Selena Murphy is the protagonist. The novel starts and ends with her point of view, and 19 of the chapters are from her perspective. Her discovery that Graham and Geneva are having an affair is the inciting incident from which the rest of the plot unspools. She is a strong and intelligent woman and a dedicated mom and friend. She gives the impression of having it all; she can handle any problem that comes her way and can juggle all of the responsibilities in her life. Her husband, Graham, does not seem to be pulling his weight in their family, even aside from his infidelity.

However, Selena has a weakness: She frequently lies to herself to maintain the image she has in her head of her perfect, loving family. She likes to post pictures of her family on Instagram with funny and loving captions, even when her personal life is falling apart. Like her mother, she keeps quiet about her husband’s indiscretions to keep the peace. When she learns that Graham is cheating on her with Geneva and Geneva disappears, though, she has to start confronting the truth, not just about his infidelity but about his dark and violent tendencies.