Broken Mirror

Daphne was always there, standing in front of the broken mirror. Waiting. Faces came and went, but no one saw her. She was the one who broke the mirror in a fit of rage. Her mother always told her that her temper would get the best of her someday, and Daphne had no idea how right her mother was.

Before that day, she thought the mirror was ordinary. She stormed in and yelled at her reflection. “You are a silly girl. No one respects you.” Daphne was so thrilled when she got promoted, but it became clear that she was everyone’s whipping girl, even with a promotion. She pounded on the glass, and she felt a wave of power radiate from the mirror, and she passed out. Her head was resting in a pool of blood when she regained consciousness. The room was spinning as she pushed herself up. She examined her head with her fingers. Daphne stood to look closer, but her reflection didn’t stare back as she looked at the mirror. She saw the empty bathroom stalls with the checkered floor, but not her. The door swung open, and Sarah and Tiffany walked in laughing. 

“Oh, my god, did you see how Daphne reacted?”

“I know. How unprofessional. I can’t believe they passed me up and gave her the promotion.”

Daphne pounded on the mirror and shouted. “Hey, I’m here.” But they didn’t hear her. They kept giggling and talking about her.

The years passed, and she kept watch of the bathroom.