Chapter 7 Summary: Maya's Perspective

⚠️ 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

After dinner, Maya and Perrie return to the ballroom to find it transformed into a full wardrobe and styling space, with racks of gowns, heels, and jewelry. Isaac, Maya’s producer, immediately pulls her away from Perrie and brings her to Skye, who is being fitted into a black gown. Skye ignores Maya’s greeting and looks past her with a smug smile, reigniting the cold war between them. Maya reminds herself to stay calm because cameras will be present all night.

A red-haired stylist named Saskia brings Maya a rack of dresses and invites her to try them on. Maya chooses a private room to change, then models each gown for Isaac and Skye (whom she pointedly ignores). She rejects a red sequined dress, a sky-blue ball gown that doesn’t fit properly, and a champagne silk dress she finds too revealing. She also dismisses a forest-green empire-waist dress as too plain. The gown that catches her eye is a lavender-gray tulle creation with off-the-shoulder sleeves and floral details on the bodice. When she puts it on, she feels beautiful for the first time in a long while.

While admiring herself in the mirror, Maya reflects on her modest upbringing—her mother supported the family alone—and on Jordy’s past dismissals of her intelligence. She recalls a comment he made about her not being college material because of a grammar mistake. She resolves to become a doctor so that no one will ever call her dumb or trashy again.

Saskia makes temporary alterations, and Maya receives strappy heels and a Tiffany swan pendant. The contestants are then herded outside for a portrait photoshoot. Skye goes first and poses confidently; Maya struggles to look natural, remembering her mother’s instructions to smile bigger, which left her self-conscious about her expressions. Perrie, wearing a champagne gown, jokes about the photographer’s lack of artistry. After several attempts, Maya gets a usable shot (though she isn’t allowed to see it).

Wine and champagne are handed out. Maya takes a sip and finds it tastes like sour swamp water, so she discreetly spits it back into her glass. The group is then instructed to perform repeated staged glass-clinking shots for the cameras, which they do eleven more times. Mic-packs are attached to the contestants’ backs, with a rule that they must stay on at all times during filming.

The host, Grayson Gains, is introduced. Maya has never seen him before, but he delivers a welcome speech multiple times for the cameras, urging the women to treat this as a fresh start with Jordy and to leave their baggage behind. After several takes, the cameras move away, and Jordy Miller appears in the distance, walking toward the group. Maya’s stomach plunges as she recognizes him.

Key Events

The ballroom is converted into a wardrobe space, and Maya is introduced to stylist Saskia.
Maya tries on several gowns and selects a lavender-gray tulle dress with floral details.
Maya reflects on her childhood and Jordy’s past insults, reaffirming her goal to become a doctor.
Saskia makes alterations and provides shoes and a pendant.
The contestants participate in a portrait photoshoot; Maya struggles to pose naturally.
Wine is served, and Maya dislikes the taste.
The group performs repeated staged glass-clinking shots for the cameras.
Mic-packs are attached, with rules about keeping them on.
Host Grayson Gains is introduced and delivers his welcome speech multiple times.
Jordy Miller approaches in the distance, and Maya reacts with dread.

Character Development

Maya emerges as a character caught between insecurity and fierce ambition. Her reaction to the gowns reveals her desire to feel beautiful and worthy, but also her awareness of her financial background. The memory of Jordy’s condescension about her intelligence fuels her determination to become a doctor—a goal she frames as a way to prove him wrong. Her internal monologue is laced with humor and self-deprecation, especially when she struggles to pose for photos or when she spits out the wine. Yet she also shows restraint: she resists engaging with Skye’s provocations, reminding herself that cameras are watching.

Skye continues to be a source of tension. She ignores Maya’s greeting, smirks, and later scans Maya’s dress with annoyance. Her behavior reinforces the cold war between them, though she stops short of open hostility because of the cameras.

Perrie serves as a supportive friend, offering compliments and sharing Maya’s skepticism about the photographer’s skills. Her presence gives Maya a moment of relief from the pressure.

Saskia is professional and kind, helping Maya choose a dress and making alterations without judgment.

Grayson Gains is introduced as a blandly handsome host who repeats his lines mechanically, highlighting the artificiality of the production.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Class and wealth disparity are central. Maya’s reflection on her mother’s single-income household and Jordy’s designer labels underscores the economic gap between her and the other contestants. The expensive gowns and jewelry symbolize a world she never had access to, and her plan to become a doctor is a direct response to Jordy’s implication that she isn’t smart enough to earn money.

Ambition and self-improvement appear in Maya’s vow to become a doctor. The dress becomes a temporary symbol of the life she hopes to achieve, but she knows it’s only a costume for the show.

Reality TV artificiality is everywhere: the repeated takes of the glass-clinking, Grayson’s multiple welcome speeches, and the staged photo shoots. Maya’s awareness of the cameras—and her decision to behave carefully because of them—shows how the production shapes behavior.

Surveillance and constant recording are reinforced by the mic-packs and the rule that they must stay on at all times. Maya’s internal reminder to keep her cool because of cameras demonstrates how the show’s presence alters her actions.

Transformation through appearance is explored through the dress fitting. Maya feels like a “fairy princess” for a moment, but the feeling is fleeting, and she remains self-conscious about her smile and posing.

Self-image and insecurity are evident in Maya’s struggle to pose naturally and her memory of her mother’s instructions to smile bigger. She worries that her smile looks “possessed” when she can’t see it.

Inexperience and feeling out of place surface when Maya is offered wine in public for the first time and when she observes how easily the other women drink. She feels less experienced than them, even though she’s legally allowed to drink.

Past relationship baggage is the chapter’s emotional core. Maya’s memories of Jordy’s insults and her reaction to his approach show that she hasn’t moved on, despite her determination to prove him wrong.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter sets the stage for the first major event of the show: the party where the contestants will meet Jordy. It establishes Maya’s internal motivations—her desire to become a doctor and to prove Jordy wrong—while also introducing the production’s artificiality and the constant surveillance that will shape every interaction. The cold war with Skye is reinforced, and Perrie is solidified as Maya’s ally. The chapter also introduces the host, Grayson Gains, and the rules of the show, making it clear that the contestants are performers in a carefully staged production. Maya’s reaction to Jordy’s approach—her stomach plunging—signals that the emotional stakes are high and that her past with him is far from resolved.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Maya choose the lavender-gray tulle dress over the other options?

Maya is drawn to the dress because it makes her feel beautiful—something she isn’t used to. She rejects the red dress as too flashy, the blue ball gown as ill-fitting, the champagne dress as too revealing, and the green dress as too plain. The lavender-gray gown, with its floral details and floaty layers, feels both elegant and unique, and when she puts it on, she sees herself in a new light.

How does Maya’s memory of Jordy’s comment about her intelligence affect her goals?

Jordy once implied that Maya wasn’t smart enough to go to college because she used the wrong “they’re.” That memory fuels her determination to become a doctor. She explicitly thinks that when she’s a doctor, no one will ever call her dumb or trashy again. Her ambition is thus a direct response to his condescension, showing that she is motivated by a desire to prove him wrong.

What does the repeated staging of the glass-clinking and Grayson’s speech reveal about the show’s production?

The repeated takes—eleven more times for the glass-clink, and seven more times for Grayson’s welcome—highlight the artificiality of reality TV. The show is not capturing spontaneous moments but carefully choreographed scenes designed to look natural. This reinforces the theme that the contestants are performers, and their behavior is shaped by the need to produce usable footage.