Chapter 1

The day my husband's childhood sweetheart died, he brought our daughter a rag doll that smelled like medicine.

From that moment on, the girl never went anywhere without it.

I thought it was strange and begged her to stop carrying it, but my pleas were met with furious resistance.

She even started accusing me of abuse and driving a wedge between us—pushing our marriage toward divorce.

Then one afternoon, I caught my usually distant husband cradling our daughter with startling tenderness.

At the same time, a thin, eerie female voice called from the bedroom, "Why don't we kill Mom together?"

*****

"Mommy, when's Daddy coming home?" My daughter, Lily Carter, looked up at me with those big eyes.

I brushed my hand over Lily's hair as she lay in bed, already tucked in for the night. Today was her fifth birthday, but my husband, David Carter, was out with his childhood sweetheart, Grace Thompson, and he still hadn't come home.

"Be good, sweetheart. Daddy will be home soon, okay?" I kept my voice gentle.

Lily's face fell a little. "I haven't seen Daddy in forever. I miss him."

The bedroom door swung open, and David walked in holding a ragged old doll. He came over to Lily's bed and crouched down beside her.

"Lily, I'm so sorry, baby. Daddy had to work late and couldn't be here for your birthday earlier, but I brought you a special doll as your present. Do you like it?"

The moment Lily saw the doll, she threw her arms around David's neck. "I love it. Thank you, Daddy."

I crossed my arms. "You know, if you're going to give Lily a birthday present, you could at least make it something new. Why would you give her someone's used toy?"

Something about that doll bothered me from the second David brought it into the room. There was this weird chemical smell coming off it, sharp and unpleasant, and it was making my nose itch.

David shrugged. "What's it matter? Lily likes it, so it's fine."

We waited until Lily drifted off to sleep, then tiptoed out of her room together.

The second the door clicked shut behind us, I turned on him. "David, look—I don't have a problem with you being there for Grace when she's sick. But today was Lily's birthday. You couldn't even stay home for your own daughter's birthday?"

David and I met through a matchmaking service.

Back then, I had no idea he had a childhood friend dying of cancer. It wasn't until after I got pregnant with Lily that he started disappearing to the hospital all the time, and that was when I finally found out about Grace.

But by then Lily was already born, and I couldn't let my daughter grow up without a father. So I'd been putting up with him barely coming home, swallowing down everything I wanted to say.

"Enough, you're so annoying." David turned away impatiently. "Grace is dead already, so no one's competing with you for me anymore. Are you satisfied now?"

I stood there, stunned. Grace had cancer—her death was always just a matter of time—but I'd never actually wanted her to die. Her death had nothing to do with me.

"I told you before, Grace didn't have much time left, and that's why I stayed at the hospital with her every day," David said as he walked toward the bathroom to shower. "Now that she's dead, I won't be going to the hospital anymore."

But an uneasy feeling crept through me. If Grace were dead, how did David have time to buy dolls? So, where did that doll he gave Lily come from?

I didn't dwell on it too much, though. David had barely given Lily any gifts since she was born, so she absolutely loved that doll and kept it with her everywhere she went.

That day, Lily pulled out her tea party toys again and set everything up carefully. She placed the doll across from her so they could have afternoon tea together.

I was folding laundry nearby and wasn't really paying attention to their conversation. "Dear Ms. Thompson, would you like some coffee?"

I noticed something was off, so I walked over to Lily's side. "Lily, what did you just call her?"

"Ms. Thompson. Mom, is something wrong?"

My nerves kicked in immediately. Lily had never met Grace, so how could she possibly know to call the doll that name?

"Lily, sweetheart, tell me—why did you give the doll that name?"

"Because she told me that's what her name is."

Her words hit me like ice water. "You're saying this doll talks to you?"

I was about to press for more details when David suddenly came home and walked right up to us. "Emily Reed, what are you doing? You're scaring Lily."

I wasn't having it. I pointed at the doll and demanded, "David, tell me the truth. Whose doll is this?"

David realized he couldn't hide it anymore, and his shoulders slumped as he stepped closer. "Fine, yes. The doll belonged to Grace. She knew Lily loved dolls, so she wanted Lily to have her favorite one. Are you really going to deny a dying woman's last wish?"

"David, you gave our daughter something that belonged to a dead woman. Have you lost your mind?"

"Emily, Grace is dead, but you don't have to be so cruel about it. Why shouldn't she give Lily her favorite doll? You're completely overreacting."

I didn't want to argue with him anymore. I grabbed the doll and headed straight for the trash.

But Lily wrapped her arms around my leg and looked up at me with pleading eyes. "Mommy, please don't throw her away. I really, really love this doll."

Watching Lily cry like that, I felt my resolve crumble.

I sighed, "Lily, sweetie, I didn't throw away your doll on purpose. The doll is really dirty, and I was worried it might make you sick if you kept it near you."

"But I really love this doll." Lily clung to my leg and refused to let go.

David swooped in and snatched the doll back from my hands. "Emily, you're only freaking out because Lily said Grace's name, aren't you?"

He quickly pulled back a corner of the doll's dress. "Look, the name Grace was already sewn onto the doll. It's completely normal that Lily would call her that."

After saying this, David handed the doll back to Lily.

"Emily, Lily's growing up so fast. In a few years, she probably won't even want to play with dolls anymore. Just let her enjoy it while she can. What's the harm?"

Lily happily grabbed the doll and stuck her tongue out at me before running straight to her room. "Mommy, if you try to take my stuff again, I'll listen to Grace and never be nice to you anymore!"