Chapter 39

• Past
• The sun beat down on the riverbank, casting a warm glow over the serene landscape. Valerie, a carefree child with a mop of curly hair, stood at the water's edge, her eyes fixed on a doll floating away on the river's gentle current. The doll had been a gift from her mother, a treasured keepsake that held sentimental value.
• But the doll had been callously thrown into the river by Jenna, Valerie's stepsister. Jenna's actions had been motivated by malice, a desire to hurt Valerie,