Sofia's father had a long, narrow hole in his back, his internal organs and spine completely gone, replaced by a wooden pole.
Cao Kun said in a deep voice, "Have you forgotten how I warned you not to scream?"
Thankfully, your stepmother has left; otherwise, you might be dead by now.
Sofia didn't care about anything else and pointed at the person on the bed, saying, "What...what happened to my father?"
Cao Kun: "Haven't you realized yet? Your father is dead and has been turned into a puppet."
That person is your stepmother.
The impact of this information was too great for Sophia to accept for a moment. She stood there blankly, staring at the corpse on the bed without moving.
Cao Kun: "The reason your servants think your father is alright is because your stepmother is manipulating things with that wooden stick."
"If I'm not mistaken, your stepmother never allowed your family's servants to have close contact with your father."
"With your stepmother's perfect manipulation, they would naturally not notice anything from a distance without any suspicion."
"Moreover, your stepmother knows that your father has a lot of influence in the town, and if he doesn't show up for a long time, it will arouse suspicion."
"So, every now and then, your stepmother would take your father and drive around the town, deliberately making sure he was seen by people."
"In addition, she can use ventriloquism and can imitate your father's voice, so no one will find out that your father is already dead."
Sofia's face grew increasingly pale, completely devoid of color.
"Why, why would she do that?"
Sofia was completely baffled.
“She’s seeking revenge,” Cao Kun asked. “Have you heard the story of Mary Shaw?”
"I've heard of her. Everyone in our town knows her. There's also a nursery rhyme about her."
Sophia read aloud almost without thinking: “Beware of Mary Shaw’s gaze;”
She had no children, only dolls;
If you see her, don't scream;
Otherwise she'll tear your mouth open and rip you off..."
Before she could finish reading, Sophia had already fully understood.
She involuntarily took two steps back: "It's Mary Shaw, she's back for revenge. No wonder you told me not to scream, it was Mary Shaw. I should have known, I should have known about her..."
Cao Kun asked in surprise, "You knew she would come for revenge?"
Sofia: "I know a little about it. I heard adults talk about it when I was little..."
Sofia began to tell the story she knew about Mary Shaw.
After listening, Cao Kun nodded: "That's about right, but what you don't know is that the person who killed Mary Shaw was your ancestor."
It's either your grandfather or your great-grandfather.
"Huh?" Sophia looked shocked; she really didn't know that.
Cao Kun: "Your entire family is the target of Mary Shaw's revenge. She wants to kill you all and turn you into dolls."
That's why your sister-in-law died—because she was pregnant with a child from your family.
Sofia's face turned even paler, like a dead person.
Suddenly, she remembered something: "Master Cao Kun, why did you say that my stepmother killed my father? Could she be Mary Shaw?"
Cao Kun: "That's right, your stepmother is Mary Shaw."
“That’s impossible,” Sophia said firmly. “She is a person. I’ve met her. She can’t be Mary Shaw.”
“How much have you even touched on this kind of thing?” Cao Kun said. “Mary Shaw’s biggest wish is to create a perfect doll.”
Do you know what a perfect doll is?
Sofia shook her head, indicating that she didn't know.
Cao Kun: "A perfect doll is a doll that looks exactly like a real person, with no difference between them. That is a perfect doll."
Your stepmother is just like that doll.
"Huh?" Sophia exclaimed incredulously, "There are dolls like this?"
Cao Kun: "Mary Shaw killed countless people in order to create the perfect doll."
It is said that the puppets she performed with were actually made from the corpses of the children she killed.
Even after her death, the plan continued, and finally, she succeeded in creating the perfect doll of your stepmother.
Sofia's face was extremely pale. She looked at her father, her eyes filled with sorrow.
She stood quietly by the bed, remaining motionless for a long time.
After a long while, she finally spoke angrily: "Master Cao Kun, please kill Mary Shaw and avenge my father."
Cao Kun: "Your father's grudge has nothing to do with me. However, killing Mary Shaw was something we agreed upon beforehand, and I will naturally do it."
Sofia didn't care about the implications: "Can you find her?"
Cao Kun shook the doll with a talisman attached to it: "I've kept this all this time to find her. But you'd better call the police first."
Sofia didn't delay any longer, took out her phone, and made a call.
He didn't call 911; he called a private number directly.
After exchanging only a few words, she hung up the phone and said to Cao Kun, "Sheriff Frank will be here with his men soon."
Cao Kun nodded slightly, then heard Sophia say, "You said before that if we were to call the police, we should do it twice, together. Did you already know that my father was dead?"
Cao Kun: "It's not hard to guess."
Sofia: "Why?"
Cao Kun: "From this doll, I knew all along that it was Mary Shaw who wanted to kill you."
Knowing her personality, how could she possibly let your father off the hook?
Sofia thought for a moment and said, "That makes sense."
Her face showed admiration: "Master Cao Kun, you are really amazing. It is my good fortune to be able to invite you."
Cao Kun waved his hand, remaining outwardly calm, but inwardly he thought, "What do I know? If I hadn't seen the movie beforehand, I would have no idea how I knew anything."
Sofia went to the bedside again: "Before, my father and I often argued. We would quarrel over the smallest things."
I hated him so much back then.
Now I realize that he knew Mary Shaw was back all along, and he deliberately started a fight with me so that I would move out and avoid Mary Shaw.
Cao Kun nodded. It seemed that the male protagonist in the movie also moved to another place by himself for the same reason.
Sophia's eyes were filled with sorrow: "Master Cao Kun, could you let me be alone with my father for a while?"
Cao Kun: "No, this is too dangerous."
Sofia didn't insist. She stood in front of the bed and whispered to the corpse on it.
This scene, at first glance, is somewhat terrifying, but more than that, it evokes sadness.
Suddenly, Sophia felt a tightness around her feet, as if something was wrapping around them.
The thing was wet, soft, slippery, and extremely sticky, making Sophia feel uncomfortable.
She looked down and was immediately terrified.
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