Cover of Big Little Lies

Big Little Lies

by Liane Moriarty


Genre
Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense, Fiction
Year
2015
Pages
513
Contents

Chapter 60

Overview

Madeline and Nathan panic over Abigail’s public website, which appears to advertise her plan to sell her virginity for a cause. Because Abigail has changed her password, they cannot take the site down without her cooperation, forcing Madeline to go to the school and confront her directly.

The chapter sharpens Madeline’s conflict with Nathan while revealing how powerless both parents feel against Abigail’s idealism and the public nature of the Internet.

Summary

Nathan tells Madeline he cannot simply shut down Abigail’s public website because it is hosted externally and requires Abigail’s login details. Madeline gives him Abigail’s usual password, “Miss Polly had a dolly,” but Nathan has already tried it and explains that Abigail must have changed it after he advised her not to reuse passwords.

Madeline’s anger hardens as she blames Nathan’s advice for making the crisis harder to fix. She begins rapidly listing possible passwords based on Abigail’s childhood, interests, and resentments, including the name of Abigail’s first puppy, but each guess fails. Madeline realizes the password could be anything.

Nathan explains that redirecting the domain or hacking the account would take time, and the fastest solution is for Abigail to remove the site herself. Madeline decides to collect Abigail from school early so they can confront her immediately.

Nathan suggests they should tell Abigail there will be consequences and even proposes grounding her, but Madeline doubts that punishment will work because Abigail sees the plan as a moral cause. Nathan struggles to believe Abigail would actually have sex with a stranger, while Madeline is painfully aware that Abigail would justify it by comparing herself to the exploited girls she wants to help.

Madeline remembers she also needs to pick up the younger children and Perry’s twins because Celeste is sick. Pressed for time and furious, Madeline rejects Nathan’s request that she not yell, declaring that Abigail is selling her virginity on the Internet.

Who Appears

  • Madeline
    Panicked mother trying to stop Abigail’s website and confront her at school.
  • Nathan
    Abigail’s father, attempting technical fixes and proposing parental consequences.
  • Abigail
    Absent but central; changed her password and is publicly planning a virginity auction.
© 2026 StoriLuna