The End

Charlotte glared at her sister as they sat across from each other in the funeral home. Beverly was the opposite of her, always sacrificing and hoping someone sees. When their mother was dying, she was right there, taking care of her until her very last moment.

Charlotte hated this. She saw the social media posts as a cry for attention. "Look at everything I do for everyone! Give me a medal!" they said, at least to her. She just couldn't understand why anyone would do that, and it showed.

When the director came in, Charlotte took over like always. Her mother's funeral had to be perfect, and it was a grand affair. They needed this, this, and this, no exceptions. She'd check every detail and make sure everything was right, and all the director had to say was "Yes," and do what he was told.

After fifteen minutes, Beverly quietly slid a legal notebook to the director, "This is what she wanted. There's a notarized document at home saying exactly this. She made this up months ago, possibly even a year, and had a friend make sure it stood. Can you do this?"

"Let me see this!" Charlotte demanded.

"No!" Beverly hissed. "Our mother was specific about what she wanted for her final ceremony. I don't care what you think, but I do care about what she asked for. Do this and not a single thing extra," Beverly said to the director. She turned to her sister, "If you don't like it, leave."

"I will NOT leave our mother's services! How dare you!" Charlotte screamed.

"Then let things go as she wanted them. If you interfere, you're out. I'll have the police come if I have to. She told me to," Beverly said meekly.

"Wait a minute, our mother told you to call the police on me if I interfere with her funeral? Are you high?" Charlotte asked bitterly.

"You can ask anyone. She was furious with you for putting your work first, and look what happened. If it weren't for me, she would've died alone, but you were too busy until the coin dropped and she stopped existing. She was right. You were never there for your family, and now you're doing the same to a husband and child. And to make it worse, you think your way is the only way. I'm not asking for attention or a medal or even recognition. I just want my mother to be happy, and you made her everything but," Beverly said firmly, turning to the director, "I believe you have everything on file about her casket and flower choices. Her obituary should be there too."

"Wait a second!" Charlotte demanded. "I don't even get to know what she wanted?"

"Yes, because you'll just try to change it. Go back to work, Charlotte. I'm sure you'd be happier," Beverly said firmly, standing and leaving the room. The director also made a hasty exit, leaving Charlotte alone.

As expected, her phone rang. Jonathon was calling about a catastrophe at work, and it was her job to fix it. Seeing that no one wanted her anyway, she left to handle it. She got so involved with the numerous days it took to fix it that she missed the funeral completely.

Beverly shook her head as she looked down on her sister. Cancer had taken her hair and caused her to lose more weight than she could count. Beverly merely smiled as she sat beside her.

"I talked with the nurses. Angelica won't come because she's busy with high school...in your husband's home town, not yours. So, care to fill me in on the last twelve years?" Beverly asked smugly.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Charlotte asked.

"Just returning the favor. You infuriated so many people when you didn't show up to your own mother's services. Going alone to the cemetery almost a month later doesn't count for anything and it never has," Beverly replied, shaking her head, "You let work come first so much you've let it kill you. First you let it come between you and your family, even your own daughter, and now you're going to die, alone, because you were too busy to get a tiny lump checked out."

Charlotte shook her head, "And here you are being high and mighty about it, as usual."

"I'm not high and mighty about anything," Beverly assured her, standing and pacing the room. "I'm just upset that my one sister always picked herself above all other things and hated me for not doing the same thing. Do you know why I did that? I had no choice! Where were you? Just like your daughter, you were busy in school, always too busy for anyone else. You would've missed Daddy's funeral if we hadn't made the school tell you to go.

"Then you went to college, got a job, and built yourself a life with a man who couldn't see the signs. You never went home because you knew you weren't welcome there anymore. Mom didn't want to see you because she hated you, resented you for never visiting. She tried to have a relationship with your daughter, at least, but she got tired of only seeing Drew. She should've been able to see you too.

"And finally, the end. Your mother dies and you focus on work instead of mourning. Then you let this same work keep you out of a doctor's office that could've saved your life. I know, Charlotte. I had a lump. I never told you because I knew you wouldn't care. I went through chemo, and my friends helped me get through it. Who helped you?" Beverly asked.

"Oh shut up," Charlotte moaned.

"No, you need to hear this, and I need to say it. You're getting what you deserve. I got what I earned and you know it."

"And here you are rubbing it in a dying woman's face. You're just as high and mighty as I thought you were."

"No, I'm fed up. People come to me for everything because they know I'm selfless. If I could, I would've done what you did, going out to get a proper degree and working my ass off so I could retire at forty and see the world. That's what I would've done differently, actually have my work mean something. You were replaced months ago when you got too sick to work, and now your daughter's mom is being replaced by some blonde hussy with more tits than vocabulary-"

"Oh, you met Kati," Charlotte scoffed. "Slut," she murmured.

"Yeah, I met her when I went to see Angelica, thinking she'd actually be home and care about you. You're gross to her and she doesn't care. Drew can't care because you pushed him into a bimbo's arms. But here I am. I'm always here. I always will be, long after you're gone, because that's the role you put me in. I'm going to do you proud, Charlie. Your funeral is going to be a production! You better tell me now what you want or you get nothing," Beverly said, pulling out a pen and sitting down.

She did what she said, and Charlotte let her. She knew that otherwise, she'd get nothing. Flowers maybe, and a sermon of sorts, but none of her favorite songs. She knew she'd be forgotten, at least to everyone else. Her sister would remember, and she would always hate her. Charlotte at least knew why now, and it did make her remorseful. Too bad it was too late.

~End

Theme 194: Sisterhood. Theme from my Infinite Theme List Challenge. See my deviantArt profile for the full list.

One-shot 20 of 100 for 2017.

A/N: I know, I know, so sad, but how true would this be for our resident workaholic? If she has a sister, this is exactly how it would go. Sad but true. Sorry for the hit in the feels, but hey, I hope you learn from it. Also thanks for reading even though this was depressing af.