Characters I Am Not Jessica Chen Ann Liang

Cathy Liu: The Blackmailer Driven by Envy and Insecurity

Overview

Cathy Liu is a brilliant but overlooked student at Havenwood Academy in Ann Liang’s I Am Not Jessica Chen. Academically gifted — she skipped two grades and earns top scores — Cathy is nevertheless waitlisted from Harvard, a rejection that sharpens her resentment toward her classmate Jessica Chen. She becomes the anonymous blackmailer who sends Jessica threatening notes reading “I know what you’ve done.” Cathy’s accusation reveals that Jessica plagiarized her thesis, setting the central conflict of the second half of the novel. Though initially presented as an antagonist, Cathy’s character is layered with vulnerability and a desperate need to be seen, making her a foil to both Jessica and the protagonist, Jenna. By the novel’s resolution, Cathy agrees to pause her blackmail after Jenna (in Jessica’s body) promises to make things right, and Jessica ultimately decides to confess.

Plot Role

Cathy first appears as a background figure — the other top student who also applied to Harvard. In Chapter Three, Jenna (as Jessica) learns that Cathy, too, has been accepted, and briefly acknowledges her. But the anonymous notes begin shortly after: Chapter Six describes a cryptic message in Jessica’s email: “I know what you’ve done.” The mystery deepens until Chapter Fourteen, when Aaron Cai lures Cathy to a private library room and Jenna confronts her directly. There, Cathy reveals that Jessica stole her entire thesis outline. She admits she was waitlisted from Harvard, and her bitterness spills out. Jenna, empathizing with Cathy’s desperation, promises to resolve the situation within a week. Cathy agrees to stop sending notes. In Chapter Twenty-One, Jessica decides to confess to the plagiarism, which would effectively end Cathy’s campaign. Cathy thus functions as the catalyst that forces both Jessica and Jenna to confront their own ethical compromises and the cost of perfectionism.

Motivations and Traits

Cathy’s primary motivation is a sense of injustice: Jessica “borrowed” her original work and gained praise Cathy feels is rightfully hers. The plagiarism is a concrete betrayal, but the hurt runs deeper. Cathy has worked relentlessly for her achievements — skipping grades, earning awards — yet remains in Jessica’s shadow. Being waitlisted from Harvard while Jessica is accepted feels like the final insult. Cathy’s actions (sending cryptic notes, choosing to remain anonymous) show she is both proud and indirect; she wants acknowledgment but fears direct confrontation. She also exhibits a sharp perceptiveness: she recognizes her own thesis in Jessica’s submission, and she waits to act until she can no longer bear the silence. In the confrontation scene, Cathy says, “I was naive enough to think I could impress you with how smart I was,” revealing that she once admired Jessica and wanted her validation. Her jealousy is tinged with a desire for friendship that never materialized.

Chronological Arc

Cathy’s arc is not on-page but is implied through her actions and the few scenes where she appears. In the early chapters, she is a minor presence — the “other Harvard applicant” whose classmates ask if she got in. Her face is seen in the school photo (Chapter Six), but her inner world remains hidden. The notes begin around Chapter Six, escalating Jenna’s paranoia. The key turning point is Chapter Fourteen: Jenna (as Jessica) confronts Cathy and learns the truth. Cathy explains her grievance and her Harvard waitlist, and Jenna brokers a temporary truce. After that, Cathy fades from the story until Chapter Twenty-One, when Jessica announces her intention to confess. We do not see Cathy’s reaction, but the implication is that her goal — public acknowledgment of the theft — will be achieved without further conflict. Cathy’s arc thus moves from anonymous tormentor to a wronged party who, for a moment, is listened to.

Relationships

Cathy’s relationship with Jessica is built on admiration and envy. She once shared her essay outline with Jessica, trusting her as a peer. That trust was violated, and the betrayal deepens her resentment. Cathy has no close friends shown in the novel; she is isolated by her own intensity and by the pressure to perform. When Jenna (as Jessica) congratulates her in class, Cathy smiles but later writes threatening notes — a sign of her fractured feelings. Aaron Cai is instrumental in leading Cathy to the confrontation, but they are not friends; he acts as an ally for Jenna. Cathy’s relationship with Jenna is mediated through the body swap: Jenna, in Jessica’s body, hears Cathy’s story and feels an unexpected kinship. Jenna reflects, “I have so much in common with the girl who’s been blackmailing my own cousin,” recognizing their shared jealousy and insecurity. This moment of empathy allows a temporary resolution.

Key Decisions and Consequences

Cathy’s decision to send anonymous blackmail notes is risky. It could destroy Jessica’s reputation, but it could also backfire if exposed. The consequence is that Jenna (as Jessica) becomes paranoid and eventually discovers the truth. Cathy’s second key decision is to accept Jenna’s promise of a resolution within a week. She could have escalated — gone to the school administration or leaked the evidence publicly — but she chooses to wait, perhaps hoping for a confession or for Jessica to suffer longer. This decision allows the story to focus on Jenna’s internal struggle rather than an external scandal. The ultimate consequence is that Jessica, after her own growth, confesses voluntarily. Cathy’s blackmail thus becomes unnecessary, but she still achieves her aim: Jessica’s integrity is restored through honesty.

Theme and Symbol Connections

Cathy embodies several themes explored on the companion pages:

  • Identity and Comparison: Cathy defines herself in relation to Jessica. She feels invisible and unfair, which drives her to act. Her self-worth is contingent on beating Jessica.
  • Impostor Syndrome and Perfectionism: Despite her achievements, Cathy feels she must prove herself. The Harvard waitlist confirms her fear that she is not good enough, leading her to lash out.
  • Family Expectations: Although not directly shown, Cathy likely faces immense pressure from her family to succeed — a parallel to both Jessica and Jenna.
  • Memory and Erasure: Cathy’s story is nearly erased from the narrative until the confrontation. Her notes are a desperate attempt to be remembered.
  • Self-Acceptance: Cathy cannot accept herself as worthy unless she exceeds Jessica. Only when Jenna empathizes with her pain does she pause, hinting at a possible future growth.

Symbolically, the anonymous notes represent hidden truths that cannot stay buried. Cathy’s face in the school photo (Chapter Six) remains clear while Jenna’s is blurred — suggesting that Cathy, unlike Jenna, still exists in the world’s memory, but only as a rival, not as an individual.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Why does Cathy blackmail Jessica?
    Cathy blackmails Jessica because Jessica plagiarized her thesis outline. Feeling betrayed and overshadowed, and hurt by being waitlisted from Harvard while Jessica was accepted, Cathy uses anonymous notes to demand a confession.

  2. How does Cathy react when Jenna confronts her?
    In Chapter Fourteen, Cathy is initially defensive and accuses Jessica of theft. But when Jenna (in Jessica’s body) expresses empathy and admits her own desperation, Cathy agrees to pause the blackmail for one week.

  3. What does Cathy’s Harvard waitlist reveal about her character?
    It reveals that Cathy, like Jessica and Jenna, defines her self‑worth by external validation. Being waitlisted feels like a public judgment of inadequacy, deepening her insecurity and resentment.

  4. How does Cathy mirror Jenna?
    Both girls are jealous of Jessica and feel invisible in her shadow. Jenna says she has “so much in common” with Cathy. Their shared desperation highlights the theme that comparison breeds self‑loathing.

  5. Does Cathy get a resolution by the end of the novel?
    Yes, indirectly. Jessica decides to confess to the plagiarism in Chapter Twenty-One. Cathy’s goal — acknowledgment of the theft — is thus fulfilled, and the story implies that she will no longer need to pursue blackmail.