Dear Debbie
by Freida McFadden
Contents
Chapter 46
Overview
After Debbie returns from her secret errand, Cooper confronts Debbie about Debbie’s late-night trip to the shipyard, revealing that Cooper has been tracking Debbie’s movements through Findly. Debbie refuses to confess and instead turns the confrontation back on Cooper’s own suspicious absence.
The chapter deepens the collapse of Debbie and Cooper’s marriage: both characters are hiding things, both distrust each other, and Debbie decides that the truth can wait until whatever Debbie is planning is over.
Summary
Debbie returns home from her late-night errand and finds Cooper waiting in the living room in his undershirt and boxers. Because Cooper heard Debbie’s car and Debbie forgot to disable the Findly tracking app, Debbie realizes Cooper likely knows Debbie was not merely out for a walk.
Cooper asks where Debbie went, and Debbie tries to claim that Debbie was only driving around because Debbie could not sleep. Cooper presses the issue by asking if Debbie was at the shipyard, confirming that Cooper has tracked Debbie’s location.
Debbie notices that Cooper has been drinking the beers Debbie left in the refrigerator. Cooper’s appearance and pleading tone lead Debbie to remember how safe Cooper once seemed after Debbie’s fear of men following Hutch, making Debbie reflect on how much the marriage has changed.
Cooper wants the truth, but Debbie decides it is too late to confess. Instead, Debbie challenges Cooper about Cooper’s own unexplained two-hour absence the previous night, and Cooper defensively repeats that Cooper had only gone for a drive.
Because Debbie believes Cooper is also lying, Debbie refuses to be honest with him. Debbie goes upstairs to bed, while Cooper remains in the living room for the rest of the night, leaving the couple isolated and mistrustful.
Who Appears
- DebbieReturns from a secret errand, lies to Cooper, and refuses to confess.
- CooperWaits up, tracks Debbie’s location, confronts her, and remains distrustful.