Brooke and her five-year-old daughter are both standing in front of a beautiful seaside house. The home is also equipped with a large swimming pool with crystal clear water, surrounded by beautiful multi-colored flowers. The warm Californian sun is reflected on its surface and a light breeze brings a little freshness.
Having recently left their native Canada, Brooke and her daughter can't believe their eyes and contemplate the whole thing in silence. Brooke nevertheless quickly comes to her senses and takes Lily's hand to finally approach the entrance. Her daughter then questions her about the reason for their presence here.
Lily : Hey, Mom. Why did we come here to this house?
Brooke : Because I found a job here, sweetie.
Lily : Oh really? A job to do what?
Brooke : To help a man who really needs it. I'm going to be his caregiver.
Lily : What does "caregiver" mean?
Brooke : A caregiver is someone who takes care of sick people, you know?
Lily : Not really.
Brooke : It's okay, sweetie. Anyway, you'll get to see me work every day. After school of course.
Lily : Do I have to go back to school already?
Brooke : Yeah, now that we found a house, I have to enroll you in a new school.
Lily : But I have all my friends at my old school.
Brooke : I know, sweetie. But you'll make new ones. I'm sure they're very nice here
Lily : I hope so.
Brooke squeezes Lily's hand a little tighter to comfort her, and they both arrive right in front of the door. Brooke finally rings the bell. A beautiful, very elegant woman immediately opens the door with a smile.
Haley : Hello, I'm Haley Scott. You must be Brooke?
Her smile slowly disappears however as she notices Lily next to Brooke. She suddenly seems very uncomfortable and questions Brooke immediately.
Haley : Who is this little girl?
Brooke : It's my daughter Lily. Why?
Haley : You have a daughter? The employment agency didn't tell me!
Brooke : I told them well!
Haley : I believe you, but the job posting clearly stated that we wanted someone without children.
Brooke : There must have been a mix-up! Is it annoying ?
Haley : It's annoying, yes.
Brooke : Why?
Haley : It's a little hard to explain, you know.
Brooke : I understand, but I really need this job. Can't you make an exception?
Haley : I don't know, Miss Davis.
Haley hesitates for a long time, before reluctantly accepting at Brooke's pleading look.
Haley : Okay. Follow me, but I can't promise you anything.
Haley then invites them in, then guides them inside the vast house. Arriving a few moments later in front of a door, Haley then knocks gently on it. The silence echoing, she nevertheless enters the room and brings Brooke and Lily in with her. Brooke can then see that a man in a wheelchair is standing in front of the window, indifferent to what is happening around. He looks at the horizon, lost in his thoughts, not even seeming to have noticed their presence. Brooke can thus only see his broad and muscular back, while Haley finally speaks in a hesitant tone.
Haley : Lucas?
Jumping slightly, Lucas then slowly turns his wheelchair to face them. A mask of fear immediately covers his face as he stares at Brooke and Lily. Haley then questions him cautiously.
Haley : Are you okay, Lucas?
He remains silent for a few more seconds, still staring at Brooke and her daughter, before answering in an aggressive tone.
Lucas : Who is it?
Haley : Miss Davis is your new caregiver, Lucas.
Lucas : And the kid?
Haley : She's her daughter.
Hearing Haley's words, Lucas then goes into a dark rage, making his voice echo in the room.
Lucas : No way, Haley! Tell them to go away!
Haley : Why?
Lucas : Because I don't want them here. Is that clear?
With Haley seemingly losing her composure, Brooke then speaks up in turn and goes all out.
Brooke : Please, Mr. Scott. I really need this job. We came all the way from Canada for this.
Lucas stares at her coldly, seeming completely indifferent to her pleas.
Lucas : Well, I'm afraid you'll have to find another one. Maybe you'll have to apply to a strip club.
Shocked by his words, spoken in front of her five-year-old daughter, Brooke's anger immediately rises.
Brooke : How dare you say such a thing? And in front of my daughter too!
Lucas : I say what I want at my home, miss!
Brooke : Being disabled doesn't give you the right to be rude, you know!
Lucas : I'm not being rude! I'm just telling the truth!
Brooke : Oh really? Because you really think I look like a stripper?
Lucas : You don't look like a caregiver, in any case!
Brooke : And you, you seem to be human! But it seems that there is no heart under this pile of muscles!
Taking her daughter's hand again, Brooke then looks at Haley to tell her that they are leaving immediately.
Brooke : Thanks for trying, but we are not staying in this house for another minute.
Distraught, Brooke immediately turns on her heels with Lily to leave the room and get away from this despicable man. Reaching the gates of the property, Haley then runs to join them.
Haley : Wait, Brooke! Don't leave!
Brooke : Why?
Haley : Because I want you to stay.
Brooke : Why? There's no point in insisting, though.
Haley : My brother needs you, Brooke.
Brooke : Your brother wants nothing to do with me or my daughter, Haley. You heard him.
Haley : I know, yes. But I'm convinced it's worth a try.
Brooke : Why?
Haley : Because even if he says otherwise, Lucas needs help. He fired every caregiver before you.
Brooke : And that's supposed to reassure me?
Haley : No, but I think you can tame him. Would you like to try?
Hesitant for a moment, but desperately needing the job, Brooke reluctantly gives in.
Brooke : Okay. I'll do my best.
Then taking the path in reverse, Haley leads Brooke and her little girl to their rooms in the house. Arrived in Lily's room, Brooke then a little while to help her unpack her things and settle in. Haley then guides her then to her room to give her her last recommendations.
Haley : I'm counting on you to keep Lily away from Lucas, Brooke.
Brooke : Why? What happened to her, Haley?
Haley : A year ago, my brother was in a car accident with his wife and daughter. He remained paralyzed, but they both died instantly.
Brooke : Really? It's horrible.
Haley : Yes, his wife Peyton was 34 and their daughter Sawyer was 6.
Brooke : They were so young, it's awful.
Haley : Yes. That's why Lucas is in this state. He never talks about it, but I know he would have preferred to die in their place.
Brooke : I understand. And I promise to keep Lily away from him.
Haley : All right. In that case, I'll leave you. If you have any problems, feel free to call me and I will come. Okay? I also left a schedule in the kitchen.
Brooke : Okay, Haley. You can count on me.
Haley : Good luck, Brooke.
Brooke : Thanks. I think I'm going to need it.
Haley squeezes Brooke's shoulder briefly to encourage her, then she leaves the room, leaving her alone. Brooke then takes the time to undo her suitcase and put away her clothes, before going down to the kitchen.
Searching for a little while in the big house, she nevertheless ends up finding the kitchen. She also finds the schedule that Haley had told her about and begins to read carefully. By going through the tasks one by one, she realizes that it is time to prepare Lucas' dinner. She searches through the fridge and cupboards to find the ingredients she needs, then she gets to the stove.
The meal finally ready, Brooke then places a plate on a tray and goes apprehensively into the living room. As he sees Brooke enter the room, Lucas immediately resumes his hostile tone.
Lucas : What are you still doing here?
Brooke : I'll bring you your dinner, Lucas.
Lucas : I can see that! And who gave you the right to call me Lucas?
Brooke : No one, but I thought it would be nicer to call each other by our first names. Mine is Brooke, by the way.
Lucas : I don't want to be nice to you because I want you to leave! Isn't that what you wanted to do anyway?
Brooke : Everyone has the right to change their mind, Lucas. I had a long talk with your sister and she convinced me to stay.
Lucas : So I'm going to have to call her and tell her to get you off!
Brooke : I don't think that's possible, Lucas. Haley already hired me.
Lucas : It's me who decides, not her! This is my home! And stop calling me Lucas!
Brooke : Very well, Mr. Scott.
Brooke puts the dinner tray on the table, and Lucas looks at with a disdainful look.
Lucas : I don't want it!
Brooke : Why? You have to eat.
Lucas : I'm not hungry and it looks disgusting!
Brooke : That's not very nice. I spent over an hour making it.
Lucas : I don't care! You can eat it yourself!
Brooke : That's what I'm going to do with my daughter.
Lucas : Do whatever you want with your kid, but keep her away from me, is that clear?
Brooke : Very clear.
Disappointed, Brooke quickly leaves the room to join Lily in her room. There, she hugs her little girl, holding back her tears and telling herself that the wall surrounding Lucas is insurmountable.
After having dinner with Lily and putting her to bed, Brooke returns to the living room to see Lucas. She then sees that the room is empty and that he unfortunately hasn't touched his plate. Worried about him, she heads to her room and knocks gently on the door to see if everything is okay.
Brooke : Are you okay, Mr. Scott? Do you need help?
Lucas : Leave me alone!
Reassured, but distraught, Brooke then backs away from the door, before quickly returning to her room.