Chapter 2

After giving Mom a ride home, I returned to my post at work.

To my surprise, Lindsey stubbornly followed me. "Dr. Monroe, it's fine. You don't have to apologize. I never take things to heart. It's just that Dr. Jones has been paying a lot of attention to me lately, and I'm worried he might get upset and affect your marriage."

I gave her a brief glance. "If you're bored, find something to do."

For once, Lindsey bit her lip and nodded. Yet before ten minutes had passed, a sharp scream erupted from the operating room next door.

…

I frowned, recalling the medical accident from my previous life. However, we weren't even in that operating room today. What could Lindsey possibly be up to?

The scream had come from Dr. Liam Cooper.

When I got there, Liam was freaking out, pointing at Lindsey. "Who told you to clean the robotic arm with alcohol gauze and to pry it open with your hands? Do you even realize that this Medico Surgical Robot costs at least 20 million dollars?"

Tears filled Lindsey's reddened eyes and ran down her round cheeks. She cowered behind Michael, gripping his lab coat sleeve. "Dr. Jones, I didn't do it on purpose. I just wanted to disinfect it. It looked like stainless steel, so I thought it could handle it."

Michael's face drained of color when he saw the damaged arm. But as soon as he looked into Lindsey's innocent eyes, he gently said, "Alright, stop crying. Machines can be replaced. What matters is that you're okay."

He turned to Liam and firmly said, "You're in charge of the surgical equipment. She messed up, so you share the blame. The cost of repairs will come out of your performance bonus and incentives this year."

Liam froze, shocked by the unfairness of it all.

Lindsey, meanwhile, kept sobbing. "I'm really sorry! Dr. Monroe told me to find something to do. This is all my fault. I've even dragged Dr. Cooper into it. I'll pay my share once I get my salary."

Michael sighed. "Lindsey, you have a sense of responsibility, but this machine has warranty insurance. Don't carry the burden on your own."

What kind of responsibility did Lindsey actually bear? Liam was the one really taking the fall.

The Medico Surgical Robot was incredibly expensive. Just the robotic arm alone would cost tens of thousands to replace, even after insurance.

Michael had always been strict about separating personal and professional matters. Back in my first year, dropping a pair of forceps earned me a public scolding and a docked bonus. Now, Lindsey caused damage worth tens of thousands, and he just brushed it off, making the innocent Liam take the fall.

Just then, Lindsey spoke up boldly. "Honestly, I think this is Dr. Monroe's fault. If she hadn't bossed me around, none of this would've happened."

I let out a cold laugh. "Lindsey, did I tell you to mess around in the OR? You have zero common sense, and the first thing you do when something goes wrong is blame someone else. How did you even get into this hospital?"

Before I could finish speaking, Michael suddenly swung his hand and slapped me across the face.

The slap was brutal. I hadn't seen it coming. My head jerked sideways, my ears rang, and the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

"Watch how you speak and act! Lindsey is just an intern. Mistakes are part of learning. As a senior doctor, you should be guiding her, not attacking her and shifting blame. Where's your professionalism?"

Lindsey cowered behind him. Her face went pale, and tears streamed down as if she had been wronged in the worst way. "Dr. Jones, please don't fight with Dr. Monroe over me. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have come…"

I touched my cheek and coldly said, "Fine. I'll pay for the damages. But Michael, we're getting a divorce."