Chris's smile had always struck Claire to her very core; every detail of his face seemed to draw her gaze in.
"Hey, you space out or something?" Chris's voice from the doorway shattered Claire's daydreaming. "Is Megan home?"
The light in the girl's eyes flickered out, and her smile twisted into a scowl.
"In her room," she muttered. "Come on in."
At that moment, a beaming Megan ran into the hallway and threw her arms around her fiancé.
"I missed you!" she whispered into Chris's ear.
Claire rolled her eyes and mimicked her sister under her breath. "Makes me want to barf," she grumbled, turning away in disgust.
***
"Chris, Claire has a thing for you, it's so obvious. You should see the way she looks at me when we're together," Megan said later that evening.
"Don't be silly, she's probably just annoyed about something else. Even if she does, remember yourself at fifteen—it's not like you didn't have crushes on teachers or actors. She'll grow out of it, don't worry." Chris pulled her close. "I love you, goose."
With the wedding just around the corner, the to-do list never seemed to get shorter. Claire stayed locked in her room, refusing to come out for coffee with their mom and Megan. Their parents didn't take the younger daughter's infatuation seriously, all echoing the same sentiment: it was just a phase, typical teenage angst, and "this too shall pass."
Often, sisters look like two peas in a pod, but not Megan and Claire. The older sister had inherited her father's best traits—his height, thick blonde hair, and striking green eyes. At twenty-four, Megan barely looked eighteen; outgoing and driven, she had always been the family's pride and joy. Claire, nine years younger, was the spitting image of their mother: dark hair, brown eyes, olive skin, and a petite frame. She desperately wanted to be like her sister, which led to regular hair bleaching, buying the exact same outfits, and immediate attempts to copy Megan's every habit and gesture.
Claire's crush on Chris had taken root the day Megan first brought him home to meet the family. Since then, he had become her gold standard for looks and personality. Her jealousy knew no bounds; the moment Chris stepped through the door, Claire became a different person—aggressive, sarcastic, and sharp. The only place the true reason for this behavior was recorded was her private diary.
***
The days leading up to the ceremony were flying by, but finally, the wedding dress was bought. Delicate, elegant lace perfectly complemented Megan's style and silhouette. Because of the long train trailing behind, they decided to hang the dress on the outside of the wardrobe to keep it from wrinkling. The mere sight of the dress made Claire shake with rage, and she bolted from the room like a shot.
The day before the wedding, Megan decided to take one last look at the dress to smooth out any stray folds. When she opened the garment bag, she gasped in horror. The beautiful train was mutilated—gaping slashes ran down the sides, and a large chunk of fabric had been hacked out of the front. Megan dropped the dress to the floor and burst into tears.
"Mom!" she screamed. "Claire ruined my dress! The wedding is tomorrow!"
"Let's try to sew it, honey, calm down. We'll find a way," her mother urged, trying to soothe her.
"How are you going to sew that?" Megan wailed. "The dress is destroyed! My wedding is ruined! Just wait until that brat gets home, I'm going to kill her! She's old enough to know exactly what she's doing—she needs to take responsibility!"
Once she calmed down slightly, Megan called Chris and told him what had happened. The only thing he could suggest was borrowing a dress from a friend's wife. They had only been married six months, and the bride was roughly Megan's size. With no other choice, they drove over. The dress was beautiful, though a bit tight.
"I guess we aren't cancelling the wedding over a little discomfort, right?" Megan joked weakly. "Chris, take this dress to your place. Just in case Claire decides to go after this one too."
***
When Megan returned home, she found Claire in their shared room, pretending to be asleep. Swallowing her anger, Megan decided to try and talk to her sister.
"Why did you ruin my dress? The wedding is happening regardless, and you're just destroying our relationship."
"I didn't ruin anything. It was ugly anyway," Claire hissed through gritted teeth. "It doesn't matter. You'll break up eventually. He'll dump you and find someone younger. Mark my words!"
"You... how dare you? You're losing it!" Megan lunged forward and delivered a sharp slap. A bright red mark bloomed on Claire's cheek, and the younger girl began to sob. "Shut up, do you hear me?"
"I hate you! I've hated you since I was a kid! Of course, perfect Megan! Our pride and joy! Everything for Megan, every whim granted just to make you happy. And what about Claire? The black sheep? I hate you! I hope you... I hope..." Claire hysterical, ran out of the room and locked herself in the bathroom.
Stunned, Megan looked at her mother. "Why is she like this? Why does she hate me so much?"
"You have to understand, she was so little when your father passed away," her mom said. "She sees Chris as a protector, a pillar—everything she missed out on as a child. She'll grow up and understand, you'll see. Go to bed; you need to rest for tomorrow. You don't want to fall asleep at the altar, do you? You can sleep in my room tonight."
***
During the ceremony, Claire didn't utter a single word. She simply stared at Megan with eyes full of pure hatred before disappearing entirely. Megan could only hope she wouldn't pull anything else.
Then came time for the cake. As the newlyweds began the traditional first cut to serve the guests, Claire walked into the ballroom. She was wearing Megan's original, shredded wedding dress—it was clearly too big for her. The mangled train dragged across the floor, her eyes were swollen from crying, and her bright lipstick was smeared across her face. A heavy silence fell over the room; no one laughed.
The guests whispered as Claire gathered up the fabric and approached the couple.
"Is there a piece for me? Be a dear, sis," she said in a mockingly sweet voice, her eyes glistening with tears even as her face remained set in a mask of loathing.
"Of course, here," Chris said, handing her a large slice.
"Much appreciated!" Claire spat. With a smirk, she hurled the cake directly into Megan's face. "Enjoy your party!"
Megan was so blindsided by the sheer malice that she didn't even have time to shield herself. Frosting dripped down her face and hair onto the borrowed dress; chunks of sponge cake fell to the floor. The day was irrevocably stained. Guests began to whisper and filter toward the exits.
One guest tried a nervous joke about a wedding not being a wedding without a fight, but no one joined in.
Their mother hurried around the room, apologizing to the departing guests. By the time Megan and Chris returned from the washroom, the hall was empty, and the catering staff were already clearing the tables and decor.
"Meg, listen, she's just a kid, she doesn't know what she's doing," Chris tried to comfort his wife.
"Stop making excuses for her! She ruined our wedding. She's a brat, not a child! Do you get it?" Megan leaned her head on his shoulder. Her hair was damp and sticky, tears were streaming down her face, and her makeup was a disaster. "God, why didn't I just throw that dress away? I'm such an idiot."
***
Time passed, and the routine of married life swallowed Chris and Megan. The disaster of the wedding became a fading memory. Their mother visited often, claiming Claire had calmed down. Regardless, Megan had no desire to see her sister after those stunts.
A few months later, Megan felt faint at work. To be safe, she stopped by the drugstore for a pregnancy test. Two red lines confirmed her suspicion. She left work early and rushed home, eager to surprise her husband.
As she climbed the stairs, the weakness hit her again, but the excitement was stronger. Heart racing, Megan stepped into the hallway, but nearly collapsed when she saw her younger sister's coat hanging on the rack. A lump formed in her throat; a dark premonition made her shiver. Stepping over Claire's discarded shoes, Megan threw open the bedroom door and froze.
Claire was lying on their bed, her arms wrapped tightly around Chris's neck as he leaned over her.
"What is going on here?" Megan choked out. She couldn't breathe.
Chris spun around instantly, throwing Claire's arms off him and rushing toward Megan. Claire looked radiant, already wearing the smug expression of a victor.
The room began to spin, and Megan fainted. When she came to, Claire was gone, and Chris was sitting beside her with terror in his eyes.
"Don't you dare tell me I imagined that," Megan whispered. Her voice was so thin it felt like it might snap.
"You didn't imagine it, but Claire came here to 'make peace.' I think she planned the whole thing. She said she wanted to apologize, we sat down for tea, and suddenly she went pale and started to collapse. I panicked—I didn't know what else to do but carry her to the bed. Suddenly she latched onto me, I was trying to push her off, and that's when you walked in. She's a hell of an actress, Meg."
Megan believed him. She knew her sister all too well, and she knew exactly what she was capable of.
"Is she gone?" Megan asked quietly.
"I kicked her out. Was that the wrong move?"
A couple of hours later, Megan felt steady enough to talk seriously.
"Chris, listen. Claire isn't going to let us live our lives. Let's move to Seattle. Let's just start over..."
"Isn't that a bit extreme?" Chris interrupted. "She'll grow up, fall in love, get married, and forget all about this."
"We don't have time to wait! I'm scared for our baby!" Megan blurted out.
"Baby?" Chris stammered. "Wait, really? You're pregnant? Forget everything I just said. Where do you want to go? I'm ready to pack right now."
***
Soon after, the couple moved to Seattle, despite the protests of their relatives. They found an apartment, Chris landed a job through a friend's recommendation, and Megan settled in to prepare for motherhood.
Perhaps, years down the line, the sisters will reconcile and forgive each other for the bitterness of the past. Who can say?
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