Chapter summaries The Coworker Freida McFadden

Chapter 38 Summary & 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.

Summary

Set one week earlier than the present timeline, Chapter 38 is an email exchange. Dawn Schiff writes to her friend Mia Hodge about a disturbing discovery: money is missing from Vixed, the company where both she and Natalie Farrell work. Dawn explains that the missing amount is large enough for a nice holiday but not so large that Seth (the boss) would notice without digging. After checking the previous two years’ records, Dawn finds that similar sums vanished each year, and all the discrepancies surround sales made by Natalie.

Dawn wrestles with what to do. She knows she should go directly to Seth, but she fears the consequences—Natalie could face jail time. Despite the cruel treatment Natalie has shown her (including killing Dawn’s turtles), Dawn has forgiven her and hopes to mend their relationship. She decides to confront Natalie first, give her a chance to return the money, and only report her if she refuses. Dawn believes this gesture might finally make Natalie like her.

Mia’s reply is emphatic: she tells Dawn not to give Natalie any chances and to go straight to her boss. She uses multiple exclamation marks, demanding that Dawn promise to talk to Seth and not let Natalie get away with the theft.

Key Events

  • Dawn discovers that money has been stolen from Vixed over the past two years.
  • The thefts are linked to large sales made by Natalie Farrell.
  • Dawn considers reporting the crime to Seth but hesitates because of the serious legal consequences.
  • Dawn decides to speak to Natalie first, hoping to give her a chance to return the money and become friends.
  • Mia responds with a fierce demand that Dawn go directly to the boss.

Character Development

  • Dawn Schiff: This chapter reveals Dawn’s deep compassion and her desperate longing for connection. Even after Natalie has tormented her—including killing her pet turtles—Dawn justifies Natalie’s behavior (“maybe she was having a bad day”) and wants to protect her from jail. Dawn’s choice to confront Natalie instead of reporting her shows both her naivety and her genuine desire to believe people can change.
  • Mia Hodge: Though only present through a short email, Mia emerges as a protective, no-nonsense friend. She sees the situation clearly and refuses to let Dawn be manipulated. Her aggressive punctuation (“DO NOT LET HER GET AWAY WITH THIS!!!!!!!”) underscores her loyalty to Dawn and her frustration with Dawn’s leniency.
  • Natalie Farrell (implied): We don’t hear from Natalie in this chapter, but the evidence against her paints a picture of someone willing to steal significant sums and possibly use her charm or position to avoid detection. Dawn’s forgiving attitude contrasts sharply with the coldness Natalie has shown.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

  • Whistleblowing vs. Loyalty: Dawn struggles between her duty to report a crime and her personal desire to maintain (or create) a friendly relationship with Natalie. This tension reflects the difficulty of holding people accountable when you care about them.
  • Forgiveness and Trust: Dawn’s willingness to forgive extreme mistreatment raises questions about where the line between compassion and self‑respect lies. She hopes a second chance will earn Natalie’s friendship, but the reader may see this as wishful thinking.
  • The Power of Evidence: Dawn’s discovery of financial discrepancies shows that truth can be hidden in routine records. Her role as an accountant gives her the tools to uncover wrongdoing, but her emotional vulnerability makes her hesitate to use them.
  • Emails as a Narrative Device: The chapter is composed entirely of emails. This format emphasizes the distance between characters and the written record of their thoughts, contrasting with the immediate action of the main timeline.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 38 is a crucial turning point that provides the backstory to Dawn’s disappearance. It explains why Dawn might have been in danger: she had evidence that could send Natalie to prison. By choosing to confront Natalie rather than alert Seth, Dawn puts herself at risk. The email also establishes a clear motive for Natalie to harm Dawn—if Natalie believed Dawn was threatening to expose her, she might have taken drastic measures. Moreover, Mia’s advice (“go straight to your boss”) is a classic “what to do” that Dawn ignores, heightening the suspense for readers who already know Dawn is missing.

This chapter also deepens our sympathy for Dawn. She is not a naive victim; she is a person who, despite ample reason to hate Natalie, still tries to do the right thing in the kindest way possible. Her misplaced trust sets the stage for the novel’s central mystery.

Study Questions & Answers

1. Why does Dawn decide to talk to Natalie before going to Seth?
Dawn’s primary reason is compassion: she doesn’t want Natalie to go to jail. She also hopes that by giving Natalie a chance to return the money, Natalie will finally appreciate her and become friends. Dawn is willing to overlook past cruelty in pursuit of a positive relationship.

2. What does Mia’s response reveal about her role in the story?
Mia acts as Dawn’s conscience and protector. Her forceful insistence that Dawn go directly to the boss shows that she prioritizes justice and Dawn’s safety over any chance of reconciliation. Mia’s warning also heightens the tension because we know Dawn ignores it.

3. How does the email format in this chapter affect the reader’s understanding of events?
The email format gives Dawn’s thoughts a permanent, written quality—she can’t take them back. It also creates a sense of distance: we see only what Dawn chooses to tell Mia, and Mia’s reply is immediate and emotional. The contrast between Dawn’s careful reasoning and Mia’s frantic urgency underscores the life‑or‑death stakes that are about to unfold.

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