Summary

In Chapter 1, Lauren comes home late from her friend Elena’s bachelorette party and a man she does not recognize comes down the attic stairs. She threatens to call the police, convinced he is a burglar. The man tries to calm her down, calling her by her name. Lauren considers contacting her downstairs neighbors, Toby and Maryam, while preparing to throw her cactus from Elena’s party at the man. Then she sees wedding photos of her and the man around the flat and realizes he is her husband. He calms her down, helps her onto the sofa, and goes to bed. Lauren lies awake thinking about the “strange man in her house” (6).

In Chapter 2, the husband makes breakfast for Lauren in the morning. She pretends everything is okay while trying to remember what happened last night. Then she goes for a walk...