Dear Debbie
by Freida McFadden
Contents
Chapter 66
Overview
Debbie turns Harley’s attempted confrontation into a trap, revealing that Harley’s lover is Jesse rather than Cooper and then murdering Harley with Jesse’s stolen gun. The chapter exposes Debbie’s broader frame-up: she killed Ken with the same weapon, manipulated evidence, and plans to make Jesse appear responsible for both Ken’s murder and Harley’s death.
The central revelation is that Jesse is Hutch, Debbie’s college attacker, whom she recognized months ago. Debbie’s violence is reframed as a revenge plot aimed at the man she believes destroyed her life, while Cooper’s supposed infidelity is cleared.
Summary
Harley expects to expose Debbie’s husband as her lover, but Debbie calmly reveals that the man Harley knows as Cooper Mullen is actually Jesse. Debbie reflects that Jesse used Cooper’s name because Cooper already belonged to the gym and had little online presence, making the lie hard to uncover. Debbie remains certain Cooper, despite his faults, would never cheat on her.
Harley confronts Jesse, who admits he lied about his name and identifies Cooper as his coworker. As Harley rages, Jesse becomes dizzy and collapses onto the sofa. Debbie reveals in narration that she drugged Jesse’s gym water with opium, and the dose is taking effect.
Once Jesse is nearly unconscious, Debbie puts on leather gloves, takes out the Glock she stole from Jesse’s house, and shoots Harley in the forehead. Harley dies instantly. Debbie is relieved the neighbors are away and confirms Jesse is unconscious enough that he likely will not remember the confrontation.
Debbie then explains her framing plan. The Glock is the same gun used to kill Ken Bryant, and Debbie expects police to connect Jesse to Ken through the weapon, the offshore account, and the doorbell-camera setup Debbie manipulated by texting Jesse from Ken’s phone and deleting footage of herself. Debbie intends Harley’s death to look like part of a murder-suicide involving Jesse.
Looking at Jesse, Debbie calls him Hutch and reveals that he is the man who assaulted her in college. She recognized him months earlier during a double date with Cooper and Jesse’s wife, and the encounter triggered a severe panic attack. Since then, Debbie has been writing unsent revenge-minded advice replies to abused women, believing she cannot tell others to fight back until she punishes the man who ruined her life.
Debbie also clarifies that she abandoned her plan to burn down Zeta Pi because the current students were not responsible for what happened to her. She concludes that Jesse Hutchinson alone is to blame, and as he slips fully unconscious, Debbie prepares to complete the staged murder-suicide and finally find peace.
Who Appears
- Debbienarrator; drugs Jesse, kills Harley, and reveals her revenge plan against Hutch.
- Jesse HutchinsonHarley’s lover using Cooper’s name; drugged by Debbie and revealed as her college attacker.
- Harleyexpects to expose an affair, learns Jesse lied, and is murdered by Debbie.
- Cooper MullenDebbie’s husband; absent but cleared as Harley’s lover and used in Jesse’s false identity.