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Emma looked at me. There was weariness and pain in her gaze, a look that made me want to turn away. We were twins, and I knew that face all too well. Seeing it like that was especially hard.
We had always been almost identical. With age, small differences had appeared, but to strangers, we were still like reflections in a mirror. People confused us in stores, on the street; even old acquaintances sometimes made mistakes.
And that’s when a thought popped into my head that made me feel uneasy. Dangerous, wrong, but surprisingly clear.
What if we switch places? What if I’m in his place? What if this time her husband faces not a frightened woman, but someone who isn’t afraid of him at all?
I looked at Emma and realized she was thinking the same thing. The decision was made without further ado.
We decided to switch places to teach her husband a lesson
On the outside, we were almost identical. Same hair, height, voice, even the way we looked. Unless you knew us well, it was impossible to tell us apart. That’s why the plan worked.
I arrived at her house as if I were my sister. I acted calm and quiet, just like she always did. But inside, everything was different. I wasn’t afraid anymore. My sister’s husband sensed it almost immediately.
At first, he simply stared longer than usual, as if trying to figure out what was wrong. Then he started picking at details. She’d placed the mug wrong. She’d answered wrong. She’d used the wrong tone.
“Have you completely lost your nerve?” he asked sharply.
I remained silent and looked him in the eye. Emma used to look down at moments like this. I didn’t.
This infuriated him. He started yelling, pacing the room, waving his arms. He grew increasingly angry, as if he didn’t understand why. And then he did what he always did.
He raised his hand.
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