Content Warning: This section contains mentions of violence and murder, domestic violence, substance addiction, and trauma.

Lucy Chase is the protagonist and narrator of the book. Originally from Plumpton, Texas, she relocates to LA after her best friend, Savvy, is murdered, and the townspeople believe Lucy is responsible. Lucy returns to Plumpton five years later, when she is brought back into the public eye after Savvy’s murder becomes the subject of a true crime podcast.

Lucy is perceived as someone who is not very warm and friendly. People describe her as having a short temper, with a tendency to be violent. This, however, is largely based on a single incident in high school when she punched a classmate for behaving lewdly with another girl. The people who know Lucy better describe her instead as someone not afraid of standing up for herself. Lucy’s self-image, however, is severely impacted by two things: her marriage to Matt, and people’s perceptions about her following Savvy’s murder. Because of the constant abuse and gaslighting Lucy experiences with Matt, she grows less confident in who she is and begins doubting her capacity for violence. This is intensified when everyone around her, including her parents, believes she killed Savvy, especially because Lucy herself has no memory of that night.