Chapter summaries The Boyfriend Freida McFadden

Chapter 37 Summary: Date Six in Chinatown

⚠️ 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

Sydney and Tom meet for their sixth date at a dim sum restaurant in Chinatown. Before Tom arrives, Sydney’s mother calls, pressuring her about marriage and children. Sydney admits she is seeing someone, describing Tom as a doctor. Tom gives money to a homeless man and seems uncomfortable when Sydney objects to his graphic medical story. At the restaurant, they encounter Velma Stewart, a widow whose husband Tom autopsied; she thanks him for his kindness and listening ear. Shortly after, Tom reveals his last name is actually Brewer, not Brown as he had previously told Sydney. While he washes his hands, Sydney searches “Thomas Brewer MD pathologist” and gets a hit, suggesting something significant.

Key Events

  • Sydney takes a call from her mother, who hints that Sydney should have children soon and is thrilled to learn Sydney is dating a doctor.
  • Tom arrives by taxi, changes clothes, and gives money to a homeless man—an act Sydney notes he often does.
  • Tom attempts to share a detailed story about a firecracker injury, but Sydney shuts him down; he becomes briefly crestfallen.
  • At the dim sum restaurant, Velma Stewart recognizes Tom and thanks him for his compassion after her husband’s autopsy.
  • Tom confesses that he originally wanted to become a surgeon but changed his mind, though he does not explain why.
  • Sydney corrects Tom about his last name; he insists it is Brewer, not Brown, claiming she must have misheard him.
  • When Tom goes to the bathroom, Sydney runs an internet search for “Thomas Brewer MD pathologist” and finds a hit.

Character Development

Sydney shows growing comfort with Tom’s profession despite her earlier revulsion. She still finds his enthusiasm for gory details unsettling, but she accepts his gentlemanly behavior and his kindness to strangers. Her decision to google Tom reveals a persistent wariness and a need for certainty.

Tom continues to perform small acts of generosity (giving money, listening to the widow) that align with his gentlemanly image. However, his misrepresentation of his last name—whether a slip or deliberate—introduces a crack in that perfect persona. His reluctance to explain why he abandoned surgery also suggests hidden depths or secrets.

Sydney’s mother serves as a catalyst for Sydney’s anxiety about her biological clock and societal expectations. Though absent, her pressure influences Sydney’s choices and her willingness to overlook Tom’s oddities.

Velma Stewart is a minor character whose heartfelt gratitude reinforces Tom’s capacity for empathy, yet the very fact that she is a widow of an autopsy subject subtly reminds readers of Tom’s intimate relationship with death.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Deception vs. Honesty: The central tension of the chapter. Tom’s lie (or mistake) about his last name—from Brown to Brewer—destabilizes the trust Sydney has built. The ease with which he dismisses the discrepancy suggests either genuine confusion or deliberate misdirection.

Biological Clock and Societal Pressure: Sydney’s mother’s call highlights the external expectations placed on women in their mid-thirties. Sydney feels the weight of these demands even as she tries to enjoy her developing relationship.

Acts of Kindness as a Double-Edged Symbol: Tom’s charity toward the homeless man and his attentive listening to Velma Stewart are presented as virtues. Yet within the thriller context, such behavior can also be read as a strategy to appear blameless—a calculated performance that masks darker motives.

The Unseen Past: Tom’s abandoned dream of being a surgeon and his changed last name point to a history he does not fully share. The google search at the chapter’s end literalizes the reader’s and Sydney’s desire to uncover what lies beneath the surface.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 37 marks a turning point in the novel’s mystery. Up to now, Tom has been presented as an almost perfect boyfriend except for his unsettling job. The revelation that he claimed a different surname (Brown) but actually goes by Brewer shifts the reader’s suspicion from mere eccentricity to possible deceit. The chapter also provides the first concrete clue—Sydney’s successful google search—that may soon reveal something about Tom’s past. The encounter with the widow reinforces his empathetic side while also tying him to death, keeping the thriller tone alive. The balance between romantic development and creeping doubt is carefully maintained, making this chapter essential for plot progression.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Sydney feel uneasy when Tom corrects his last name from Brown to Brewer?
Sydney had clearly heard him say Brown earlier (she even thought about how hard it would be to google). Tom’s casual dismissal of her memory makes her doubt her own perception, and the change suggests he may have intentionally misled her. Her immediate google search shows she no longer fully trusts him.

2. How does the encounter with Velma Stewart serve the story?
The encounter accomplishes two things: it showcases Tom’s genuine kindness (he spent an hour listening to her grief), which deepens Sydney’s affection; but it also reminds Sydney of Tom’s daily proximity to death, reinforcing the uneasy feeling she has about his job. The scene also provides a moment of public validation that contrasts with the private lie about his name.

3. What might the result of Sydney’s google search for “Thomas Brewer MD pathologist” be?
The text deliberately ends the chapter with “Okay, that’s interesting” without revealing what Sydney found. Likely the search uncovers an article, a social media profile, or a news item that contradicts the persona Tom has presented. This cliffhanger raises the stakes and compels the reader to continue to the next chapter.

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