Page 1 of Dr. Lillian Harrington
PROLOGUE
Lillian Harrington paused just outside the revolving doors of Harrington Memorial Hospital, her fingers gripping the straps of her bag as if grounding herself for the reality she was about to face. She lifted her chin, staring up at the towering building that seemed to stretch endlessly into the morning sky. It was a beacon of medical excellence, a symbol of life-saving advancements and prestige. But to her, it was a weight—a constant reminder of her family’s legacy, an ever-looming shadow she couldn’t escape.
The large bronze letters at the entrance readHarrington Memorial Hospital, a name that was more than just a sign. It was her lineage, her destiny. Being Dr. Evelyn Harrington’s daughter, and the half-sister to three of the hospital’s most prominent surgeons and doctors, Catherine, Rosalind, and Olivia Harrington, came with the kind of pressure that could crush anyone unprepared. But Lillian had spent her life preparing—or at least trying to. This was supposed to be the moment she had worked for, the beginning of her career as a surgical intern in one of the country’s top hospitals. Yet now that the day had come, all she felt was the suffocating anxiety ofwalking into a building where everyone already knew who she was.
And worse, they had expectations. Impossible expectations.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward, the automatic doors sliding open as she crossed the threshold. Inside, the air was cool, sterile, and bustling with early morning activity. Doctors in their pristine white coats hurried through the halls, nurses pushed carts of equipment, and the soft murmur of conversations filled the space. It was organized chaos, a symphony of precision and purpose, and yet, Lillian felt detached, like a stranger intruding on a world she was born into but didn’t quite belong to.
As she made her way to the elevator, she could feel the stares. They were subtle at first—sideways glances, hushed whispers just beyond her hearing—but unmistakable.That’s Dr. Evelyn Harrington’s daughter.The words clung to the air like a bad omen, and Lillian could practically hear the judgments being formed in every corner of the hospital. Some were expectant, wondering if she’d live up to her family’s reputation. Others were skeptical, doubting her abilities, assuming she had gotten where she was because of her name rather than her own merit.
She entered the elevator, her heart pounding as she pressed the button for the intern floor. Her mind raced through the possibilities. Would they give her special treatment? Would they be harsher on her because of her lineage? Would they resent her or try to curry favor with her? She wasn’t sure which scenario was worse. All she knew was that the name "Harrington" was more a burden than a gift, and she had yet to prove herself capable of bearing it.
The doors opened with a soft chime, and she stepped out into the brightly lit hallway, blinking as the fluorescent lights washed over her. She passed by rows of sleek, modern offices and rooms, every surface gleaming with the polish of a high-endmedical facility. Everything was so…perfect. So pristine. It was as if the hospital itself was a monument to her family’s brilliance, a constant reminder of the high bar she had to meet.
The first few days of her internship were a blur of orientation, introductions, and relentless activity. Early morning rounds bled into long afternoons in the OR, where Lillian found herself both terrified and exhilarated by the pace of life in surgery. The cases were complex and urgent, the pressure to perform was immediate, and the other interns seemed locked in a constant race to outshine one another.
Lillian knew she was good. She had studied harder than most and pushed herself further than many, determined to prove that she wasn’t just skating by on the Harrington name. But even her best efforts felt swallowed by the expectations around her. No matter how well she performed, there was always the unspoken assumption that it wasn’t enough—not for a Harrington. Her mentors scrutinized her every move with keen eyes, as if measuring her against her mother’s legendary achievements. Her peers kept their distance, unsure whether to befriend her, compete with her, or both. And at every turn, Lillian felt the tightening grip of anxiety around her chest.
By the end of the week, Lillian was utterly exhausted. Her body ached from the long hours, her mind felt clouded with fatigue, and the weight of trying to meet everyone’s expectations was slowly breaking her spirit. She needed a release. Something—anything—that could take her away from the suffocating reality of her family’s legacy, if only for a brief moment.
It was late Friday evening when she finally allowed herself to acknowledge just how desperate she was to escape. Sitting on her small couch in the dimly lit apartment she had rented near the hospital, Lillian let her head fall back against the cushions. The week had drained every ounce of energy from her, yet her mind wouldn’t shut off. She couldn’t stop thinking about theweek ahead, the endless scrutiny, the pressure, the expectation to be perfect. She felt trapped.
1
LILLIAN
Lillian opened the dating app, feeling a strange sense of anticipation as it loaded. The familiar logos and profile pictures flooded her screen—some dull, some intriguing, but none caught her attention. She swiped through a few, not really expecting much. After all, she wasn’t searching for anything lasting, just a fleeting moment to forget the overwhelming weight of her life for a little while.
Then she saw it—a profile that stood out in its simplicity. The woman’s name wasn’t even there, just an initial: R. She was older, clearly confident from the way she carried herself in the photos. Her dark hair fell sleekly around her face, and her sharp eyes seemed to hold a secret. The bio was direct: "Not here for forever. Just looking for tonight."
Lillian hesitated for a second. That was what she wanted, wasn’t it? Nothing more than tonight. She swiped right.
A message popped up almost instantly.
R: Fast swipe. I'm impressed.
Lillian smiled, biting her lip as she typed her response.
Lillian: I’m quick when I know what I want.
R: Confident. I like that. What do you want tonight?
Lillian paused for a second, thinking about how to answer. Normally, she overthought things, tried to craft the perfect response, but tonight was different. There were no rules here, no expectations. It was freeing.
Lillian: An escape.
R: From what?
Lillian: You really want to know?
R: If you're willing to share. But I’m more interested in where you want to escape to.
Lillian grinned, intrigued by the easy flirtation and mysterious vibe from R. She decided to play along.
Lillian: Somewhere no one knows who I am.
R: I can arrange that. Hotel bar. Discreet. Just the two of us. Interested?
