MY SISTER TOOK MY POSITION

A SISTER'S SHADOW

Episode 11

Nora stood before the tall mirror in her room, her fingers brushing over the dress laid out on her bed. It wasn’t hers,nothing in this house had ever truly belonged to her. The gown, the pearls, even the servants who bowed as she passed,everything had been chosen with Roxet in mind.

Her reflection looked back at her, pale and trembling, yet her eyes carried a quiet fire that refused to be extinguished.

“Miss Nora,” her maid whispered cautiously, “Madam Evelyn says you must attend the dinner tonight. The Whitmore family will be there… and Roxet asked that you not wear anything that outshines her.”

Nora’s lips curled into the faintest, bitter smile. “Of course she did.”

She lifted the plain cream gown she had been given. It was beautiful in its simplicity, but compared to Roxet’s glittering sapphire dress, Nora would look like a pale shadow. And wasn’t that the role Evelyn always forced her into? The shadow to her sister’s light.

The dining hall glowed with chandeliers and laughter. Crystal glasses clinked, perfumes mingled with the scent of roasted lamb, and Roxet stood at the center, every eye fixed on her.

Frank sat beside her, his dark suit perfectly cut, his arrogance gleaming like a crown invisible to all but Nora. His hand rested lightly on Roxet’s, his smile sharp enough to cut.

And still, Nora’s heart betrayed her. She could not stop her gaze from finding him, from remembering the warmth in his voice the night they had first spoken in secret, long before Roxet had claimed him.

“Nora,” Evelyn’s voice hissed, dragging her back. “Do not embarrass us tonight. Smile. Sit where I tell you. Speak only if spoken to.”

Nora lowered her lashes, hiding the storm behind them. “Yes, Mother.”

The dinner began with polite chatter, but it did not take long for barbed words to slip between compliments. Mrs. Whitmore leaned toward Evelyn, her jeweled fingers drumming on the table.

“I must say, Roxet shines brighter every time I see her. Truly, a worthy match for Frank.”

Roxet flushed prettily, lowering her eyes in feigned modesty. Evelyn’s smile stretched, pleased.

“And Nora?” Mrs. Whitmore asked casually, her eyes flicking to the quiet girl at the far end of the table. “What about her? Surely you’ve arranged something?”

Evelyn’s lips tightened. “Nora… is still finding her place. She prefers books and quiet company to… society.”

A small laugh rippled around the table, soft but cruel. Roxet’s smirk widened.

Nora’s fork pressed harder into her hand. She kept her head bowed, but the burn in her chest threatened to choke her.

After dinner, the guests drifted into the garden for champagne and music. Lanterns glowed along the hedges, violins played softly, and Roxet clung to Frank’s arm like a queen beside her king.

Nora stood alone, the night air cool against her skin. She thought she might finally escape the suffocating spectacle when Frank’s gaze suddenly found hers across the garden.

For the briefest second, the arrogance fell from his eyes, replaced by something softer, something that twisted her insides.

But then Roxet leaned up, whispering into his ear, and he laughed loudly, turning away.

Nora exhaled shakily. She should not care. She should not feel. But every time she tried to kill the love inside her, it grew back fiercer.

Later, in the hall as the guests departed, Evelyn pulled her aside.

“Did you see how radiant your sister was tonight? That is how a true daughter brings honor to her family. And you…” Evelyn’s eyes narrowed, sharp as knives. “You nearly ruined everything with that sullen face of yours. Smile, Nora. Always smile, even if your heart bleeds.”

Nora forced her lips upward, the taste of iron in her mouth.

As Evelyn swept away, Roxet lingered, her sapphire dress shimmering like the night sky. She leaned close, her voice dripping honey and venom.

“You looked so… ordinary tonight. I almost pitied you. But perhaps it’s better this way. Frank would never look twice at someone like you.”

Nora’s throat tightened. Her fists clenched, but she refused to give Roxet the satisfaction of seeing her break.

Instead, she lifted her chin and whispered, “We’ll see.”

Roxet’s smile faltered, just for an instant.

And in that tiny crack, Nora found her first taste of victory.