**Mirrored Deception**

The evening wore on, and the event continued to unfold with precision and glamour. Victoria, looking stunning in her red gown, was finally called up to the stage to give a speech. As she walked up to the microphone, James couldn't help but feel a surge of pride. She was radiant, and her confidence shone through as she began to speak. The audience was captivated by her words, and James found himself getting lost in her performance. But as he glanced at her neck, his heart skipped a beat. The cut was now more obvious, and he could see a faint smudge of blood on her skin. He wondered why nobody else seemed to notice, but he didn't want to embarrass Victoria, so he pushed the thought aside. The photographer, however, had not missed it. He had been taking shots of Victoria from the sidelines, and his camera had caught the cut in several frames. He made a mental note to mention it to someone, but for now, he focused on getting the perfect shot. As Victoria finished her speech and exited the stage, she excused herself to James and headed to the comfort room. James watched her go, feeling a sense of relief that she was okay. As Victoria walked to the bathroom, she felt a sharp pain on her neck. She glanced at the mirror and saw it. Her neck had a cut, and she tried to scream, but no voice came out. She stared at her reflection, frozen in horror. But as she looked deeper into the mirror, something strange began to happen. Her reflection started to move on its own, its actions no longer mirroring Victoria's. It reached out and pulled out a sharp knife, and Victoria's eyes widened in terror as her reflection began to slit her own throat. But it wasn't just a reflection – it was as if her own doppelganger had come to life. Victoria felt blood gushing on her own neck, her cleavage drenched in her own blood. Her reflection turned to face her, its eyes black as coal, and Victoria saw her own face twisted in a grotesque grin. The reflection stepped out of the mirror, its movements fluid and menacing. It reached out and grasped Victoria's head, and with a swift motion, it finished the job of beheading her. Victoria's body crumpled to the ground, her headless corpse a gruesome sight. The reflection, now standing over Victoria's lifeless body, smiled to itself. It wiped the knife clean on Victoria's dress and stepped out of the bathroom, calm and collected. James was waiting for Victoria, a smile on his face, but as he saw the reflection walk towards him, his smile faltered. The reflection was the spitting image of Victoria, and James's eyes widened in shock as he saw that her neck was completely healed. "Hey, I'm back," the reflection said, her voice identical to Victoria's. "I'm so sorry, I think I must have gotten a bit of a headache." James stared at her, confusion etched on his face. "Where's Victoria?" he asked, his voice shaking. The reflection smiled, her eyes glinting with malevolence. "Oh, I think she's... indisposed."