Chapter 95 Ingrate
Reese snorted at the insinuation. She'd been to countless seminars, but she didn't feel like schooling a green kid on that.
Reese ignored Remington. She didn't even spare him a glance, which battered his ego. He reached out to touch her, saying, "Hey, I'm talking to you—do you not—ow, ow, ow!"
With a swift move, Reese grabbed his wrist just as his fingers nearly touched her and with a gentle twist, a sound of misalignment echoed. Her face, framed by cold and detached features, seemed even more aloof.
"I don't like being touched unwarrantedly."
Remington, sweating from the pain, hastily pled, "Alright, alright, I won't touch you—just let go!"
Once released, Remington rubbed his arm, looking at Reese with a mix of fear.
"Jeez, don't you have a gentle bone in your body? Do you treat your husband the same way, twisting his arm for no reason?"
Reese shot Remington a disdainful glance, "My husband isn't as bothersome and childish as you."
Remington scoffed, "Of course he isn't childish. His face is as cold as an iceberg—untouchable."
He knew of Malcolm's reputation as a ruthless businessman who left no room for his competitors. Seeing him in person, his reputation held true; an air of menace enveloped him, and his piercing gaze was sharp enough to make one's heart skip a beat with just a few glances.
"Quiet, it's starting," Reese whispered as she watched Robert take the stage, microphone in hand.
"I'd like to extend my gratitude to my colleagues and the members of the press for attending my seminar. In recent years, our clinical case studies have saved the lives of many patients diagnosed with terminal diseases. If there are any questions, feel free to ask at any time."
Journalists clamored with inquiries, to which Robert responded with ease. But Reese had a hunch the event wouldn't go off without a hitch.
Even before Robert had considered retirement, there was one man who was his absolute nemesis.
At one time, they were close friends until they diverged over a significant medical discovery. Each held a strong opinion, leading to an inevitable split.
Now, Charles, Robert's arch-rival, stood up.
"I'd like to ask—now that Dr. Robert has surpassed many of his medical predecessors—how do you respond to the patient fatality that resulted from your research back then?"
The room erupted into a frenzy once this question was voiced . Robert's face paled, and Reese's brows furrowed in worry; she knew Charles would dredge up the past medical incident to sabotage Dr. Robert's seminar.
Remington, seated nearby, couldn't remain silent and stood to defend his grandfather.
"That was an unforeseen accident, and it had nothing to do with my grandfather."
"Accident or not, that patient still died from the drug your grandfather researched."
Back then, the dispute was over whether a particular drug should be included in the treatment of a terminally ill patient. The patient's vital signs had been improving, but suddenly he suffered a fatal cardiac arrest. Although the hospital provided an explanation later on, Charles was adamant that Robert was to blame for the death.
The media's gaze was fixed on Robert, awaiting his response.
Others might not have known, but Reese was well aware that the patient's death had always been Robert's greatest burden. Over the years, he continued to visit the patient's grave and pay his respects annually.
Now that Charles had brought this up, his intention was clear—to ruin Robert's seminar.
If there was one thing Reese couldn't stand, it was liars and those who frame others. She knew the full scope of Dr. Robert’s contributions to the clinic, whereas Charles had done nothing - except attempt to pin his own failures on Robert.
Reese was clued into the original incident, unlike Robert, who could not engage with Charles without seeming defensive. But this was not the case for her.
Charles, seizing the opportunity of Robert's silence, pressed him further. "Come on, Robert, explain to everyone what really happened that year. Wasn’t it your reckless prescription that led to the patient's fatal heart failure?"
Reese stood up, her presence commanding. “Why don’t you mention that the patient had a heart condition and was explicitly advised against taking that medication? You knew that, yet you failed to speak up. Now, you’re pushing all the blame onto Dr. Robert ? That seems quite a stretch, doesn’t it?”
All eyes turned to Reese, who had unexpectedly voiced her support for Robert. Most would have been flustered by such attention, but Reese stood firm, her gaze fierce.
Charles had left the hospital long ago and hadn’t kept up with the goings-on, especially not someone like Reese. He was aware that Robert had taken on a new protégé – likely this young woman.
But how could she know about the incident? He thought he kept it well under wraps; the others in the hospital were oblivious. Either Robert had told her himself, or worse, stabbed him in the back.
Undaunted by turmoil, Charles scoffed, “Young lady, what’s this got to do with you? Did he feed you some story about me and now you're here to hold court so he can reap the benefits unchallenged?”
Megan, beside Charles, chimed in condescendingly, “Who even are you? Looking all raggedy . I doubt you were even invited. How dare you interrupt your elders?”
The crowd began to murmur and jest.
“Look at her, acting as his spokesperson. Since when do we listen to some girl when the man himself hasn’t said a word?”
“Maybe she’s a hired gun, just look at her clothes. She was probably paid to be here.”
“She's not even from the medical community, yet she dares to speak on medical matters.”
Reese was bombarded with taunts and jeers, but her composure remained unshaken – a testament to her character and resolve.
Remington was beside himself, trying to figure out what Reese's angle was. Despite the accusations thrown her way, her expression remained unaltered, but her eyes turned colder, emanating a chill that he could feel down his spine as he sat next to her.
He wanted to speak up for Reese; after all, she was standing up for his grandfather. But seeing her so composed, he decided to wait and see what she had up her sleeve.
Though slight in frame, Reese's presence was undeniably commanding, especially her piercing gaze that made those around her feel uneasy.
"Let's put aside whether I'm some paid supporter. I have a question for you. You were in charge of that patient back in the day, right? You and Dr. Robert were responsible. You were supposed to do the thorough check-up while Dr. Robert handled the surgery and medication. If you knew the patient had a heart condition, why didn't you inform Dr. Robert? You were aware of the medication he used, so surely, you knew some of those drugs are harmful to patients with heart problems ?"
That incident had caused quite a stir, almost sending shockwaves through the entire medical community. It was only after the hospital negotiated with the family that things were downplayed. Yet, Robert still ended up with a tarnished reputation, which would have been far worse if not for that settlement.
Even so, Robert took the fall. He was thinking about Charles nearing retirement and didn't want to tarnish his future. Otherwise, Charles wouldn't even be able to step foot here.
Dr. Robert had preserved his reputation, and instead of showing gratitude, Charles had the audacity to turn the tables and play the victim. It was infuriating.
Charles's complexion was clearly changing. He figured Reese had no leverage, no connections, and with most of the people present being his allies, who would believe a word she said?
Robert wasn't one to argue over such matters, and even if Charles had to defend himself, he doubted Robert would be a match for him.
Emboldened by this thought, Charles regained his courage.
"Young lady, I don't know how much Robert paid you to spout this nonsense, but the incident back then was public knowledge. Now, he's revered in the medical community, and no one seems to recall the patient he killed. After all, the dead can't crawl out of their graves to defend themselves. That is why I must speak up."
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