**At the Hospital**
Once she arrived at her workplace, Stella had to change into her nurse’s uniform. She stared at herself in the mirror for a long time, holding the folded male uniform she was required to wear: baggy scrubs, thick white sneakers, and a plain navy T-shirt. It felt alien, like someone else’s clothes. But she had to try.
She squeezed into the uniform, now far too tight around her widened hips and soft chest. The shirt could barely hide her breasts, even though they were still tightly bound with a medical compression band. Her long hair, pulled awkwardly into a low bun, still framed her feminine face. The flat shoes clicked beneath her softer gait in a way that only highlighted the curves of her legs.
She looked ridiculous. Like a man in drag, except she wasn’t a man anymore. Still, she tried. She greeted patients with a forced smile and lowered voice, using “Stanley” instead of “Stella.” But everyone noticed the mismatch. Some patients stared. One asked, “Is everything okay? You look... different.” Others avoided eye contact.
After three hours of this masquerade, Stella couldn’t take it anymore. She fled to the staff bathroom, tore off the male uniform, freed her compressed breasts, and changed into her female scrubs. She reapplied her makeup, let her hair down, and emerged as the woman she truly was. She felt immediate relief. But the moment she stepped back into the hallway, her boss was waiting.
Dr. Crowley’s jaw tightened. “My office. Now.”
Inside, he slammed the door behind her.
“I told you. No more of this nonsense,” he growled. “You defied me. You’ve made a mockery of this hospital.”
Stella lifted her chin. “I’m not mocking anything. I’m being myself.”
“Yourself,” he spat, “is not part of this workplace anymore. You’re fired. Clean out your locker.”
For a moment, she stood frozen. Then, without another word, Stella turned and walked out. As she passed through the hospital lobby, a few nurses looked up, some with concern, some with quiet nods of support. But no one said a word. She walked into the morning sun with tears on her cheeks and pride in her step. She may have been fired, but she would never submit. At least not to a man.
**At the Engineering Firm**
That morning, Kate walked into the office wearing a black sleeveless crop top with a deep V-neck that plunged halfway down her chest, plainly showing she wasn’t wearing a bra; a skin-tight leather mini skirt; and high-heeled sandals that clicked with authority on the concrete floor. Her lipstick was bold, her blue hair perfectly styled. She looked like a model and she knew it.
Of course, her male coworkers noticed. And they did not hold back.
“Damn, Kate, trying to kill us today?”
“Is that even legal to wear in here?”
“Looking for attention or a promotion?”
The comments were louder now. Cruder. Kate felt a flicker of rage, but also power. A strange, twisted satisfaction. She was beyond caring what they thought.
She turned her attention to Lisa, hoping to find comfort there. But Lisa avoided her gaze. She answered questions curtly, didn’t smile, and spent most of the morning in silence. The warmth that had once passed between them was gone. At lunch, Lisa avoided Kate and went with the men. After lunch, Lisa informed her she was changing offices, and someone else would mentor her. Kate felt the rejection like a slap.
Kate thought: "Why won’t she open up? Why does she act like she’s afraid of me? Maybe she needs help. A push. Just like I needed."
So, Kate forwarded Lisa the emails with the four Cult of Lesbos videos, with a simple message: “These helped me understand who I am. Maybe they’ll help you too.”
Lisa didn’t reply to the emails. But one hour later, Kate was called into her boss Jack’s office. Lisa was already there, seated stiffly, her eyes rimmed red. There was also another man in the office, a guy from HR Kate didn't really know.
“Kate,” Jack said coldly, “Lisa has made a formal complaint against you. She says you’ve been sexually inappropriate in the workplace and that you sent her unsolicited sexual content over company email.”
Kate’s heart stopped. “Wait—what? I was just trying to—”
“She asked you to stop. She felt uncomfortable. You acted inappropriately. This is a serious breach of company conduct.”
Kate looked at Lisa, but Lisa wouldn’t meet her eyes.
The HR manager folded his hands and announced their decision: “We’re terminating your employment, effective immediately.”
And just like that, Kate’s career was over. She walked out of the building with shaking hands, humiliated and angry. But underneath the anger was something more dangerous: resolve.
She hadn’t done anything wrong. Lisa needed those videos. She just didn’t realize it yet. But she would.
**At home**
In the late afternoon, Kate and Stella reunited at home. Both of them broken. Both of them burning with a new fire.
They held each other without speaking for a while. Then Stella whispered, “They rejected us.”
Kate kissed her softly. “So we’ll build something better. A world that wants us. A world full of lesbians.”