Opening
Under the hot, bright lights of a national TV set, Avery Wooler steps into the role she’s been rehearsing—brave survivor, perfect victim. As the cameras roll and the living room transforms into a studio, her story dazzles—until Casey Wong’s gentle, precise questions start to tug at every loose thread.
What Happens
Chapter 56: The Interview
Chaos fills the Wooler home as a TV crew rearranges furniture and floods the room with glare. Erin watches, strained and brittle, while Michael shuts himself in his room. Avery, exhilarated, craves their attention and approval, especially when her father, William Wooler, arrives late and grim. She takes her seat opposite Casey Wong, handpicked for her kinder interview style, and savors the moment: this is her stage.
Avery recounts the day she disappears. She notes an argument with her father but pointedly leaves out that he hit her—an omission she knows will earn his gratitude. She claims she goes to Marion Cooke’s house and wakes in a locked basement, terrified. Calmly, she offers a motive: Marion is in love with William and wants revenge on him and his mistress, Nora Blanchard, so she frames Nora’s son, Ryan Blanchard. Avery insists she knows from the start that Marion plans to kill her, adopting the pained, practiced expression she’s perfected.
The façade starts to crack. Avery mentions she and Marion watch the news together—then scrambles, claiming there’s a TV in the basement and Marion forces her to watch. Casey’s tone stays warm, but the questions sharpen: If Avery knows she’s in danger, why wait four days to escape? Avery blurts, “I didn’t think of it,” then adds a new lie about sleeping pills. The fatal slip comes when Casey asks how it feels to escape. “I was angry. She double-cross—” Avery cuts herself off, but Casey leans in: “How did she double-cross you, Avery?” Silence. Erin’s face goes slack with horror as she understands. The chapter—and the novel—ends as Casey calmly invites Avery to tell the world “what really happened, from the beginning.”
Character Development
Avery performs with confidence until the performance demands truth. Around her, the family reveals the cost of maintaining appearances while Casey demonstrates how kindness can be a scalpel.
- Avery Wooler: Her hunger for attention fuels a composed, strategic narrative that collapses under gentle pressure. The slip about being “double-crossed” exposes not just a lie but her expectation of a deal, revealing the calculating child beneath the pose.
- Erin Wooler: Seeking vindication, she instead confronts the reality of her daughter on live TV. Her control over the family’s image shatters in real time.
- Casey Wong: Introduced as sympathetic, she proves disciplined and incisive, using patience to guide Avery into self-incrimination.
- William Wooler: Momentarily relieved when Avery shields his abuse, he remains powerless as the larger catastrophe unfolds, trapped by the family’s dysfunction.
Themes & Symbols
Themes
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Deceit and Lies
This chapter is the crucible where Avery’s elaborate performance burns away. Lies thrive in private; under public scrutiny they buckle, and Avery’s quick improvisations—sleeping pills, the basement TV—only quicken the unraveling. -
Appearance vs. Reality
Avery casts herself as innocent and brave, while Casey presents as soft and nonthreatening. Both are performances. The interview’s setup—a curated living room, a carefully chosen interviewer—aims to manufacture one truth, only for the real one to break through. -
Manipulation and Control
Avery tries to steer the narrative: omitting the slap, leaning on practiced expressions, calibrating what to say and when. Casey reclaims control with patient, open-ended questions that turn Avery’s tactics against her.
Symbol
- The Television Interview
The bright lights act as a trial by fire. Avery seeks fame; the stage becomes judgment. The very spotlight she craves exposes her, transforming attention into consequence.
Key Quotes
“I didn’t think of it.”
Avery’s explanation for waiting four days to escape rings hollow. The excuse signals her panic and improvisation, alerting Casey—and the audience—that the story’s logic no longer holds.
“I was angry. She double-cross—”
This is the slip that punctures the victim narrative. The phrase suggests a plan or bargain gone wrong, recasting Avery not as prey but as a participant whose expectations weren’t met.
“How did she double-cross you, Avery?”
Casey’s gentle persistence sharpens into surgical precision. The question reframes everything, inviting a confession while publicly confirming that the interviewer has spotted the lie’s seam.
“Why don’t you tell us what really happened, from the beginning.”
The closing line signals the turning of the tide. It promises truth, implies inevitability, and leaves the confession to unfold just off the page—an ending that is both chilling and conclusive.
Why This Matters and Section Significance
The finale functions as both climax and reckoning. Instead of police or parents delivering justice, a national audience witnesses the collapse of Avery’s false narrative—poetic justice for a child who wanted attention at any cost. The interview fuses the novel’s central concerns: the fragility of curated images, the inevitability of truth under scrutiny, and the Woolers’ web of lies snapping at its most public, consequential moment. The story ends at exposure, letting the reader imagine the fallout that must follow.