Chapter Nineteen Summary: Noemi's Struggle with Denial and Grief

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Noemi receives a text from Sara confirming that Roddy left no suicide note. Overjoyed at first, Noemi feels vindicated in her belief that Roddy wouldn't have taken his own life. She quickly texts back, but Sara rebukes her apparent gloating with a harsh reminder: Roddy is still dead. The exchange shifts as Noemi defends Roddy, recounting her last visit with him two days before his death. Sara sends a photo of a cracked mirror in Roddy's apartment, suggesting he struck it. Noemi learns the door was locked when Sara arrived, and the neighbor Toad saw Roddy leave alone. Noemi struggles to accept the implication that Roddy may have destroyed the mirror in anger, but she refuses to believe he would deliberately harm his own face.