Story: The Cleaner Returns. Chapters 40-42.

by BigBirgd74

From her conversations with the doctor Melissa had expected some changes in Dahlia since the last time they had laid eyes on one another. Though his descriptions were not terribly detailed, he had said enough to give her a rough idea of what to expect. But this! This, she did not expect. A few days into her stay at the clinic and Melissa could scarcely believe her own eyes as she watched her sister needlessly busy herself in the already clean room. Clearly she was in the throes of some deviant fantasy that had completely eclipsed her better judgement and was using every opportunity she could to parade herself in front of the ‘stranger’.

As she manoeuvred about, her cheap dress pulled tightly on her waist and thighs, her large melon-like breasts created an odd silhouette as she bent over and they merged with her fat belly into one huge round mass. It was truly staggering how much weight she had piled on in a few months. Melissa reflected on just how much willpower it would have taken for Dahlia to do that to herself. Could she not see what was happening? Her body, a picture of slender beauty, seemed to have burst open, unable to contain the fat that now covered her. The changes were so many and so profound that Melissa struggled to take it all in. She wondered if she would have recognised her own sister had she not been told it was her in advance.

This was because the most shocking changes had been to her face. Of course, the gazelle-like neck, statuesque bone structure and perfectly proportioned features all remained, but were now subsumed beneath a thick layer of fat. For years Melissa hated how she had tended to put on weight around her middle and her chin. Her sedentary lifestyle had meant she had struggled with her weight for years, but she had never let things slip like this. For her, gaining weight had not been an option. It had been a curse and she knew that looking at Dahlia now was a little like looking into a mirror and seeing what could have happened if she had not bucked up her own ideas. She shivered at that thought.

The way Dahlia scraped and bowed in front of her, revelling in her diminished status, was so convincing it made Melissa wonder if this was not an imposter? Could Dahlia really have let this happen to herself? It was as though her luck had run out. Her body, for so long her friend and prime asset, was now turning on her. It could no longer contain the abuse she had piled on it, spilling out in an unflattering manner that robbed her of her stunning beauty. Any more weight and she would start to look obese.

An unfamiliar sensation took hold of Melissa as she watched her increasingly porcine sister over the next few days. One of contempt. The doctor’s description of Dahlia’s breakdown had highlighted the changes in her lifestyle, but he had not described the almost manic way she adhered to them. It was clear that Dahlia found the process almost thrilling. Living the life of an ordinary, powerless cleaner, rather than the influential personality she had been. Surrendering it all on a whimsy. Melissa found it vaguely insulting. It was almost obscene what she had done to herself, her beautiful body and her career! So many women envied Dahlia, looking up to her as some kind of icon of femininity and she returned the favour by throwing it all away. Well, if Dahlia did not want it, she would gladly pick it up.

None of this had been her idea. When the doctor originally revealed his idea, Melissa nearly laughed him out of the room. How on earth could she take Dahlia’s place? But once the initial shock of what he was suggesting had died down and he had shown her the newspaper headlines explaining the condition Dahlia was in, her amusement turned to bewilderment. Could this be true? Over the next few weeks, the doctor would update Melissa on Dahlia’s condition and it soon became clear – abundantly clear – that Dahlia was losing her grip and with it her chances of making any sort of comeback. Something had to be done to steady the ship and Dahlia seemed incapable of doing it. 

Though a small part of her sympathised with her sister’s plight, Melissa was too bitter to let go of the years of sibling rivalry. She found herself taking more and more of an interest in the details of Dahlia’s changing persona. As the doctor detailed her sister’s decline, how she felt increasingly uneasy in her role as a supermodel and how she was only continuing for fear of losing her legacy, Melissa recognised the self-obsessed way in which Dahlia had always conducted her life. Any flicker of concern she may have had for her sister was soon expunged by the bitter memory of living in the wake of Dahlia’s rise to stardom.

She contrasted her sister’s decline with her own recent good fortune. The progress she had made in her time at the health camp had been remarkable. Annie, her trainer, had lived up to every one of her promises and Melissa’s body looked much tighter and toned than before. Nothing had changed the doctor’s previous observation that the two sister’s body shapes were remarkably similar. As he talked up her progress and the weeks turned into months, Melissa’s confidence grew and, with it, her assertiveness. The bitterness towards life that was evident in their earliest interactions had been replaced with an easier tone reminiscent of how Dahlia had been in their first encounters. As Melissa slimmed down and her worldview shifted, the similarities between the two siblings became ever more apparent.

It was into this fertile ground that the doctor then planted his plan’s most important seed. He had told many lies to get this far and one more was needed to start the final ball rolling. Even so, things would be much easier than he suspected, for he had underestimated Melissa’s heartfelt disdain for her sister. The jealousy had gone. In its place was a judgemental air about what Dahlia had done to herself and, by extension, to Melissa. While her time at the resort had corrected much what was wrong in her lifestyle, it could not help repair her dire finances. Always in the back of her mind was that nagging worry that she was able to stay at the fitness camp only so long as her sister paid for it. Rather than feeling grateful towards Dahlia, this notion had fuelled a growing resentment in Melissa as she saw what a mess her sibling was making of her life and how that may mess up her chances.

It was increasingly clear that Melissa also felt that Dahlia did not deserve her success and saw her as a flake who no longer had the will to continue. Dahlia’s breakdown risked destroying everything she had built. Though allowed brief moments inside Dahlia’s gilded life, Melissa felt she had never been able to share in it. All these years, she had watched enviously from the sidelines as her sister shone brightly. Though Dahlia had extended some ‘help’ towards her sister at times, Melissa sensed that it always came with a large dollop of condescension. Now she was finally emerging from Dahlia’s shadow after all these years, Melissa felt she had to hurry to make up for lost ground. Her sense of rivalry and contempt meant that it only took one fateful suggestion from the doctor for a conspiracy to be hatched that would see Melissa try to replace her sister.

“Dahlia does not need to lose it all…” He said matter-of-factly. “You could fill in for her till she feels more herself. Try taking her place.”

The tension entering the room seemed to empty it of air, leaving them both feeling breathless. “I can make sure she never returns, that she willingly gives it all to you. A few changes and you could easily replace her. Perhaps even surpass her. YOU can fulfil her destiny to become a legend.”

Melissa’s silence spooked him as she digested his plan. He had spent many weeks preparing the ground for this, boosting her confidence, while avoiding direct comparisons with her sister. Now he could see that may have been unnecessary: her rivalry with Dahlia was a big part of why Melissa was doing this. He did not realise how news of Dahlia’s transformation only strengthened her sense of purpose and direction. The bitterness may have gone from the forefront of her mind, but she was still driven to better herself in the eyes of her sister. Now, with a chance to reverse their roles, she grabbed at his idea with undisguised ambition.

“Tell me more,” she answered after some moments, much to his relief. Their eyes met briefly in a way that told him he could trust her, thereby sealing their conspiratorial pact. She had no firm idea at that moment what was driving him. Could it be financial? Was it a real desire to protect Dahlia in some weird and distorted fashion? Whatever the reason, the idea plugged neatly into Melissa’s sense of outrage at how Dahlia was squandering the good cards life had dealt her. Only now, she saw a way of taking those cards from her sister and to use them for herself.

Even so Melissa had little appreciation as to what would be involved in taking these momentous steps. For her to truly pass as Dahlia, permanent changes would be needed to her appearance and her deportment. Though the sisters resembled one another in many ways, there were a few telling differences. Dahlia’s features were less pronounced than Melissa’s, softer and more photogenic. Though the thought of surgery left her feeling squeamish, Melissa knew in her heart this would be necessary. Given all she had achieved these past months, it was just another hurdle she could overcome. One day of surgery and liposuction would correct her ‘flaws,’ reducing her chin and nose, providing a slight lift to her breasts and suck away some of the stubborn fat that remained around her middle, detritus from her old life than needed excising. She knew in spite of the painful recovery, it would be worth it. For after emerging from her cocoon, she would be as perfect as Dahlia had been and ready to assume her life. She shuddered at the true meaning of what she had just considered. To become Dahlia. But then, what would become of Dahlia?

That idea tickled her in all the right places. It made her laugh to think about how it would feel to be the perfect beauty, while her sister watched on helplessly. She did not want to think about the consequences for her sister of what she was doing. Dahlia obviously did not care anymore and would live the life she was now ‘enjoying’ so much. No, this was all about her and achieving her rightful place in the spotlight. Maybe, at the end of the day, she just did not believe the doctor could persuade Dahlia to simply depart the stage. But why not? After all, once presented with the facts, what else could Dahlia do but slink into the shadows while Melissa took her place? She would never be able to take the humiliation of being ‘found out’, her new persona so cruelly exposed. Dahlia had well and truly trapped herself.

The days leading up to the surgery were tense. If she had any last concerns, Melissa did not let them faze her. She wanted her mind clutter free, to be certain of the momentous changes that were about to strike her. Any doubts she may have had were cast to one side and then, the day came. Months of hard work had led to this moment and she felt incredibly nervous. What if something happened that took it all away from her? Now she was so close, she debated whether it could work in practice. She closed her eyes, calming herself. It was too late now. Everything had been arranged. A great deal of money had swapped hands – this just had to work! She would wake up and her life would be totally different.

When she did awake, Melissa felt numbness everywhere. Even though her body was heavily dosed with painkillers, she still felt terrible. With no idea of the time and unable to move, she felt completely lost and disoriented. A splint was tightly secured to her jaw and her face was heavily bandaged. She lay there some time, fearful, excited and hoping that nothing had gone wrong. After what seemed an age, the doctor paid a visit to declare the whole operation a wild success. He spoke softly and slowly to her, aware perhaps of the pulsing headache that prevented her from concentrating for any length of time. She had so many questions but, unable to speak, she consoled herself with knowing that everything had gone according to plan.

When it was time to leave the hospital and depart for the clinic to recover, Melissa felt a shiver of anticipation. So much had happened and yet a great deal still hinged on the next few weeks. How would Dahlia react to being replaced? Would Melissa be good enough to replace her? God! Was she about to really do this? Melissa felt like a passenger now in her own life: all the decisions had been taken and now she was just along for the ride, easing her sense of foreboding. It was too late to do anything now and she felt her resolve strengthen. Whether Dahlia liked it or not, she was going to replace her. What could she do? She could risk ruin by revealing the ‘truth,’ but would she expect even the slightest bit of sympathy? No law had been broken. This had all been self-inflicted. According to the doctor, it was what Dahlia herself had wanted and needed, she had just hidden it for so long under a heavy layer of social convention and expectation.

But as Melissa laid eyes on the bloated form that used to be a supermodel, she questioned whether Dahlia knew it was her sister in the bed? Nothing she said or did suggested that she did. She started to wonder just what Dahlia was expecting to happen. Did she know she was about to be replaced? What would she do when the bandages were removed to reveal a perfect clone of herself? Each day that passed brought that moment of reckoning closer. It also stiffened Melissa’s resolve as she watched someone she barely recognised as her sister acting as though she had never been anything other than a fat domestic drudge. Dahlia was playing a very dangerous game. A very dangerous game that was about to become very real.

 

Subscribe to Lady2Maid Blog Newsletter