbed in their thoughts to notice the chatter around them.

Emily stood at the entrance of the lecture hall, taking a deep breath, her chest rising and falling with the anticipation of the next few weeks.

She had spent years trying to perfect her resume, each step meticulously planned.

Shadowing at Johns Hopkins was the opportunity she had worked for-the kind of experience that could set her apart from the rest of her peers.

Liam Grant, the golden boy of Harvard Medical, had no such concerns. He was already used to standing out, to being the center of attention. His smile was effortlessly charming, and the confidence with which he walked past students was nothing short of infuriating.

Liam was exactly the kind of person Emily couldn't stand-unapologetically perfect, effortlessly brilliant, and never having to try.

It was the first day of the prestigious shadowing program at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

The premed students had gathered together in a classroom, all with the same eager expressions as Emily and Liam.

They exchanged glances but quickly looked away.

The air between them was thick with unspoken competition.

Emily had heard about Liam's reputation-his intelligence, his charm, the way he breezed through exams and still managed to be the life of every party. He was the kind of person who didn't need to study and still got perfect grades.

Emily, on the other hand, had always had to work harder than anyone else.

She didn't have time for distractions.

She was there to prove something-first to herself, and then to everyone else who had ever doubted her.

"Are you two ready for the next step in your medical careers?" the program coordinator asked, smiling at the group.

Emily nodded sharply, her eyes narrowing slightly as she scanned the room.

There was a sense of competition in the air that she couldn't ignore, but her focus was unwavering.

But then, the program coordinator's gaze landed on Liam. "Ah, Grant. I see you've made it. Don't get too cocky, though. Johns Hopkins isn't a place for show-offs."

Liam grinned, that infuriatingly smug grin. "I wouldn't dream of it."

Emily rolled her eyes, fighting the urge to retort.

She had had enough of him already, and they hadn't even started their rotation yet.

---

Johns Hopkins Hospital loomed ahead like a towering monument of medical greatness, a temple of intellect and skill where only the best were allowed to practice.

The air was thick with the scent of antiseptic and the promise of life-changing experiences.

It was a place where futures were made, where lives were saved-and ruined.

Emily and Liam were introduced to the rest of the team, a diverse group of premed students from across the country, each of them eager to make a lasting impression.

The program coordinator gave a brief overview of the next month: shadowing cardiothoracic surgeons, learning from the top experts in the field, and seeing firsthand what it meant to operate in the world of high-risk, high-reward surgery.