Behind Closed doors

As Lilia stood at her sister's door, her heart raced, and a thousand thoughts tumbled through her mind.

Would Sabrina let her in? Would she even acknowledge her presence? There was no way to predict how this encounter would go, but Lilia knew she had to try. She couldn't stay alone in her room—not tonight.

Her mind flickered back to the oppressive silence that filled the house. Her father was kind, yes, but his love felt conditional, tied to expectations that Lilia could never seem to meet.

She was the quiet daughter, the one who didn't cause trouble, but the weight of those expectations suffocated her. Sabrina, on the other hand, always seemed to glide effortlessly through life—bold, rebellious, and free. The more Lilia thought about it, the more her frustration grew. Why was Sabrina allowed to live so freely while Lilia was held to a stricter, quieter standard?

She sighed and raised her hand to knock softly on the door. The familiar hollow sound of knuckles against wood reverberated in the silence.

No response.

Lilia stood still, her palm against the cool surface of the door. She expected nothing else. Sabrina was unpredictable, and though they were twins, they were as different as night and day. Lilia's heart sank at the thought of what might await her in the room behind that door.

She had been hoping for warmth, a break from the tense isolation that filled her room, but now doubt crept in. Was this really the right choice? The thought of returning to her own room—the room that felt like a suffocating trap—made her stomach churn.

Swallowing her discomfort, she gently turned the door handle. To her surprise, the door creaked open easily, the lock disengaged. Sabrina was always meticulous about locking her door. Confusion settled in Lilia's chest, followed quickly by a wave of dread.

What was happening in there?

She stepped into the room, her breath catching in her throat as her eyes adjusted to the dim light. What she saw stopped her in her tracks. Sabrina was sitting on her bed, her face illuminated by the glow of her phone screen. A wide smile spread across her face as she chatted animatedly with someone on a video call. But what caught Lilia's attention—and what made her skin crawl—was Sabrina's attire—or lack thereof. She was wearing something that could only be described as bikini-like lingerie, barely covering her body.

Lilia's mind scrambled, unable to process what she was seeing. Her gaze flickered over Sabrina, and for a moment, she felt like an intruder, a spy in a secret world she wasn't supposed to witness.

Sabrina's smile faltered when she noticed the door open. Her eyes darted quickly to Lilia, her face flushing with a mix of shock, annoyance, and something deeper—something Lilia couldn't quite place. Sabrina had always been the one in control, the one who knew how to make everything look effortless. Now, for the first time, Lilia saw her sister vulnerable.

The smile vanished completely as Sabrina immediately ended the video call, her fingers swiping frantically across the screen. She grabbed the duvet off the bed, wrapping it around her body as though the fabric could shield her from the awkwardness of the moment.

"Can't you knock, Lilia?" Sabrina snapped, her voice sharp with irritation. "Cat cut your hand?"

Lilia blinked, her confusion growing. It was clear Sabrina was trying to cover her discomfort with anger, but Lilia couldn't quite make sense of her words.

"Cat cut your tongue, not hand," Lilia corrected quietly, her tone calm despite the surreal situation. She was still processing what she had just witnessed.

Sabrina's eyes narrowed, and her face turned a shade of red that was almost impossible to miss. She looked at Lilia as though she had just committed an unforgivable sin by correcting her.

"You're so annoying," Sabrina growled, clearly frustrated. "Don't you know how to shut up?"

Lilia stood there, her heart pounding in her chest, still struggling to process everything. She couldn't understand why Sabrina was reacting this way. Sabrina had just insulted her, yet Lilia was the one being scolded for pointing out a mistake. The injustice of it all simmered just below the surface.

But Lilia's confusion soon gave way to a deeper sense of betrayal. Her sister had just been on a video call—half-naked—talking to a boyfriend. A boyfriend. Lilia's own life was so tightly controlled that she wasn't even allowed to talk to boys, let alone video-call one in such a revealing way. Her parents were strict, especially with her. She was followed by a guard whenever she went out, a constant reminder that she was never truly free.

Sabrina had none of these restrictions, and for the first time, Lilia felt the raw sting of that unfairness.

"Why are you on a video call… half-naked?" Lilia asked, her voice filled with genuine surprise and a touch of disbelief. She couldn't believe her sister would do something like this. The question hung in the air between them, charged with tension.

Sabrina's eyes glinted with a mix of defiance and mockery as she shot back, "What are you going to do? Tell Mum? Or maybe Daddy?" She mimicked the voices of their parents with an exaggerated childish tone.

Lilia felt a wave of confusion and unease wash over her. She was speechless for a moment. Sabrina's mocking tone stung, and the idea that Sabrina would openly challenge their parents like this was foreign to Lilia. How could she be so bold?

"You can't be doing that," Lilia said softly, her voice laced with concern. "Mum and Dad wouldn't be happy to hear this."

The words felt like a sharp contrast to the chaotic tension filling the room. Sabrina's expression darkened, her eyes flashing with annoyance. It was as though the mention of their parents had struck a nerve.

Lilia and Sabrina were twins, though Lilia was the older by just an hour. Despite their shared birthday, the differences between them were striking. Lilia's ink-black hair was silky, wavy, and lustrous, while Sabrina's was a light brown, straight, and more subdued. Sabrina was bold, confident, and always quick to speak her mind, whereas Lilia was quieter, more reserved, and profoundly introspective.

"What are you even doing here in my room?" Sabrina asked, her voice dripping with disdain. "Are you room blind?"

"No, I'm not," Lilia answered politely, her calm demeanor contrasting sharply with her sister's growing anger. Sabrina's frustration seemed to escalate with every word Lilia spoke. It was as though nothing Lilia did could make Sabrina see reason.

"Get out!" Sabrina yelled, wrapping the duvet tighter around her body as though the fabric could somehow shield her from Lilia's presence. Her voice was a harsh command, and Lilia flinched instinctively. But she didn't leave.

Lilia took a deep breath, her chest heavy with a sense of defeat. "Please… can I stay here for the night? Dad said I—" She faltered, unsure of how to finish her sentence.

Sabrina cut her off, sticking out her tongue as she mocked, "Of course, Dad said we shouldn't go to clubs. 'Dadda, dadda.'" Then, turning her gaze to Lilia, she sneered, "Are you going to kindergarten? Grow up."

Lilia's face crumbled. The words felt like a slap, and she couldn't hold back the tears threatening to fall. She wouldn't have been here if her room hadn't started to feel like a prison. She wouldn't have been here if the fear of being alone hadn't haunted her those night.

Sabrina's displeasure was obvious, and Lilia could feel the tension between them thickening. Sabrina studied her for a long moment, her eyes narrowing as if trying to figure out why Lilia would want to stay in her room.

Lilia had her own room, after all. There were plenty of other rooms in the house. Sabrina could never understand why Lilia would choose hers.

"You can sleep on the sofa," Sabrina said coldly, her voice void of any sympathy.

Lilia was caught off guard. She had expected refusal, but Sabrina's response was almost too quick, too easy.

"Unless…" Sabrina added, her voice dropping to a tone that sent a chill down Lilia's spine.

Lilia's heart sank. She could already tell where this was going. Sabrina's kindness only extended as far as it served her own needs.

"You didn't see anything that happened," Sabrina continued, her eyes narrowing. "And I don't want to hear a word about this. Anywhere. To anyone. This stays here. And it dies here."

The finality in Sabrina's words was clear. There was no room for negotiation. Lilia had to agree if she wanted to stay.

Lilia nodded quickly, her mind racing. She had no intention of going back to her room tonight—not with the memories of the fear that lurked there, not with the growing sense of dread that gnawed at her every time the lights went out.