**Melissa's POV**
I had been imprisoned for an excruciatingly long week, enduring the torment of hunger and thirst. No one had bothered to visit me; they all regarded me as a cursed child, deserving nothing more than death. Crying seemed futile, for no amount of tears could alter the grim reality that awaited me, an execution scheduled at the hands of those who believed my demise was just.
As I languished in my desolation, the heavy door to the dungeons creaked open, and to my surprise, it was Jasmine who stepped inside.
"Well, well, well, it seems the thorn in my side is finally about to be removed. You have no idea how joyous I am in this very moment," Jasmine sneered, her face exuding an unsettling satisfaction.
"Do you despise me that much?" I mustered the strength to meet Jasmine's gaze. Indeed, she reveled in the thought of my imminent demise.
"Is that even a question? I loathe every fiber of your being. I wish you had never been born," she spat venomously.
"Why do you harbor su
