Naomi's Chapter: Summary and Analysis

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

The chapter is told from Naomi's perspective in April 2023, one month before her death, and it reveals a devastating betrayal that reshapes everything she thought she knew about the people closest to her.

Summary

The chapter opens with Naomi describing the aftermath of Amy's YourFans video being projected to their class. For days, Amy refuses to eat or leave her room, her eyes swollen from crying. When she finally emerges, she tells Naomi that the video is all over the internet and that she will lose her job offer at the Times. Naomi tries to comfort her, pointing out that no one knew the man in the video was a stranger and that Amy needed the money for school, but Amy is inconsolable. She insists that the video is out there forever, and that the reason she made it won't matter.

Naomi then recalls that Amy's laptop had been stolen a few weeks earlier. There was no sign of a break-in, and Amy had wiped the device remotely, but she now realizes the thief could have already accessed her YourFans account. The two sit with the horrifying implication that the video was deliberately leaked.

The next morning, Amy receives an email from Tina Davenport, the Director of Human Resources at the Times, rescinding her job offer. The email states that the company holds employees to a high standard and that Amy's explicit content is not an appropriate image for the organization. A follow-up phone call from Tina, on speakerphone, explains that the video was deemed pornography and that the company cannot have a sex industry worker on staff, especially in the current political climate. Zee reacts with anger, questioning why men are so threatened by women's bodies.

With the Times no longer supporting them, Naomi, Amy, and Zee are forced to abandon their investigation into Professor DuPont. Naomi feels they have failed Lila, the Times, and themselves. She retreats to her bedroom, sits in the dark, and lets her head throb.

The following weekend, Liam is away at a tennis tournament, so Naomi spends a rare night alone. She looks at the flight itinerary for two tickets to Croatia that Liam surprised her with the night before. He had told her he wanted to spend the entire summer with her, that he couldn't stand the thought of not seeing her every day. He confessed, “I'm falling in love with you.” Naomi felt a surge of emotion but also panic, thinking back to the last time she said those words. She couldn't say it back, but Liam gently brushed her cheek and said it was okay. She told him she liked him so much, and he kissed her.

Later that night, Naomi receives a text from Ben, who says he knows it's none of his business but sends a photo. The photo shows Liam in a campus cloister with Professor DuPont, and between them is a laptop with a Totoro sticker—Amy's stolen laptop. Naomi goes cold. She remembers that Liam borrowed her key in December and could have made a copy. The implication is devastating: DuPont may have enlisted Liam to find out how much they knew.

Key Events

Amy emerges from days of isolation, convinced her YourFans video is online and she will lose her Times job offer.
Naomi connects the video leak to Amy's stolen laptop, which had been taken without a break-in.
The Times formally rescinds Amy's offer via email from Tina Davenport, followed by a phone call explaining the video was deemed pornography.
The trio abandons their investigation into Professor DuPont due to lack of support from the Times.
Naomi recalls Liam's surprise Croatia trip and his confession of love, which she cannot reciprocate.
Ben sends Naomi a photo of Liam handing Amy's stolen laptop to Professor DuPont in a campus cloister.
Naomi realizes Liam may have copied her key and been working with DuPont to spy on them.

Character Development

This chapter deepens Naomi's emotional arc. She is shown as a loyal friend, trying to comfort Amy even when she knows the situation is hopeless. Her own vulnerability emerges in her interaction with Liam: she is clearly falling for him, but the memory of a past relationship where she said “I love you” and was hurt makes her hesitate. This moment of hesitation becomes tragically ironic when she later discovers Liam's betrayal.

Amy's character is defined by her shame and desperation. She refuses the university's offer to investigate the video leak because she is too embarrassed, and she clings to the hope that the Times job will save her from her circumstances. The loss of that job is a crushing blow that strips away her last source of hope.

Liam's character is revealed to be duplicitous. Throughout the book, he has been presented as a charming, supportive boyfriend, but this chapter exposes him as potentially complicit in a conspiracy against Naomi and her friends. His confession of love now seems like a manipulation tactic, and his gift of the Croatia trip may have been a way to keep Naomi close while he fed information to DuPont.

Ben's role is also significant. He is the one who exposes Liam's actions, even though he admits it's “none of his business.” This suggests he may have been watching out for Naomi all along, or that he has his own agenda.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Public Shaming and Digital Permanence: The chapter powerfully illustrates how a single video can destroy a person's reputation and future. Amy's words, “It's out there forever,” underscore the theme of digital permanence—the idea that online content cannot be erased, no matter how much one tries. The public projection of the video in class is a form of shaming that strips Amy of her dignity and forces her into hiding.

Class Disparity: Naomi's attempt to explain Amy's actions by pointing out that she needed money for school highlights the class divide between the wealthy students and those like Amy who struggle financially. The Times' decision to rescind the offer is framed as a moral judgment that disproportionately affects those without privilege.

Betrayal and Conspiracy: The chapter's climax is a betrayal on multiple levels. Liam's involvement with DuPont suggests a conspiracy to undermine Naomi and her friends' investigation. The stolen laptop becomes a symbol of that betrayal—an object that was meant to be private but was used as a weapon.

Vulnerability in Love: Naomi's inability to say “I love you” back to Liam reveals her emotional guardedness, a result of past trauma. This vulnerability is exploited by Liam, who uses her feelings to get close to her.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a turning point in the novel. It confirms that the conspiracy surrounding Professor DuPont is more extensive than Naomi imagined, and it implicates Liam, a character who has been central to Naomi's personal life. The discovery of the photo forces Naomi to question everything she thought she knew about Liam, and it sets the stage for the final confrontation. The chapter also solidifies Amy's tragic fate—her loss of the Times job removes her last reason to stay at the university, and her despair likely contributes to the events leading to her death.

For Naomi, this chapter marks the moment when her trust is shattered. She has already lost her best friend to shame and despair, and now she learns that the man she was falling for may have been working against her. This emotional devastation makes her subsequent actions in the final chapters more understandable and more tragic.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Naomi hesitate to say “I love you” back to Liam, and how does this hesitation foreshadow the chapter's ending?

Naomi hesitates because she is thinking about the last time she said those words, which likely ended in heartbreak. This hesitation shows that she is emotionally guarded and afraid of being hurt again. It foreshadows the ending because Liam's confession of love is revealed to be insincere—he is using her feelings to get close to her and spy on her. Her instinct to hold back may have been a subconscious warning that something was wrong.

2. How does the theft of Amy's laptop connect to the larger conspiracy in the novel?

The laptop is stolen without a break-in, suggesting someone with access to Amy's living space took it. Naomi later realizes that Liam borrowed her key in December and could have made a copy. The photo from Ben shows Liam handing the laptop to Professor DuPont, confirming that the theft was part of a coordinated effort to obtain Amy's YourFans videos and use them to destroy her credibility and force the trio to abandon their investigation.

3. What does the Times' decision to rescind Amy's job offer reveal about the novel's critique of institutional power?

The Times, as an institution, claims to hold its employees to a “high standard of behavior,” but the decision is clearly influenced by political pressure and the stigma against sex work. The phone call from Tina Davenport reveals that the men in the office were “deeply offended,” suggesting that the institution is more concerned with appearances than with fairness. This critique extends to the university, which offers to investigate but is refused by Amy, and to the broader power structures that allow people like DuPont to manipulate others without consequence.