Who is Val from Possession: A Romance and what is their importance?

Val is Roland Michell's girlfriend. She has straight brown hair and a pale face, and she is intelligent, scholarly, and very hard on herself. Val is shy about sharing her opinions and unsure of her intellectual ability, so she takes menial jobs as a secretary to make money and gives up on any dreams of becoming a paid scholar. Val's mother lives on social security in Croydon. Her father is in the Merchant Navy, and she has not seen him since she was five years old. Val is stuck in an unfulfilling relationship with Roland, but she eventually breaks free and finds true happiness with Euan MacIntyre.