The Surrogate Mother, Chapter 39: Sam Discovers the Truth

⚠️ 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

Monica hears someone at the apartment door and quickly silences Abby with fresh duct tape, then shoves her between the bed and the wall, covering her with a blanket. Gertie hides in the closet on Monica’s instruction. The visitor is Sam, who has come to reconcile with Abby after their argument. Monica claims Abby fled the apartment in a ranting state, but Sam notices Abby’s purse and phone are still there, something she would never leave behind. He begins shouting for Abby, and when he enters the bedroom, Abby kicks the bed to alert him. Sam lifts the blanket, finds Abby bound and gagged, and realizes the truth just as Monica’s deception collapses. Before he can act, Monica’s preparations suggest it may be too late.

Key Events

Monica hears a knock and forces Abby behind the bed, covering her with a blanket.
Gertie hides in the closet, though Sam knows of her existence.
Sam explains he canceled his lecture to talk to Abby; Monica lies that Abby has left.
Monica claims Abby was ranting and called an Uber to LaGuardia, hoping to send Sam away.
Sam notices Abby’s purse and phone are still present, contradicting Monica’s story.
Sam searches the apartment, calling Abby’s name; Abby kicks the bed from under the blanket.
Sam finds Abby, duct‑taped and injured by the radiator, and realizes what has been happening.

Character Development

Abby remains a victim but shows agency by kicking the bed to draw Sam’s attention. Her hope that Sam is on her side is confirmed when he refuses to believe Monica’s lies.
Sam evolves from a husband who previously doubted Abby to one who trusts his knowledge of her habits (never leaving her phone). His persistence in searching the apartment shows his commitment to the truth.
Monica reveals her desperation and ruthlessness: she silences Abby with duct tape, instructs her mother to hide, and concocts an elaborate lie. Her failure to anticipate Sam’s skepticism highlights a weakness in her otherwise calculated plan.
Gertie follows Monica’s orders without question, deepening the mystery of her complicity. The fact that she hides despite Sam knowing her suggests Monica is hiding something beyond Abby’s captivity.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Deception and Exposure: Monica’s lies unravel when Sam notices inconsistent details (the phone, the purse). The chapter emphasizes that careful observation can pierce even well‑crafted falsehoods.
Trust and Instinct: Sam’s choice to trust his knowledge of Abby over Monica’s story reinforces the theme that genuine connection overrides manufactured evidence.
Physical Confinement as Control: Abby’s position “between the bed and the wall” and under a blanket symbolizes her powerlessness and isolation. The radiator cutting into her arm adds a visceral element to her immobility.
The Ringtone as a Trigger: The sound of Abby’s phone ringtone becomes the clue that makes Sam stop and question Monica, turning a simple object into a tool of truth.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 39 is a turning point: Sam finally sees Abby’s true situation, ending the period where he believed Monica’s narrative. The confrontation raises the stakes because Monica’s prepared measures (duct tape, hiding) suggest she anticipated such a discovery. Sam’s arrival and his willingness to doubt Monica shift the balance of power, yet the final line—“But it’s too late for that. Much too late.”—hints that even his intervention may not prevent a catastrophe. This chapter accelerates the climax by collapsing the central deception and forcing the remaining characters into direct conflict.

Study Questions and Answers

What detail prompts Sam to doubt Monica’s story about Abby leaving?
Sam notices Abby’s purse and phone are still in the apartment. He states that Abby would never leave home without her phone, contradicting Monica’s claim that Abby fled and left everything behind.
Why does Monica instruct Gertie to hide in the closet when Sam arrives, even though Sam knows Gertie exists?
This suggests Monica is concealing more than Abby’s captivity—possibly Gertie’s role in the scheme or other evidence. The instruction implies that Gertie’s presence alone would raise Sam’s suspicion, indicating she is not merely a bystander but an active participant in the deception.
What does Abby’s decision to kick the bed reveal about her character in this moment?
Despite being bound and wedged beneath a blanket, Abby finds a way to signal Sam. This act shows her resilience and her refusal to remain passive, using physical action to reclaim a measure of agency and alert the one person who might rescue her.