61 pages • 2 hours read
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Stephen remembers Nancy’s grief in the aftermath of Jonathan’s death. She stopped working and became obsessed with Jonathan’s accident—even trying to submerge herself in the bathtub to understand what drowning was like. Stephen recalls going through Jonathan’s room to get rid of some items. While Nancy was preoccupied with Jonathan’s clothes, Stephen secretly threw out a stack of pornographic magazines and a box of condoms. The couple flipped through Jonathan’s scrapbook, which showed reportage-like images of London and photos he secretly took of Nancy.
After that day, Nancy became more reclusive and eventually moved into Jonathan’s apartment alone. Stephen’s contact with Nancy grew sparse. After a year, Stephen brought Nancy home to care for her because she had been diagnosed with cancer and couldn’t maintain the apartment. Nancy died one year later, but Stephen remembers she seemed content in her pain. Stephen asserts that Nancy lives on with him, and it is she who prompts him into action.
At work, Catherine can’t concentrate. Robert has temporarily moved out, and Catherine is still shocked by his anger. She realizes Stephen used Jonathan’s photos to create his story; even though it is a false narrative, Robert believes it and won’t let her explain.