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For two long years she could not bear to go to her villa by the shore. She could not bear the thought of being on the same property of the results of her poor, impulsive, vile decisions. She could not do it.
She could not come up with the courage to see what she had done on that night.
She can still feel the memory of the life slipping from her reflection; it is odd to witness someone almost identical to you die at your own hands. She can feel the blood pouring through her fingers- hands damp and sticky, never to come out from under her nails until months pass. She can feel herself letting go of the weight of the dagger; can see its weight instead being supported by the abdomen of her sister. She briefly thought about taking it and digging it through her skull; to pry away at the thing that crafted and sculpted the idea to take Chloe's only source of pride from her and share it like it was her own. But she could not bring herself to violate her sister like that; could not bear to take that- her beauty- from her. It was only after she realized the true intentions of her sister; only then did she realized how much she miscalculated. She could not reveal this to anyone in town- for she knew that would truly end her already piss-poor reputation as the inferior Nair twin.
She had to do something before anyone became suspicious.
Guilt ate away at her as she dressed herself exactly like Vera. Every day she left her home, knowing no one cared that 'Chloe' was missing; no one batted an eye at her own apparent disappearance because they at least could grovel at 'Vera's' feet for her loss of her closest relative. She could not lie that the popularity got to her head. But every day would end with her returning home and being greeted by the husk of her sister. She felt like her eyes followed every move and twist she made; that she could see her smiling at her when she turned to face her on her perch at the dining table, shriveled lips distorted over mangey teeth.
She could no longer take it.
She boarded her sister into a crate and brought her to her summer villa near the edge of Italy. The place had a wine cellar; perfect conditions for her sister. She had to fill the space with preserving herbs and spices, because the rank smell of her sisters skin-turned-jerky was churning her stomach and she could not bear to keep her in such a vile state.
She dressed her in her finest dress; a wonderful gown that she loved in her waking days- and propped her up against an ancient wine barrel like she was laying down for a nap. She left a fairwell kiss on her forehead, and with a pit in her stomach, the new Vera left her rotting past behind her.
While Vera has been avoidant on returning, fearful of God's punishment for her heinous crime, she cannot get rid of her need to return; to reunite with her sister once more. They must reconcile after all this time. Chloe must be returned to Vera.