Revival, Blood & Ballots: A doctor's revenge

Elliot took his last breath in a narrow room filled with toxic gas. Agony and suffocation overwhelmed his body. He was convicted of tax evasion at the hospital where he worked—a charge he never committed. Meanwhile, his wife and father-in-law laughed at his fate. However, just as his consciousness faded, Elliot woke up—back in his own body. The cold air from the air conditioner, the sound of a pen scratching on paper, and the sound of the supervisor announcing the time remaining—this was the atmosphere after the exam eight years ago. What was most memorable was the expression on the other participants' faces when the results were announced on the bulletin board: first place was written next to his name. This is weird. He should be dead. But here, he is alive. His hands trembled as he grabbed his phone, scrolling to check the date—eight years ago. The very day he graduated as a doctor and secured first place. His breath caught. "I'm back... I'm back in time. It's impossible." Elliot found it hard to believe. "Congratulations, Elliot, you graduated first." His classmates congratulated him. The shock nearly made him stumble. "Magic," he muttered. After a long silence, his lips curved into a cold smile. The memory of how Vivianne Davenport and her father, Maxwell Davenport, had wronged him was still vivid in his mind. It happened because he was a poor man who dreamed of becoming a doctor to marry his beloved Vivianne. A woman from a wealthy family, he had thought he had found his true love. However, the woman's family only saw him as a parasite, unworthy of standing by their daughter. And to marry Vivianne, he accepted all the conditions they imposed: ✔ He had to hand over all his assets and income to his wife's family. ✔ He had to work in a hospital controlled by Vivianne's family, receive a low salary, and was forbidden to open his own practice. ✔ He had to submit to family rules without protest. Naively, he thought that love could overcome everything. But he was very wrong. Vivianne began to see him as a burden, not a partner. People treated him with contempt. Even at the dinner table, her father-in-law, Maxwell Davenport, always spoke to him as if he were a servant, not a son-in-law. Every day was an endless humiliation. In the end, when he was no longer useful, Vivianne divorced him, slandering him for embezzlement and having him sent to prison, where he was sentenced to death. And even worse, she had an affair with her former lover while she was still his wife. There was no resistance from anyone. Nobody cared. Elliot died without leaving anything behind—no inheritance, no children, no happy memories. But now, everything is different. With his first-place ranking in his medical license exam and experience, he had the power and freedom he never had. And the first step of his new plan was to visit Maxwell Davenport, the man who had destroyed him. When he entered the luxurious room where Maxwell was waiting, the older man looked at him with the same arrogant expression. "Congratulations, you graduated first," Maxwell said, his voice flat and emotionless. "But remember, your background remains unchanged. No matter how talented you are, you're still just a poor man." In the past, this remark would have devastated him. But now? He just smiled. "Mr. Maxwell," he said calmly. "If I am poor, then I will become the man you fear in the next few years." Maxwell frowned. He had not expected this kind of response. "What do you mean?" Elliot stared at him sharply. "You will find out soon enough." Maxwell crossed his arms over his chest, his superior gaze not changing. "Don't get me wrong," he said dismissively. "Your talent may be extraordinary, but in the end, status determines who is in charge. Our family is at the top. You are just a poor man who got good grades on a test." Elliot remained silent, letting Maxwell enjoy the moment. But his primary attention was focused on something else—the shadow behind the room's glass door. Vivianne and her mother. Both were standing behind the door, thinking they were invisible but hearing every word Maxwell spoke: Vivianne, the woman he once loved, and her mother, who never considered him part of their family. Interesting. He knew that Vivianne and her mother had always been loyal to Maxwell in their previous lives. If Maxwell ordered them to jump, they would ask how high. And now? They were eavesdropping from behind the door. "Are you thinking about something?" Maxwell asked, breaking his reverie. "Don't tell me you still hope to be part of this family?" Elliot smiled slightly, his eyes cold. "No, of course not." Maxwell raised his eyebrows, looking satisfied. But before he could say anything else, Elliot added, "I no longer want to be part of this family." The room fell suddenly silent. Even behind the door, Vivianne and her mother must have been holding their breath. Maxwell, who had initially seemed satisfied, now looked annoyed. "What do you mean?" Elliot remained calm. "You hate me, so why should I put up with a toxic and arrogant family like yours?" Maxwell's face turned bright red. "How dare you!" Elliot ignored him and continued in a casual tone, "And now I just want you to sit back and watch how this 'poor guy' is going to achieve success. So much success that you won't be able to touch me again." Maxwell slammed his fist on the table. "How dare you talk like that in my house! Who do you think you are?!" "Me?" Elliot looked at him with a faint smile. "I am someone you will regret forever having underestimated." Maxwell pointed angrily at him. "Apologize right now!" Elliot just chuckled, then turned and walked out without paying attention to Maxwell's shouts behind him. As he passed through the door, he saw Vivianne and her mother standing frozen, staring in confusion. He didn't stop. There was nothing more to say. This time, he wasn't the one who would be oppressed. This time, he was the one who would control the game. "Stupid!" Maxwell's voice boomed in the room as soon as the door closed. Vivianne gasped, her eyes widening. She had never seen her father this angry before. "What are you doing standing there like a statue?!" Maxwell snapped. "Didn't you see how that man dared to challenge us?! How could he change so quickly?! What happened between you two?!" Vivianne blinked in confusion. "I... I don't know. I feel like he's not the person he used to be." Her mother, who had been silent, stared coldly at her daughter. "Of course, he's changed. He has become too arrogant because of his talent." Vivianne felt cornered. She tried to remember Elliot's expression—calm and confident, nothing like the weak man who usually submitted to their every command. "I don't understand..." she muttered, more to herself. Maxwell sighed sharply, then turned toward his desk and reached for his phone. "If he thinks he can fight us, I'll make sure he never gets the chance." He pressed a speed dial. "This is Maxwell. I want a full report on this year's medical license exam." There was a short pause before a respectful voice responded from the other end. "Yes, Mr. Maxwell. Is there something we need to check?" Maxwell smiled slightly. "Yes. I want a strict investigation into Elliot Langston's exam results. Check for any irregularities or improprieties in the process. If there is even the slightest loophole, I want him disqualified." Vivianne looked at her father, shocked. "Dad, you can't—" "Shut up!" Maxwell cut her off sharply. "You're too naive, Vivianne. That man is arrogant. He has humiliated our family, and I will not stand by and do nothing. I will teach him a lesson so he understands what true power is." Vivianne's mother smirked. "It's better to destroy him before he becomes a real threat." Vivianne swallowed hard, a sinking feeling growing inside her. Something terrible was going to happen to Elliot. Now, what should she do?