23!Their silence was delicious 

Sylvia 

I woke up with a pounding headache. My head felt heavy, like I had spent the entire night partying hard. But I hadn’t taken a drop of alcohol, not even a sip of wine. So why did I feel this drained? I feel very exhausted.

Groaning, I dragged myself out of bed and walked to the bathroom. As I splashed water on my face, everything from the previous night came rushing back.

“Oh no. Arhhhhhhh,” I screamed.

I gasped, my hand flying to my mouth. Logan had carried me inside. I had fallen asleep in his car, again, for the second time, on our way back home, and instead of waking me properly, he picked me up in his arms and brought me home like… like I was some sleeping beauty.

My cheeks turned hot as fire. I touched my face, which was burning from blushing too hard. It was as red as a tomato paste. “Do bad I'm not cooking now,” I thought to myself.

“No no no, What was I thinking?” I whispered to myself, shaking my head. “Get a grip, Sylvia, get a grip. There is no need to panic.”

I stared at my reflection for a moment, tapping my own forehead. No daydreaming. No soft feelings. This isn’t how it’s supposed to be. I had promised myself to keep my distance from Logan. And yet, just one dinner and I was already feeling butterflies? It isn't supposed to be this way.

“Thank goodness I didn’t say and do anything stupid,” I muttered, drying my face.

After getting dressed and doing my makeup quickly, I grabbed my bag and headed downstairs to get a quick breakfast before work. I was running late, and I didn’t want to miss rounds.

As I stepped into the hallway, I heard voices and froze.

Maryanne and Emily.

They were walking down the stairs from the other end of the house. My first thought was to turn and go back, but I couldn’t, I had to go to work. So, I walked faster, hoping to reach the door before they noticed me.

But luck wasn’t on my side today.

“Look who’s up early and glowing,” Emily’s voice rang out with mock sweetness. “All ready to go save lives, I see.”

I paused and turned slightly, putting on a forced smile. “Good morning, Emily.”

She scoffed, stepping closer. “I heard Logan carried you inside last night,” she said, raising her brows dramatically. “You fell asleep and he just swept you off your feet. How romantic.”

Before I could say a word, Maryanne chimed in with her usual icy tone. “Don’t fool yourself, dear. Logan is only playing games. That’s what men like him do. A little charm here, a little attention there. Next thing, you're left heartbroken, again!”

I straightened my shoulders. “Thank you for the advice, ma’am. But I really need to get to work now.”

I started to walk past them, but of course, they wouldn’t let me go that easily.

Maryanne gave a short laugh. “Oh wow, she’s grown wings overnight.”

Emily folded her arms with a sneer. “Yeah, maybe it’s the effect of that cute little welcome party the hospital threw for her. Or maybe it’s Logan, carrying her around like she’s some kind of princess.”

“About that party,” Maryanne added sharply, “don’t get too comfortable. This is just the beginning. I don’t care what Dr. Linda and the rest of them think. You haven’t signed over the shares, and until you do, nothing you do will sit well with me. I will make sure to frustrate you, that you will have no option that to transfer the shares. I advise you to do it quickly, in order to prevent harsh methods, I won’t listen to your begging then,” she said, full of pride.

She took a step forward, her voice low and threatening. “That party was a complete waste of resources. A display of foolishness.”

Emily laughed beside her. “But at least we all got cake. And a good story to tell, Miss Sylvia, asleep in a car, rescued by Prince Logan. What a fairy tale.”

I stood there for a second, frozen in place. Their words were cruel. They always knew exactly how to poke at me, how to twist something good into something shameful. My fists clenched at my sides, but I refused to let them get to me.

I took a deep breath and slowly turned to face them, a tight smile playing on my lips.

“What's funny? Why are you smiling?” Emily said, startled by my smile.

“You know what’s funny?” I said, keeping my voice calm and clear. “You keep trying to bring me down, yet you never succeed. It must be exhausting.”

Maryanne’s smug look faltered slightly, and Emily blinked.

“Logan carried me because he saw I was tired. Because someone actually gives a damn about me. I didn’t ask for it, but I didn’t need to stop it either. You don’t have to like it, and you definitely don’t have to talk about it. But the fact that you’re so obsessed? That says more about you than it does about me.”

Maryanne opened her mouth, but I raised a hand.

“I’m not done.”

Their silence was delicious.

“As for the shares? Keep dreaming. Call me foster child all you want, Dad left them in my care, not yours. And no amount of sneering, gossip, or bitterness from either of you is going to change that. You call the party a waste of resources? Funny. Everyone else saw it as a celebration of progress. Maybe you didn’t recognize it because you’ve never been part of anything worth celebrating. Nobody has ever celebrated you. Do you even have an accomplishment?”

I paused, then added with a slight tilt of my head, “You’re right about one thing, though, I’ve grown wings. And I plan to use them. You would watch me fly with them, and you won't stop them. Do you know why? Because, you're not on that level.”

Without waiting for a reply, I walked into the kitchen. I looked down at the breakfast I had planned to eat, a small plate of toast and eggs. My appetite was long gone. I picked up the plate and dropped it straight into the bin.

Then I grabbed my bag, slipped on my sunglasses, and marched toward the front door.

“Try not to choke on your own bitterness while I’m gone,” I called out over my shoulder. “It’s bad for your skin. So bitter.”

And just like that, I walked out, heels clicking against the floor like a war drum.

I had to run to the hospital.

Let them laugh.

Let them talk.

I had work to do. And I wasn’t going to let Maryanne and Emily ruin me, not today.