He gestured toward my scar without a hint of sympathy. "It only happened because Ashley was the one operating. You’re blaming her for something that could’ve happened to anyone."
His tone hardened, cold and detached. "If another surgeon had been there, no one could’ve guaranteed success either. You’re a medical professional yourself, Natalia. Don’t you understand this?"
I let out a bitter laugh, disbelief mixing with disgust. "Oh, I understand," I said, eyes narrowing. "But what I also understand is that you'd rather protect your little apprentice than take responsibility for what you’ve done to me."
"Just because I'm also a medical practitioner doesn’t mean I should accept this outcome. Even if I was unlucky this time, can you guarantee your team’s performance was objective and stable?" I demanded, my voice sharp. "Do you even know if she had other thoughts clouding her judgment during the operation, Finley?"
Finley's eyes widened in fury, and he practically shouted, "What are you implying? That I would compromise my medical ethics? This is ridiculous! You're being completely unreasonable!"
He continued, his tone cutting. "Besides, you’ve always said you didn’t want children. Isn't losing your fertility exactly what you wanted?"
He sneered at me, growing even bolder. "You want to talk about subjective bias? How can I be sure you didn’t subconsciously want this outcome? As a doctor, it’d make things easier for you, wouldn’t it?"
I stared at him in disbelief. His accusations were so absurd they were almost laughable. Was he seriously suggesting I would sabotage my own surgery?
"You think I’d risk my life just to make a point?" I scoffed, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Who's crazy here—me or you, Finley?"
Without another word, I waved my hand, signaling for calm. "Enough. Let’s not make this uglier than it already is. But know this—I will sue."
Finley finally seemed to realize what was happening and sneered. "Ah, I see it now. This has nothing to do with the surgery, does it? You’re just targeting Ashley. You never liked how close she’s gotten to me since she started at the hospital. You couldn’t stand it when the higher-ups assigned her to work under me, right?"
His voice dripped with arrogance. "We’re in different departments, but you’re jealous of her being around me, assisting me in surgery, working with me. Your real goal is to get her fired by suing her."