Stephanie marries Zachary to fund Frank’s medical treatment and becomes a dedicated stepmother to Erik. The arrangement costs her old friendships and narrows her life around the household. When Erik’s accomplished biological mother returns in the fifth year, Stephanie reassesses her place in the marriage and asks for a divorce.
Ava returns to age five at the moment her father agrees to marry Chloe, the tutor who later became her stepmother and killer. Remembering the manipulation of her longing for a mother, she plans a different response. Trusted relatives and staff may now help protect her from the future she has seen.
8.6