One Stormy Night

It all spiraled out of control when Lydia became convinced that Joan Baxter, the daughter of Tony Baxter—a longtime family friend of the Sutherlands—was their lost child.

At first, her interest seemed harmless, even understandable. Lydia gravitated toward Joan, who was just days older than their late daughter. Friends and family hoped this connection might provide Lydia with some solace. The Baxters, empathizing with Lydia's pain, kindly allowed her to spend time with Joan, thinking it might ease the deep wound in her heart.

But what started as a tender attempt at healing soon veered into obsession. Lydia became increasingly convinced that their baby had been swapped at birth. She drew elaborate conclusions, claiming that the child diagnosed with Trisomy-18, who later passed away, couldn't have been her biological daughter. Joan, healthy and thriving, had to be hers.