A fresh start

Lis Bailey has always been a very happy and dreamy girl. After her parents' divorce, she suffered from her mother's illness, who fell into a deep depression after the separation. Years later, she passed away, leaving Lis under the guardianship of her older sister, Luísa Bailey, who was only 18 at the time. Despite being just 15 years old, Lis always did her best to help her sister maintain the household. With her uncommon beauty, standing at 1.76 meters tall and weighing 59 kilograms, her curves were accentuated.

Her fair skin and small yet striking eyes gave her a girlish appearance, and her broad smile enchanted anyone.

Her light-brown hair, slightly wavy down to her waist, gave her a youthful look. Her mother had provided them with ample support, but both sisters didn't want to rely solely on her inheritance. Lis pursued a medical degree because her dream was to help people. She graduated with honors at the age of 24 and went on to do her medical residency at one of the best hospitals in Manhattan, New York.

Luísa Bailey, having learned to fend for herself at a very young age, became a perceptive, highly intelligent, wise, talented, and intuitive person. Always quick with her reasoning, she never let anything go unnoticed. Luísa was always creative, fun, and sharp, in addition to being incredibly beautiful. She had a more mature appearance, with her light brown, slightly wavy hair reaching her shoulders. Her skin was fair but tanned from spending time in the sun. She resembled her sister a lot but unintentionally sought more attention than Lis. She had somewhat become Lis's mother figure, always caring and affectionate towards her sister. Luísa was the perfect woman: an excellent homemaker, a great wife, a great mother. Everything she did turned out very well, including her work as a real estate broker.

"Lis, I'm heading to work now!" Lis shouted as she hurried down the stairs.

"Not so fast, young lady. Come and have your breakfast," Luísa said, stretching so Lis could enter her field of view.

"I can't, Lu. I'll be late!" Lis protested, entering the kitchen.

"I don't want to hear it. If you didn't want to be late, you should have come down earlier."

"Oh, Luísa. Do you think it's okay for me to be late on the first day?" Lis tried to argue.

"You won't be late if you just have a little something to eat. Besides, Liam can give you a ride to the hospital. Right, love?" Luísa asked Lian, who was entering the kitchen.

"Yeah, I can," he said, grabbing the coffee pot from the table.

Lian was Luísa's first boyfriend. Since high school, he had been in love with her and at the end of high school, he mustered the courage to ask her out. Since then, the two have been building a very strong relationship over the years. Lian had always been the subject of admiration from women due to his looks and his well-defined body, a result of the sports he played. His deep blue eyes gave him irresistible charm. Standing at about 1.88 meters tall, he drew attention wherever he went, but he never paid any attention to other women because he was always crazy about Luísa.

When she graduated in law, he decided to propose to her, and since then, they formed a beautiful family. Lian's law firm had grown significantly over the years, thanks to the great success he achieved in his cases. As time passed, Lis became an exceptional doctor, dedicating herself more and more to saving lives and relieving the suffering of the patients she cared for. Despite her busy schedule, she always found time for her family and made sure to be present at the most important moments. Luísa, on the other hand, was a successful real estate broker, always finding the best opportunities for her clients. She was highly respected in the market and admired for her negotiating skills and her talent for dealing with people.

When Lis rushed down the stairs, Luísa scolded her, but deep down, she was happy to have her sister right by her side. She knew that Lis was a very special person, who had always dedicated herself to helping others and, despite life's challenges, never lost her joy and optimism.

Lian, Luísa's boyfriend, was any woman's dream man. He was handsome, intelligent, and successful, and above all, he loved Luísa with all his heart. Together, they formed an enviable couple, marked by mutual respect, complicity, and love.

As they chatted in the kitchen, Lis's nieces and nephews came running in, excited and noisy. They were the joy of the house, and despite the daily hustle and bustle, Luísa always made sure to be present in their lives, taking care of them with love and affection. It was a close-knit family that faced life's challenges together and celebrated every achievement with great joy and gratitude.

"Auntie, Leon said he was going to get me. Ask him to stop!" Belinda shouted at the top of her lungs.

Lis hurried and grabbed Leon around the waist, sitting him on her lap and tickling his belly.

"What did Auntie tell you? Being the oldest, you should take care of your little sister and not scare her," Lis said firmly.

Leon was Luísa's firstborn, at five years old. Little Belinda was only three years old. Both of them were very spoiled by Lis, who had always been crazy about children and dreamed of having at least four of her own when she got married. For now, she filled her life with her beloved nieces and nephews.

"Come on, you two, sit here for breakfast. It's almost time for school," Luísa said, putting them both at the table and giving each a bowl of cereal with milk. Belinda kicked her legs while eating.

"Let's go, Lis. I'll drop you off at the hospital, and I'll go straight to the office," Lian said.

"I don't want to bother you. You can go. I'll manage," she said, putting a piece of toast in her mouth.

"Don't even think you're bothering. Come with me. It's decided. I'll take you," he said, picking up his briefcase.

Lis finished her toast and headed to the car. She got in and waited for Lian, who, as usual, said goodbye to his beloved with a passionate kiss.

"Wow! I'm getting nauseous. Can you two stop, or I'm going to throw up!" Lis made a disgusted face.

"Oh, come on! When you find your love, it will be the same way," Luísa smiled.

Lian got in the car and, through the window, gave Luísa another quick peck. He drove in silence for a while. Lis had her head against the car window, looking outside, lost in her thoughts. Lian glanced over at her and then refocused on the road but decided to break the silence.

"Hey! Are you excited about your first patient?" The silence continued, and Lian looked to see why. He saw Lis still gazing at the horizon.

"Heyyy! Lis speaking!" He speaks in a louder tone.

Lis startles and redirects her attention to Lian.

"What's up? Sorry, I didn't hear you!" She speaks with a slightly squeaky voice.

"I'm sorry, didn't mean to startle you. I just asked if you were excited for your first appointment."

"Oh, yes, I am. I'm just a little scared of messing something up. These are lives. I can't afford to make any mistakes."

"I'm sure you'll do great. It's no wonder you're Luísa's sister!" He says, all proud.

Lis falls silent. She hates being compared to her sister because everyone has been doing that to her for as long as she can remember. Since Luísa is always in the spotlight, everyone expects Lis to be the same and succeed at everything she does. While Luísa juggles multiple roles and excels in all of them, even as a homemaker, she still manages to excel in the real estate market as a real estate broker. Lis just wants to be herself, without pressure. She is Lis, not Luísa. She wishes everyone understood that she has a completely different personality from her sister and that she's going to do things her own way. The hospital comes into Lis's field of vision, and she quickly says to her brother-in-law.

"You can drop me off here. I'll walk the rest of the way."

"None of that. It won't cost me anything to take you to the door. Besides, it's just a few meters." Lian turns the car around and stops right in front of the main entrance.

"Alright, you're here. Good luck!" He says as he says goodbye.

"Thank you!" Lis replies as she gets out of the car and looks at the grand entrance.

Lis enters the large reception area and walks up to the receptionist.

"Hello! I'm Lis Bailey. I'm the new medical resident."

"Yes, Dr. Lis, Dr. Jack Hart, who is the director of this hospital, is waiting for you in his office. Go down that hallway, the third door..." She gestures with her hands.

Lis walks down the long corridor and soon arrives in front of the door. She stops there, places her hand on the doorknob, takes a deep breath, and knocks twice on the door. She hears a deep voice instructing her to enter. She turns the doorknob and comes face to face with a young man. She's surprised because she didn't expect someone so young to be the director of a hospital. Nevertheless, she enters and sits in the chair in front of him.

"Pleasure to meet you, Lis. I'm Jack Hart, a cardiologist and the director of this hospital."

"I've heard about you already."

The two of them have a lengthy conversation, and Jack provides Lis with all the information she needs to know about the hospital. He mentions that she will be supervised by Dr. Acacia Connolly, a renowned obstetrician specializing in high-risk pregnancies. Lis is quite pleased, and after being instructed on where Dr. Acacia's office is, she heads to the accommodation to change and then makes her way to Dr. Acacia's office.

Acacia has been working at the hospital for seven years. Today, she is thirty-three years old and feels that age is demanding a lot from her. She's in a hurry to get married, has always been vain, and enjoyed standing out in what she does to catch Jack's attention. So far, she hasn't had any luck with him, but she never gives up easily. She has always invested heavily in her seductive charms to try to win over the millionaire. Acacia is very beautiful, standing at 5 feet 8 inches tall, with a sculpted body, green eyes, fair skin, and long curly blonde hair that adds to her charm. She dresses with uncommon refinement and elegance. She is coveted by her colleagues but never gives any of them a chance because her focus has always been on Jack. Any female employee she considered a worthy rival, she made her life a living hell until they couldn't take it anymore and asked for a transfer to another hospital.

Lis knocks on the door, and after a few seconds, a voice tells her to come in.

"Hello, my name is Lis..." She is interrupted by Acacia.

"Yes, I already know who you are. Come in..." Acacia gestures for Lis to approach. "Take a seat; I'll talk to you shortly."

Lis sits in the chair next to Acacia's desk and thinks about the rudeness her colleague just displayed towards her but prefers to believe it was unintentional. Acacia continues with her head down, her gaze fixed on some papers, and Lis feels a bit uncomfortable. After a few minutes, someone knocks on the door, and Acacia, without even looking at the door, asks the person to enter. Lis observes and sees a nurse bringing in more paperwork and handing it to Acacia, who, without looking up, speaks to her.

"Eva, please show Dr. Lis where her office is and explain everything she needs to do. If you have any doubts, clarify them for her. Only come to me if you really need something..." Acacia finishes her statement and continues with what she was doing.

"Alright, Doctor! Come, Lis, I'll assist you with everything you need."

Lis accompanies Eva and leaves the room feeling somewhat frustrated. Outside, Eva speaks to Lis while observing her dissatisfaction.

"Don't mind Dr. Acacia; she's always like that. She probably believed you would be a rival for her in here. But don't worry; I'll be here whenever you need."

"What do you mean, adversary? I barely even talked to her!"

"I don't know, but the way she treated you, I thought that might be it. But never mind. Come on, this is your office."

Lis looks around and really likes the environment. It's a place with plenty of natural light and ample space to work. Eva stands there waiting for orders, and Lis tries to understand why Eva is there, until she decides to ask.

"Thank you! But may I know what you're doing standing there?"

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry! I'll be part of your team and I'm waiting for your orders..." Eva explains.

"I see. Do I have any patients scheduled already?"

"Yes, you do, but it's set for ten o'clock. I didn't want to schedule it too early so you could get settled."

"That's very kind of you. So, bring me all the patient records scheduled for me, and I'll review them."

"Alright, but I should let you know that Dr. Acacia transferred more than half of her patients to you so she could get more rest. I'm really happy to be working with you."

"I'm the one who's happy to have you on my team, such a nice person. And hey, you don't need to call me 'senhora,' okay? Just 'Lis' is fine..." she says with a smile.

Eva leaves the room happily because she can see that Lis is quite different from her current boss. She's in paradise now.

Eva is a very friendly, caring woman who loves making friends. Even though she's a beautiful woman, standing at about 5'2" and weighing 125 pounds, with tan skin and slightly wavy waist-length hair, she doesn't have a boyfriend because she dedicates herself to her son and her work. In her free time, she enjoys outdoor walks in the park. Eva is loved by everyone in the hospital, always very helpful, despite not having good financial conditions. She does everything possible to provide her son with the necessary well-being.

"Doctor, I brought the patient records. If you have any questions, you can call me. Here's my number..." she says, leaving her contact information on a piece of paper on the table.

"Thank you!" Lis replies, lowering her head to examine the records.

Lis spends all her free time reviewing the patient records because she wants to be fully prepared when her patients arrive. She doesn't want to miss anything. After a few minutes, Eva knocks on the door and enters the room.

"Doctor, your first patient has arrived. Will you see her now or wait until the scheduled time?"

"You can send her in! That's not a problem."

Eva opens the door and instructs the patient to enter and sit in front of Lis, who starts her assessment immediately. Everything goes as expected, and Lis is very pleased with the outcome. This patient only has slightly elevated blood pressure, and Lis thinks it's best to ask her to monitor it every day for a month to rule out hypertension.

The other patients loved Lis because she was very kind and attentive. She managed to please even the most demanding patients with her gentle demeanor. Her stomach growls, and when she looks at the clock, she realizes it's already past lunchtime. So, she gathers her things and heads to the hospital corridor, where she encounters Eva.

"Hi, Doctor! How are you?"

"I've told you before, 'Lis' is just fine," she says, smiling.

"Alright, I'll get used to it."

"I wanted to ask you, if it's not too much trouble, to show me where the cafeteria is."

"No problem, I usually stay nearby. I always have lunch sitting on the lawn over there," Eva says, showing her lunchbox.

"Oh, you can't let me eat alone, especially today, on my first day. Come have lunch with me, and don't worry, I'll cover it since you're doing me a favor."

"But, Doctor!" Lis interrupts.

"I don't take 'no' for an answer. Let's go!"

Eva realizes she has no choice and agrees to have lunch with Lis at the cafeteria. When they arrive, Lis attracts the attention of the other doctors there, and her cheeks turn pink with embarrassment. However, Eva handles the situation gracefully, and the two of them find a table in a corner. Soon, the waiter arrives, and they place their orders. While waiting, Eva takes the opportunity to share some information about the people in the cafeteria.

The food arrives, and the two of them begin to have lunch. Lis finds the seasoning of the place very good, while Eva enjoys it since she rarely has lunch there. Without hesitation, Jack, accompanied by another doctor, approaches them. Lis notices that Eva feels uncomfortable, but she tries to defuse the situation,

"Yes, it was good, Eva helped me a lot with my adaptation." Jack becomes curious and asks about Acacia, but Lis replies that she only saw her once and that Eva has been her biggest help. Acacia arrives at the cafeteria and, noticing Jack near Lis, turns red with anger but tries to disguise it and approaches with a smile. She puts her arm around Jack's waist, interrupting the conversation, and says that she believes Lis did very well and helped with everything she needed. Everyone feels awkward because they know Acacia is lying, including Jack, but he decides to remain silent. Lis smiles and returns her attention to Eva again. Due to Acacia, who is practically all over Jack, he decides to leave:

"Well, I have to go now, I have some matters to attend to..." Eva keeps looking at Jack's friend, and Lis notices she has some interest in him by the way she looks at him. Eva says that's Benicio Reese, a real womanizer who deceived her and promised to marry her, but after they slept together, he started ignoring her. She says she didn't understand why Jack didn't introduce him to Lis, but she believes it was because of Acacia. The two finish their lunches and return to a few more hours of work.

By late afternoon, Lis is exhausted. She grabs her bags and heads towards the bus stop. It's already night, and the streets are empty. Lis hurries, as a shiver runs down her spine when she looks at how eerie the streets near the hospital are. She holds onto her bag tightly, lowers her head, and walks quickly, trying to think of other things. Until she feels a hand gripping her arm firmly, causing her to stop.

"Hey there, sweetie! What's a sweet thing like you doing alone around here?" says a drugged-up man while holding her arm tightly.

"Let me go, you're hurting me!" she protests.

The other drugged-up guy holds her lab coat and says, "Hmm! She's a real treat, just look... Wanna play doctor, sweetie?" asks one of the guys.

Fear takes over Lis's body again. She looks around and sees no one, tries to break free, but the guy is too strong for her to escape.

"Let go of me, or I'll scream..." she warns.

"And who do you think is going to help you? Look, sweetie, there's no one around..." he says, gesturing around.

Lis fears for what might happen to her. So, she bites the hand of her assailant and tries to run as fast as she can.

"You little... She bit me! Get her and teach her a lesson."

The other drugged-up guy chases after her and knocks her to the ground. She falls and hits her head; everything becomes blurry. She hears voices as if in a hallucination, her head spins, and she feels like everything is fading away. She hears the screeching of tires and a different voice but lacks the strength to react or see who it is. She tilts her head to the side and sees a man punching the other two, causing them to fall to the ground. The man approaches her. She tries to move away but without success. Her vision blurs, and she faints.