Chapter 32 Summary, Analysis, and Discussion Questions

⚠️ 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

The chapter opens with a fire alarm blaring through the Bentley Hotel, forcing all 310 rooms to evacuate. Nisha, still hiding under the Frobishers' bed, seizes the moment. She grabs the red high heels, places a printed screenshot on the bedside table (evidence of Liz Frobisher's cat-dumping), and slips out into the stream of panicked guests. She is swept along the corridor, clutching the shoes to her chest, determined to escape the room and everything it represents.

Outside, Sam and Jasmine wait by the back entrance. Sam, who triggered the alarm, watches the chaos unfold—hundreds of guests spilling onto the pavement, staff milling about, chefs lamenting ruined dishes. Overwhelmed by the absurdity of what she has done, Sam begins to laugh uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face. Jasmine stares at her in disbelief, but Sam can't stop.

Inside the hotel, Nisha spots Ari in the crowd. He locks eyes on the shoes and pushes toward her. Nisha darts into the stairwell, then ducks out on the first floor, squeezing through the crowd to reach a service elevator. She slams the button just as Ari's face appears in the closing doors. The elevator takes her to the ground floor, and she sprints through the foyer into the kitchens, where she finds Aleks. He immediately understands the danger and ushers her into the refrigerator room, punching a code to seal the heavy door behind them.

The room is freezing, lined with hanging carcasses and industrial shelves. Aleks explains that the door cannot be opened from the inside—a faulty mechanism—so they must wait until the alarm clears. As they huddle together, Aleks wraps his chef's jacket around Nisha and pulls her close to warm her. The intimacy of the moment builds; they kiss, and the half-hour passes in a blur of heat and connection. When André finally opens the door, they emerge with suspiciously blank expressions, Nisha wearing Aleks's jacket and two broken eggs sliding down her back.

They leave through a side exit and walk arm in arm to Jasmine's apartment. Nisha feels a deep, unfamiliar peace—a calm she has never known. At the apartment, Jasmine, Sam, Andrea, and Grace are waiting with prosecco. The celebration is raucous: they toast Nisha's success, laugh about the Frobishers' interrupted interlude, and marvel at the screenshot Nisha left behind. Nisha walks over to Sam, thanks her sincerely, and hugs her—a gesture that surprises everyone, including Sam.

As the evening winds down, Nisha asks to see the shoes. Aleks retrieves them from his backpack, and Nisha places them on the coffee table. She stares at them with growing anger, realizing they are just a tool Carl used to control her. In a sudden burst of frustration, she snaps the heel off one shoe—and a shower of diamonds spills out. The room falls silent. They pry off the other heel and find more diamonds. Nisha realizes Carl has been using her as an unwitting mule, smuggling gems across borders in her shoes. The diamonds are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, perhaps more.

Later, at nearly 2 a.m., Nisha steps onto the balcony and calls her son Ray. He is miserable at his treatment facility, lonely and convinced she will never come for him. Nisha promises she will come get him soon, even if she has to swim the Atlantic. Ray laughs reluctantly but ends the call. As panic begins to set in, her phone pings with a text from Juliana: Yes this is still my number.

Key Events

The fire alarm empties the Bentley Hotel, giving Nisha the chance to escape with the shoes.
Sam triggers the alarm and laughs uncontrollably at the chaos she has caused.
Nisha spots Ari in the crowd and flees through a service elevator into the kitchens.
Aleks hides Nisha in the refrigerator room; they share an intimate moment while waiting for the alarm to clear.
The group celebrates at Jasmine's apartment with prosecco, and Nisha thanks Sam with a hug.
Nisha breaks the heel of one shoe, revealing a hidden stash of diamonds.
Nisha calls Ray at 2 a.m., promising to come get him soon.
Nisha receives a text from Juliana, hinting at a new connection.

Character Development

Nisha undergoes a profound shift in this chapter. She moves from passive victim to active agent, reclaiming the shoes and, more importantly, her sense of self. Her realization that Carl used her as a smuggler—an unwitting mule—shatters any remaining illusions about their marriage. She sees herself as a possession, an object, and finally understands the depth of his disrespect. Yet this knowledge also liberates her: she no longer cares about the shoes themselves, only what they can win her. Her promise to Ray, made with fierce determination, shows her commitment to being a better mother, even if it means swimming the Atlantic.

Sam experiences a complex emotional arc. Her laughter at the fire alarm is both cathartic and unsettling—a release of the tension she has carried since losing her job and husband. But as the celebration continues, she feels a deep sadness, watching Nisha and Aleks connect while she has lost everything. Andrea notices her distress and promises to talk later, hinting at unresolved pain.

Aleks emerges as a calm, steady presence. He acts quickly to protect Nisha, shares his warmth without hesitation, and remains unflustered by the chaos. His quiet reassurance helps Nisha feel safe, and their connection deepens into something real.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Shoes as a symbol of control: The red heels represent Carl's manipulation—he uses them to keep Nisha running, to assert dominance, and ultimately to smuggle diamonds. Breaking the heel is Nisha's act of defiance, shattering the symbol of his power.
Hidden truth: The diamonds hidden in the heels symbolize the secrets and lies at the core of Carl and Nisha's marriage. The discovery forces Nisha to confront the reality of her husband's criminality and her own complicity.
Freedom and self-discovery: Nisha's escape from the hotel, her intimate moment with Aleks, and her decision to prioritize Ray all signal her journey toward independence. She begins to understand what she truly wants, separate from Carl's expectations.
Maternal promise: Nisha's vow to Ray—