Novel & Cerita Abandoned Doll

"The pendant — the one I left on my desk. Where is it? Ryan, you're the only one who's been in my room." He was crying harder now. "I know you feel like Mom and Dad pay more attention to me, but that doesn't give you the right to steal from me. Grandma left me that pendant. It matters to me." He grabbed my arm, pleading. "Just give it back, please. I'll give you anything you want — anything but that pendant. And I'll make sure Mom and Dad start paying more attention to you too. Okay?" His sudden shift in tone threw me off enough that I flinched back, and the motion nearly knocked him off his feet.

Xavier's throat tightened, and a lump formed, constricting his breath as he watched Cathleen cradle the porcelain doll. She rocked it back and forth with a vacant stare, her fingers gently stroking the smooth surface of its face. The doll's glassy eyes gleamed in the dim light of their opulent bedroom, casting an eerie glow that matched the emptiness in Cathleen's gaze. It was a grotesque mimicry of the daughter they had lost. Each night since Bella's death, Cathleen has clung to the eerie surrogate, her grief manifesting in this haunting ritual.

She gave the first prize to Adrian because she was so happy. "Why are you smiling like that? I cringe when I see it." He doesn't know how long Adrian has been in Azzura's presence. He had even brought Azzura a cup of hot coffee. Apparently, Azzura had been daydreaming for a while. "I remember when I got that doll, Ad." Azzura pointed at the doll that had caught her attention. "Why didn't you throw it away?" Adrian shrugged his shoulders. "Every time I wanted to throw it away, it would cry because it wouldn't leave me." The man then let out a rough breath. "So, how could I possibly have the heart to throw it away?"

I'd fucking kill them. "Don't worry, baby," I cupped her face in my one hand, tracing my thumb over her rosy cheek, "We all would teach those rouges a lesson for snatching your doll from you. And you know what I have lots of dolls that you can play with and name them, how does that sound?" I could vaguely remember having all my dolls stored in the trunk in my bedroom; The trunk was an extra step I had taken so that none could steal them from me, especially my mom who was making excuses of lack of space so that she could get them out of our house.

Dorothy asked, almost in a whisper. “Yes. I still don’t get it.” I raised a brow. I was genuinely confused. Am I going to the ball to start a Go Fund Me or am I going there as a beggar? Or do billionaires nowadays share money to girls whose family is crumbling—father’s medical bill piling up and mother's scam. “Stand up Evelyn,” Dorothy said. I was hesitant at first. She held my hands and pulled me up. She dragged me to a mirror in the corner of the living room. “What do you see?” She asked.

Arren smiled when she saw a pile of toys still buried in the stone pots. She suddenly remembered the toys that used to be her favorites: dolls, dinosaurs, and various collections of books. "My toys..." she whispered, squatting down to pick up a piece of a plastic doll that had merged with the pile of soil and stones. Fourteen years ago, Arren played with that doll. She remembered it vividly because the beauty was her favorite, but it suddenly disappeared. Apparently, it had been buried under the soil and stones, unbeknownst to Arren.

If he cried, their world collapsed. The night I returned home, Carson couldn't accept it. After a dramatic breakdown, he climbed to the edge of the rooftop and screamed, "I've been abandoned! No one wants me anymore! I might as well die so Dad, Mom, and Jason can finally live happily together!" My parents lost their minds. Scrambled up to coax him down, then wouldn't leave his side for a second. Dad and Mom fed him fruit and snacks, coaxing him to eat, while I sat dizzy with hunger, ignored completely.

Her gaze moved over the abandoned hall they sat in, the dark, ugly walls, the broken chairs stacked in a corner, the space that once was filled with smiling people. “This place, it was my father’s. He owned it back when things were going well for him, for us.” Jace’s jaw tightened. He already knew where this was going, but he chose to remain silent to avoid stopping her. Clara’s voice cracked as she continued, tears sliding slowly down her cheeks. “After his fall from power, after the humiliation, everything crumbled. He lost the financial strength to keep the place alive," she stopped as a sob broke through. Jace just watched carefully. Then, she continued. "People stopped coming. The money

Some of the younger ones just stood nearby, staring with wonder. I saw a little girl, maybe seven years old, hugging a doll that had just been taken out of a box. Her eyes sparkled, her lips smiled. She stroked the doll's hair gently, like she was taking care of her own little sister. "I used to have a doll like that too," I said. Alexandro looked at me. "Used to?" "Before my parents died. A brown teddy bear. I took it everywhere with me. But after I moved to my uncle's house, that doll disappeared."

With my nudges and the stories spread among the neighbors, everyone knew Sophie had given birth and run away, never returning for the holidays or anything. Everyone assumed she’d disappeared off the face of the earth, but only I knew that my parents kept in touch with her secretly. Hearing my comment now, Mom’s face twisted with displeasure. Her sharp voice cut across the entire hall. "What nonsense are you talking about? Sophie is perfectly fine!" Instantly, everyone nearby turned to look. Mom’s embarrassment was obvious. I smiled lightly. "So you’re still in touch with her. Why doesn’t she come see her son, Caleb? Sigh. She abandoned her own child. She must not be doing well. Forget it. I