One of the two protagonists of the novel, as well as its chief point-of-view character, Charlie is a 41-year-old criminal defense lawyer in the present timeline. At the start of this timeline, Charlie is temporarily separated from her husband Ben Barnard, works alongside her lawyer father Rusty, and is estranged from her older sister Sam.

As a girl, Charlie was described by her mother Gamma as “pretty,” and considered gregarious, optimistic, and happy by Rusty and Sam. As a young girl, Charlie is an avid runner and argumentative which makes Gamma believe Charlie is born to be a lawyer. The baby of the family, Charlie idolizes her older sister Sam as a teenager, and also feels shunned by her. Charlie’s life is altered forever when Gamma is shot dead by Zachariah Culpepper, the novel’s antagonist, in front of her and Sam. Zachariah rapes Charlie, and Rusty asks her to keep the rape a secret even from Sam, in a misguided attempt to save Charlie from a trial. Charlie’s character is a study of how trauma can be amplified by secrecy, fostering a sense of shame and driving a wedge between those who would otherwise offer support, in this case, Sam.