Miss Surgeon Marries The Janitor, Ex-General Mad Novel – To placate the woman he loved, my brother deliberately bumped my wrist during the military’s ceremonial matchmaking shoot. The bullet veered off the bullseye and struck the ground at the feet of a groundskeeper standing at the edge of the training field. The crowd burst into instant uproar. “So this is where Dr. Hawthorne’s ‘fate shot’ landed?” “Well, this just got interesting.” I stood there gripping the pistol, my fingertips whitening from the pressure. Victor Hawthorne stepped beside me and lowered his voice. “Don’t blame me.
You embarrassed Claire at the mixer last time, and she was upset for days. Today, I just wanted you to feel that kind of awkwardness for once.” “She’s young. Be more accommodating toward her.” “Relax. It’s just for show. Dad and I would never allow this to become real.” The moment he finished speaking, it felt like the blood in my veins froze. The buzzing chatter inside and outside the range grew louder by the second.
Victor cleared his throat and suddenly raised his voice. “My sister’s hand shook just now, so that shot doesn’t count. By protocol, she can retake it.” As he spoke, he cast a pointed glance toward Julian Prescott—the man who had grown up with me since childhood. Today’s shooting match had always been a formality, his name had been decided long before. Hearing that name, I instinctively looked up. Julian stood in the viewing area, dressed in a crisp military uniform, his insignia glinting coldly under the sun.
When his gaze met mine, a flicker of avoidance crossed his eyes before he straightened and spoke firmly. “A fate decided by a shot is final. There’s no such thing as a redo.” “Would the Hawthornes really go back on their word in public?” My heart felt like it had been slammed by something heavy. — Voices around us rose in agreement. “Captain Prescott is right!” “The gun’s already been fired. That’s destiny. Is the Hawthorne family going to break tradition?” The scene grew increasingly chaotic as Victor’s face darkened. He pointed at Julian. “You said since we were kids that you’d marry Madeline. You even confessed to her publicly last year.
Why are you saying this now?” Snickers drifted down from the second-floor balcony where several other officers’ kids were watching. “Why else? Captain Prescott’s heart already belongs to someone else.” “A few days ago, I saw him shopping at the commissary with that Hawthorne cousin.” “I heard Deputy Commander Hawthorne practically forced him to come today. Honestly, he never intended to be part of this match.” So that was it.
I lowered my eyes, forcing the ache back down, and took a slow, steady breath before stepping forward. My voice wasn’t loud, yet the entire range fell silent for a brief moment. “Who said this shot doesn’t count?” “Where the bullet lands, that’s where fate lies. This match, I accept it.”