the distant, rhythmic beeps of machinery. I leaned against the cool wall outside the on-call room, my body aching with a fatigue that went deeper than just a long shi

e surgical department, was supposed to have met me for a late dinner an hour ago. He said he was finishing up some pap

him in his lab. A small, romantic gesture to end a grueling day. I walked toward

, and a lighter, feminine laugh that wasn't mine. The door was s

e died o

is arm, her fingers tracing a pattern on the sleeve of his white coat. He wasn' t pulling away. His head was bent toward hers, and they were lookin

Emily murmured, her voice soft and

th I hadn't heard all day. He reached up and

the doorway, the sound of my own blood roaring in my ears. They hadn't see

affection to pure shock. He immediately stepped away from Emily, who looked s

o loud, a little too forced. "I was just finishing u

d on my fiancé, the man I was supposed to marry in three

put his arms around me, but I flinched back. "Things just got comp

e was flat. "It looked l

Sarah, don't misunderstand. Dr. Jensen was just thanking me for staying late. We' r

pportive fiancée who didn' t understand the demands of their noble

c to defensive. "This is important. This is my career. I would th

on. I looked from his self-righteous face to Emily' s smug one, and in that moment, I saw the

ice shaking slightly despite my efforts to keep

old, ambitious man I barely recognized. "Don't be dramatic, Sarah. Y

r dismissal. "Emily, let's call it a

, giving me a brief, triumphant g

nly I could hear, "He needs someone who suppor

way. Mark didn't even look at me. He just stared at

g to me, his voice devoid of any emotion

, the man I loved, and I felt a chasm open between us. It wasn't just about Emily. It was ab

ed, my voice barely a whisper. "Jus

a future for us! This device, this work, it's going to make us. It's going to put

ltimatum. My love against his ambition. I looked at his cold, determined