Chapter 17

Summary

• The protagonist, Leah, receives a weekly call from her mother, a tradition she shares with her sister Rebecca, who is very independent and has excelled in her field of medicine following their mother's push for success after their father left. Leah took a different path, studying journalism and veering into deep relationships without a back-up plan.
• There's an unspoken tension and competition between Leah and Rebecca instilled by their mother, but they still share a deep connection. Leah often feels the need to prove herself after having taken a less practical, less secure route compared to her sister.
• During her phone conversation with her mother, Leah is coy about her personal life and doesn't divulge much detail, only mentioning that she went out with a co-worker. She also reaffirms her decision to stay in her current job, to her mother's dismay who still expects that she will return to journalism.
• Leah is startled by what she perceives as a shadow and a few noises outside her home. She ends the call with her mother and investigates, only to find nothing. She suspects it may be linked to a previous incident involving an anonymously left newspaper.
• Leah feels threatened and decides to leave her house impulsively, packing some essentials and taking refuge at a local inn where she had previously been searching for her friend Emmy, who had disappeared after being seen with a man named James Finley. His criminal reputation made Leah fear for Emmy's safety, and now her own.
• This experience leads Leah to reflect on the harsh reality for women in situations like hers, where any harm that might befall them is often dismissed as their own fault due to their choices or circumstances.