Chapter 39 Summary: Ava – The Night That Changed Everything

Spoiler Notice

This chapter contains graphic depictions of sexual assault and murder.

Summary

The flashback opens with Ava regaining consciousness in her car after nearly colliding with a lorry. She is disoriented and alone on a dimly lit street. Oliver, a man she considered a friend, arrives. He appears concerned at first but quickly becomes aggressive. He grabs her waist, smells of alcohol and cigarettes, and refuses to let her drive home alone. When Ava pushes him away, Oliver accuses her of being an attention seeker and slaps her hard, splitting her lip. He then forces her against the car and begins to assault her, tearing her dress and attempting rape. Ava, terrified and struggling, pleads for help and wishes for a lightning strike to kill him.

Oliver’s attack is abruptly interrupted. He is pulled off Ava and beaten mercilessly by Eli – a man she least expected to save her. Eli punches Oliver repeatedly in the face, showing no emotion. Oliver stops moving, and Eli continues to kick him until he is clearly dead. Eli then rises, calmly states that killing feels “disappointingly not euphoric,” and turns his cold gaze to Ava. He removes his jacket and covers her trembling body.

When Ava suggests calling an ambulance, Eli threatens to report her as an accomplice if she ever speaks of the murder. He presents a choice: they stay afloat together or drown together. Ava nods in agreement. Eli then strokes her lip and proposes marriage as the condition to keep their secret safe. Ava, still in shock, accepts.

Key Events

Ava nearly crashes into a lorry and stops her car, disoriented.
Oliver arrives, becomes abusive, and attempts to rape her.
Eli intervenes and beats Oliver to death with chilling indifference.
Eli threatens to frame Ava as an accomplice to ensure her silence.
Eli proposes marriage, framing it as a mutual survival pact.

Character Development

Ava’s vulnerability is starkly revealed in this flashback. She misjudged Oliver’s character and ignored earlier warnings about his violence. During the assault, she dissociates and wishes for death to escape, then feels moral conflict after Eli kills him. Her acceptance of Eli’s proposal marks a turning point: she sacrifices her agency to survive, binding herself to a man she now sees as a “cruel, unforgiving god.”

Eli is shown as methodical and utterly without remorse. He kills Oliver not with rage but with cold calculation, and immediately thinks of leverage. His calm demeanor and immediate shift to a marriage proposal reveal a man who views violence and coercion as practical tools.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Violence as a bond: Eli and Ava’s marriage is born from a shared secret of murder, not love. The violence both traumatizes Ava and ties her to Eli.

Coercion and control: Eli’s threat to make Ava an accomplice strips her of choice. He dictates the terms of their alliance, mirroring the power imbalance that Oliver tried to exploit.

Dissociation and memory: Ava wishes she could forget the assault, just as she forgot a cello piece during a competition. Her hope to bury the trauma foreshadows the psychological effects she carries into the present.

The deal with the devil: Eli’s proposal is a Faustian bargain – safety in exchange for submission and secrecy.

Why This Chapter Matters

This flashback provides the foundational event for Eli and Ava’s relationship in the present timeline. It reveals that their marriage is not romantic but coercive, rooted in Eli’s willingness to kill and Ava’s desperate need to survive. It also establishes Eli’s character as a man capable of extreme violence without guilt, and Ava’s moral compromise that shapes her actions throughout the novel.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Eli propose marriage to Ava after killing Oliver?
Eli uses marriage as a tool to enforce secrecy and mutual loyalty. He phrases it as a survival pact: “We stay afloat together or we drown together.” The proposal ensures Ava has as much to lose as he does if the murder is exposed.
What does Ava’s wish for lightning reveal about her state of mind?
In her desperation, Ava prays for Oliver’s death, which Eli then fulfills. This wish shows her trauma-induced desire for escape, and later creates guilt and complicity when she accepts the consequences.
How does Eli’s reaction to the murder contrast with Oliver’s violence?
Oliver’s violence is impulsive and driven by entitlement and rage. Eli’s violence is methodical, emotionless, and calculated; he describes killing as “disappointingly not euphoric.” This contrast highlights Eli’s more dangerous, controlled nature and his ability to use violence strategically.