In the village, everyone shunned Howell and Tabitha. Whenever the couple suffered humiliation or frustration, they vented their anger on three-year-old Felicia, leaving her body bruised. Their son, Shawn, mirrored their cruelty, delighting in bullying her. The worst incident occurred when Shawn threw Felicia into the village river. Only a passerby prevented her drowning.
In Myra's dream, grief, rage, and pain overwhelmed her. She ached to embrace the child. Repeated beatings had taught Felicia to anticipate her parents' moods. The little girl believed her parents disliked her because she ate too much and worked too little. Consequently, she tirelessly performed all the household chores, even using stools to reach counters and wash clothes, yet this earned her no affection.
On Shawn's birthday, Howell and Tabitha bought him a lavish cake. Unseen in the corner, Felicia watched with envious eyes, but she received no cake. Shawn deliberately stomped the leftovers, taunting her. Howell and Tabitha praised his cruelty. "Enough!" Myra screamed, furious that she couldn't intervene in her dream.
Meanwhile, Kayla, in the other Fuller household, lived a life of unparalleled luxury and affection. Dexter fulfilled her every whim. One child was mired in hardship; the other, untouchable in her perfection.
Felicia grew increasingly silent, her dreams devoid of hope, until she overheard Howell and Tabitha reveal she wasn't their biological child. Hope flickered in her eyes. She imagined loving parents who would end her suffering.
Seven-year-old Felicia smiled, a newfound hope blossoming. She began to avoid beatings, showcasing her abilities and earning a grudging respect from Howell and Tabitha. She tirelessly pursued knowledge, all for the day she'd meet her real parents.
That day arrived, but her biological parents already had Kayla, a beloved daughter. Felicia received no attention. Myra and Dexter's favoritism proved as traumatic as Howell and Tabitha's abuse—one inflicted physical pain, the other emotional. The core suffering remained the same.