2. What has Changed?!

SYLVIE

“Do you mind passing the butter?” I stretched my hands forward, across the dining table, unsure of what to expect. 

“Get it yourself,” Logan stood and walked towards the kitchen. I scoffed and shook my head. This has been my life ever since I married Logan Benson. The man who took my heart away in high school. Here he was, treating me like I shouldn’t exist.

I got up from the dining chair and headed to the kitchen as well. “I am your wife, Logan. You can keep treating me like this, "I said, my voice coming out as a whisper. The ache I felt in my heart travels to my throat.

“What are you going to do about it?” He places the plate on the kitchen counter and faces me. His eyes were cold and distant. “This marriage is for your convenience, not mine,” he said with spite.

I took a deep breath and faced him, “It might be a marriage of convenience but we should at least try to make the most of it,” I placed my hands on his shoulder but he jerked it off.

“You are embarrassing yourself,” he brushed past me and walked out. I sighed and shook my head.

Our second anniversary is coming up in a few days and here I was with the man I love but in a marriage of convenience. I have tried talking to Maryann and Emily but as long as their pockets stayed full, they didn’t care what happened to me.

I could hear the sound of Logan’s car starting but as soon as I got out he drove off. I watched as the car disappeared into the distance, feeling a mix of emotions, sadness, anger, and frustration. How could the man I loved treat me like this? As his car disappeared down the street, I clenched my fists. Was this the man I had fallen for? The same boy who used to make my heart race in the school hallways? What has changed?

I took a deep breath and walked back into the house, trying to shake off the feeling of emptiness. As I entered the kitchen, I noticed the plate of food Logan had left behind. I sighed and began to clear the table, wondering how our marriage had become so loveless.

As I washed the dishes, my mind wandered to our upcoming anniversary. Two years of marriage, and what did I have to show for it? A loveless relationship, a husband who didn't care, and a heart that was slowly breaking.

I dried my hands and walked over to the calendar on the wall. Our anniversary was just a week away. I felt a surge of determination. I couldn't change the past, but I could try to change the present. I decided then and there that I would make one last effort to save our marriage.

But as I turned to walk away, I noticed something that made my heart skip a beat. A piece of paper on the counter, with a note scrawled in Logan's handwriting: "I'll be away on business for a while. Don't bother trying to reach me."

My heart sank. It seemed Logan had already made his plans, and they didn't include me. The sharp sound of my hospital pager snapped me back to reality.

“Shit, I’m late,” I muttered, grabbing my bag and rushing to my car. The drive to the hospital felt like a blur, my emotions tangled between heartbreak and duty. The road was mostly clear, but by the time I arrived, I was already five minutes late.

“Dr. Sylvie Rhodes, room 302. Dr. Sylvie Rhodes, room 302,” Double shit. That’s the room of the VIP patient Maryann assigned me to. I raced through the hallway and busted into the room with my heart pounding.

“What happened?!” I yelled as I got to the room to see my Chief Resident using a crash cart on her.

“She coded, where were you?!” she yelled as well.

“I-I,” I tried to speak, unsure of what to say.

“Save it,” she said, eyeing me.

“She’s back,” someone said and I raced into the room to check her pulse. I looked at my chief resident and nodded.

“You are going to have to explain to the residency director how you almost lost your patient due to your carelessness,” she said with a frown on her face and her tone icy.

“Oh come on, I was only five minutes late,” I tried to defend myself.

“Yeah? And it almost cost your patient's life,” she shot back. She eyed me for a second before adding, “Just because your daddy owns the hospital doesn’t mean you get to do whatever you like,” her words came out sounding spiteful.

“That isn’t fair, I put in the work just like any other resident,” I said, standing my ground. 

She scoffed. “Fair? The rest of us have to work twice as hard just to compete with Rhodes’ daughter. Now that isn’t fair.” She slammed the binder shut, the sound ringing in my ears. “Try not to kill another patient,” she added before walking away.

I took a deep breath and walked into my patient room, she looked so pale. It’s been a while since she has been here and there has been no progress to her health.

I looked at her chart, to see her course of treatment. The words of my chief resident played in my head. 

“Rhode’s daughter, my foot. I worked twice as much as anyone and I was still passed over for chief residency, "I thought to myself. The only reason she has that job is because Dad didn’t want to be seen giving special treatment to me. Guess that didn’t work out so well. 

I turned back to my patient, watching her shallow breaths. She had been here for weeks with no sign of improvement. The frustration boiled over. That’s it.

I stormed to Maryann’s office and flung the door open. “I want to change my patient’s course of treatment.”

“Haven't you heard of knocking,” she said angrily. I rolled my eyes not caring.

“Did you hear me?” I asked her.

“Yes, I did,” she said sarcastically. “A committee will be convened in the next one hour, be there.”

I nodded and left, pacing in the conference room as I waited. This was my chance to prove myself, to show I was more than just my last name.

Finally, I heard someone call, “You can come in now.”

I squared my shoulders and stepped inside. My eyes swept across the room, noting the familiar faces of senior doctors and administrators. But then my breath hitched.

Logan was there.

What the hell was he doing here?