MY SISTER TOOK MY POSITION

AN UNEXPECTED ALLY

Episode 7

The morning after the ball, Nora slipped out once more, unable to bear the suffocating atmosphere of the mansion. Every corner reminded her of what had been stolen, every servant’s polite avoidance, every echo of Roxet’s triumphant laughter.

She wandered aimlessly through the market square, her shawl pulled tightly around her shoulders. It was easier to breathe among strangers, where no one knew her shame.

Or so she thought.

“Miss Nora?”

She turned, startled, to find a familiar face,Evelyn Hart, the daughter of a respected noble family and one of her former academy friends. Evelyn’s wide eyes softened with recognition, then concern.

“I heard the rumors, but I didn’t want to believe them,” Evelyn said gently. “Tell me it isn’t true.”

Nora’s lips trembled, but she forced herself to stay composed. “It’s true. Roxet is the bride now. I… am nothing.”

Evelyn’s brow furrowed. “You are not nothing. Don’t ever say that.” She took Nora’s hands firmly in hers. “If your family won’t stand with you, then I will. You don’t deserve this.”

For a moment, Nora’s defenses cracked. The warmth of Evelyn’s loyalty felt like sunlight after an endless cold. Her eyes stung with unshed tears. “Why would you risk saying that? Aligning with me could harm your family.”

“Because friendship means more than gossip,” Evelyn replied firmly. “Besides, I never trusted Roxet. There’s something about her… too polished, too hungry.”

Nora managed the faintest smile. For the first time since her world crumbled, she didn’t feel entirely alone.

As the two women sat together at a quiet café, Evelyn lowered her voice.

“There’s something else you should know. At the ball last night, I noticed Frank. He looked at you, Nora. Not once, but many times. I don’t think he’s as indifferent as he pretends.”

Nora’s heart skipped. She remembered his gaze brief, but heavy, a weight she couldn’t shake.

“Even if that’s true,” Nora whispered, “he chose silence. He chose her.”

“Or,” Evelyn countered, “he had no choice.”

The possibility lodged itself in Nora’s chest, dangerous and tempting. Could it be? Or was Evelyn only giving her false hope?

When Nora returned home, she found Roxet waiting in her room.

Her sister’s smile was sharp as ever. “Out sulking again, dear? Be careful. People might think you’re trying to steal attention you don’t deserve.”

Nora, for once, didn’t flinch. Evelyn’s words still warmed her chest, steadying her resolve.

“I don’t need to steal what isn’t mine,” she said calmly. “But I’d watch carefully, Roxet. Sometimes, things slip away when you least expect it.”

For the first time, Roxet’s smile faltered.

That night, lying awake, Nora clutched her necklace and thought of Evelyn’s loyalty, Frank’s lingering gaze, and her own growing fire.

She wasn’t entirely powerless anymore.

And perhaps, just perhaps, this was only the beginning of her return.