Conflict Of Hearts

My name is Rebeca, but everyone calls me Beck. At 26, I learned to be two people—two versions of myself that coexist in the same body: the dedicated doctor and the ruthless, cold woman who feels nothing.

I came from a humble family. My father, Carlos, battled alcoholism and drugs—a fight my mother, Elisabeth, never gave up on. She was a woman of striking beauty and immense heart, admired by everyone. She did the impossible to keep our family together. But their fights were constant—a cycle of shouting and pain that I couldn’t stop watching, and that ended up affecting me deeply.

I also had a brother whose greatest pleasure was always an easy life and having fun. He followed the same path as my father and, at 18, dove into the world of drugs. I watched my mother, consumed by the sadness of slowly losing the people she loved.

Everything changed on a night I will never forget. I was in my room when I heard the front door being broken down. I ran into the hallway and heard screams. Hooded men were in our living room. They shot my father without hesitation. When they saw my brother, they prepared to shoot him too, but my mother, in an act of desperation, threw herself in front of him. She took the bullet meant for him, which also hit my brother, falling beside him. My heart raced, and I stood frozen in fear. I ran back to my room, hiding—yes, I was a coward. But what could I have done?

When silence returned to the house, I left my hiding place and found my mother, my father, and my brother. I lay down beside her, unable to hold back the tears. It was there, in the middle of the blood, that the police found me. I was taken to a foster home, where I spent the two loneliest months of my life.

Everything changed again when I was told I would be adopted. Catarina and Vicente, a couple I didn’t know, took me to their home—a mansion, something I had never imagined. At first, I isolated myself in my room, suspicious. But Catarina, my adoptive mother, was always affectionate and patient, and Vicente, my adoptive father, gave me space, waiting for the moment when I could trust them.

Over time, he realized I was a closed-off, withdrawn teenager. That’s when he began teaching me something unexpected: how to fight and handle weapons. I didn’t understand why at the time, but he said it was so I could defend myself, to ensure I would never be vulnerable again.

When I grew up, I understood that the training was more than self-defense. Vicente was part of the mafia, and over time, I became his right-hand woman. Together, we were known as the Riveras, a family no one dared to challenge. Though this gave me purpose, I still felt empty—a part of me that needed more. I decided to take a different path and went to medical school.

Today, I am Rebeca, a renowned doctor dedicated to my patients. But when I take off my white coat, I become Beck, the cold, calculating woman who leads with firmness. Nothing happens without passing through me first, and then my father. I learned to be strong, to never show my feelings; being vulnerable is not an option.

And while I maintain this dual facade, I have never forgotten that night. Revenge is a promise I made to myself. I will find them, one by one, and they will pay. Beneath it all, I am a divided woman, hungry for power, for justice, and for something more that I still can’t name.

Beck woke up to the sound of her alarm, as usual. She got up, went straight to the bathroom, and took a quick shower. Then she put on jeans, a T-shirt, and a dressy blouse, slipping into her worn-out All-Stars, which were almost her trademark. She looked at herself in the mirror, applied light makeup, and put on her white coat, grabbing her phone and putting it in her bag before leaving.

As she came downstairs, she smelled the familiar aroma of fresh coffee filling the dining room. Her adoptive mother, Catarina, was already at the table, setting another plate. Beck poured herself a cup of tea and took a piece of toast, checking some messages on her phone. That’s when she felt a gentle hand on her head.

“Good morning, Beck.”

He sat beside her, giving her a warm smile.

“Good morning, Dad. I have a busy day at the hospital today.”

Vicente opened the newspaper and smiled.

“I’m sure you’re everyone’s favorite doctor there.”

Beck smiled back but soon remembered her plans.

“Oh, Dad, tell Mom I won’t be back for dinner tonight. I made plans with some friends to go to a club after work.”

Vicente closed the newspaper, observing her for a moment. He seemed to choose his words carefully.

“Beck, tonight we have an important meeting. I’ll need you by my side.”

Beck sighed, reluctant.

“But, Dad, do we really have to?”

He touched her hand with a understanding look.

“All right. Go, have some fun with your friends. Just don’t forget to come home, okay? I need you later.”

She stood up and kissed his forehead.

“I promise I won’t be long.”

“What I wouldn’t do for you, daughter...”

Beck grabbed her bag and waved to her father before leaving the house, heading straight for her car.

Arriving at the hospital, Beck put away her phone and slipped on her white coat before entering. She walked through the busy hallway until she reached the reception, where she picked up some patient files. Then she went to her office, sat down, and began reading the medical records.

A few minutes later, the door opened, revealing Lídia, her friend and coworker, who entered excitedly and plopped into the chair in front of Beck’s desk.

“Beck, you won’t believe it! Today I treated a man who was drop-dead gorgeous. He came in with a woman, but...”

Beck raised an eyebrow, smiling discreetly.

“Be careful, Lídia. She might be his girlfriend.”

Lídia made a face and continued.

“She didn’t look anything like him! And you should’ve seen how he looked at me while I was taking his blood pressure.”

Beck laughed more openly now, noticing how excited her friend was.

“It’s good to know that at least someone’s day is going well!”

The two shared a laugh for a moment, easing some of the tension from work.

Lídia, still smiling, gave Beck’s shoulder a playful tap.

“Who knows? Maybe you’ll find someone who makes your day worth it too, huh? It doesn’t hurt to look around.”

Beck just shrugged, and the two friends continued chatting, immersed for a moment in the lightness of their friendship.

Lídia is like someone who brings a light, captivating energy into her life. The true redhead with long curls has an honesty that Beck values, and her petite stature makes her even cuter, as if she carries her own unique charm. Lídia is more than a friend: she is her work partner, with whom she shares the daily challenges of the hospital—Beck as a doctor and Lídia as a nurse. They make an unbeatable team, always helping each other both in their professional environment and outside of it.

This partnership goes beyond routine tasks. Since both share an independent lifestyle, a solid friendship, and the same disinterest in conventional relationships, Beck feels that Lídia understands her in a unique way. On intense days, they exchange confidences, laughter, and support, knowing they have each other as a point of strength, not just at work, but in life.

But deep down, Beck knew her life was marked by shadows that few would understand, and that later, she would return to the darkness of the night, ready to fulfill her role in the Rivera family.