Chapter 40 Summary: A Fatal Shot and a Smile
⚠️ 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
Millie fires the gun at Douglas as he chokes Wendy. The shot is louder than expected, but the apartment’s soundproofing may shield the neighbors. Douglas immediately goes limp, releasing Wendy’s neck, and falls to the floor. A pool of blood spreads under him. Millie had aimed for his shoulder, but she fatally struck him instead. Wendy checks for a pulse and confirms her husband is dead. Despite Millie’s horror, Wendy thanks her for saving her life.
Wendy urges Millie to leave and erase all evidence—fingerprints from the gun and text messages with both Garricks. She plans to tell the police she mistook Douglas for an intruder and shot him by accident. Wendy notes that the doorman did not see Douglas enter (he used the back entrance, which lacks a camera), and the elevator cameras are non-functional. Millie hesitates but eventually agrees, deleting the conversations before fleeing the penthouse. As she leaves, she sees Wendy standing over Douglas’s body with a smile.
Key Events
- Millie shoots Douglas while trying to stop him from strangling Wendy.
- Douglas dies from the gunshot wound.
- Wendy insists Millie leave and claims she will take full responsibility.
- Millie wipes fingerprints from the gun and deletes all text messages with the Garricks.
- Wendy outlines a false self-defense story involving a supposed intruder.
- Millie departs, glancing back to see Wendy smiling over the corpse.
Character Development
- Millie: Shows a protective instinct but struggles with the unintended killing. Her willingness to delete evidence suggests a pragmatic survival side.
- Wendy: Transforms from a victim into a calculated planner. Her smile suggests she may have manipulated events to achieve this outcome, though she also expresses genuine gratitude.
- Douglas: Dies after a brief, violent confrontation. His character arc ends as an abuser who faced lethal resistance.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Sacrifice and Blame: Wendy’s offer to take the fall mirrors earlier themes of protective sacrifice. She frames her gesture as repayment for Millie’s intervention.
- Fake Surveillance: The non-functional elevator cameras symbolize the illusion of safety and order in the Garricks’ world. Appearances often mask true dangers.
- The Smile: Wendy’s smile introduces ambiguity about her motives, hinting that she may have desired Douglas’s death more than she admitted.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter culminates the physical threat to Wendy and forces Millie to act. It also shifts the power dynamic: Wendy moves from helpless victim to orchestrator of a cover-up. The open-ended smile casts doubt on Wendy’s earlier vulnerability and raises questions about how much she foresaw or influenced the outcome. The chapter sets up the final stretch of the novel, where the consequences of Douglas’s death will unfold.
Study Questions and Answers
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Why does Millie delete the text messages?
The messages contained discussions that could incriminate both Millie and Wendy if the police investigated the shooting. She follows Wendy’s advice to eliminate digital evidence. -
What does Wendy’s smile suggest about her true feelings?
The smile implies relief or satisfaction, possibly revealing that she wanted her abusive husband dead and saw Millie’s intervention as a convenient solution. -
How does the setting of the penthouse contribute to the chapter’s tension?
The soundproofed walls and non-functional cameras create a space where violence can occur undetected. Paradoxically, the luxury environment becomes a trap for Douglas and a secret stage for Wendy’s plan.