Chapter 2

After seeing my mother off, I returned to work. You would think that was the end of Hugo's fiasco, yet he proved too foolish to know when to stop.

He followed me to my desk. "I mean, it's fine if you don't think I deserve an apology from you, Dr. Benford. I was never the kind to hold grudges anyway. But… well, Director Benford seems to be paying me a lot of attention lately, so I was worried she might have worked up a temper against you because of me, and… that would affect your marriage, right?"

I shot him an unamused look. "Do you get paid for doing nothing?"

Hugo bit his lip, muttered something about "earning his wage," and left.

Ten minutes later, a scream rang out from the operating studio nearby.

I frowned. Memories of my past life—of dying because of this himbo making the most basic medical mistake—surged back.

Still, no one was scheduled for an operation today. So what was that?

I headed for the studio and arrived just in time to see Adam Lark, a colleague, shouting at Hugo. "Who told you to clean this with a roll of gauze and disinfectant? This is a da Vinci Surgical System, goddamn it. You're going to break it. Do you know how expensive it is?"

Hugo had already started crying. When Victoria arrived, he ducked behind her like a child hiding behind his mother. He tugged at her sleeve. "I didn't mean to clean it the wrong way. I just wanted to sanitize it… and it looked like stainless steel, so… I mean…"

Victoria glanced at the machine, her expression clearly displeased. But when she saw Hugo's face, she softened. "Oh, it's fine. There's no reason to cry. It's just a machine. No one died, and that's all that matters."

She turned to Adam and barked, "You're in charge of the surgical equipment, so this is also your fault. You shouldn't have let him clean it without supervision. This is why you will pay for the repairs. We'll deduct the cost from your bonus."

Adam stood there, bewildered.

Hugo, however, spoke through his sobs. "I'm so sorry. Dr. Benford told me to earn my wage, so I thought this was it. This is all my fault. Dr. Lark shouldn't have to go through this. I promise I'll pay you back with part of my salary as soon as I receive it."

Victoria sighed. "That's sweet and dutiful of you, Hugo, but that won't be necessary. Insurance will cover this, so don't let it weigh on you, okay?"

As if Hugo would ever be held responsible. The arm of the equipment was already ruined. Even with insurance, the cost could still reach 100,000 dollars or more. Yet Adam had the misfortune of being blamed and forced to pay.

Victoria used to be a strict professional. She would never have let anyone off the hook simply because she knew them.

When I first started working here, I once dropped and broke a pair of forceps. She reprimanded me on the spot, in front of the entire unit, and deducted my bonus to cover the cost.

Now? Hugo caused 100,000 dollars in damage, and she let him walk away. Somehow, it became an innocent doctor's fault.

Unfortunately, Hugo had an even more outrageous move to make. He suddenly turned to me and said, "Actually, Madam Director, I think this should be Dr. Benford's fault. If he hadn't ordered me to do whatever it takes to make myself useful, this wouldn't have happened."

I let out a disbelieving snort.

"Excuse me? Did I order you to tamper with equipment in the ER studio? You're about to graduate with a medical science degree. How did you even get an internship here if you don't know how to handle valuable equipment or take responsibility?" I shot back.

Victoria slapped me across the face.

I never saw it coming. My head snapped to the side, my ears rang, and the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

"Watch your tone and attitude, Dr. Albert Benford," she snapped. "Hugo is an intern. As his seniors, we are responsible for guiding and correcting him when he makes mistakes. That does not give you the right to insult him or force him to take the blame for you. You're supposed to be a professional. Act like it."

Behind her, the intern went pale. He started crying again. "Stop. Please don't fight Dr. Benford over me. I shouldn't have come here."

I cupped my cheek.

"You know what? Fine. Forget making Dr. Lark pay for this. I'll cover it," I said. "And we're getting a divorce."