Big Little Lies
by Liane Moriarty
Contents
Chapter 38
Overview
Celeste secretly visits the apartment she has leased as a possible refuge from Perry, turning Susi's advice into a concrete escape plan. The empty rental forces Celeste to confront both the practical possibility of leaving and the emotional cost of abandoning the wealth, family, intimacy, and routines tied to Perry.
The chapter deepens Celeste's internal conflict: she knows Perry's violence is real, yet she keeps minimizing it because Perry is also loving, charismatic, and central to her life. Her secret apartment becomes a major shift from private suffering toward possible action, even as Celeste remains unsure whether she can use it.
Summary
A trivia-night witness, Stu, recalls once seeing Celeste White lying on a display bed in a Harvey Norman far from home. He remembers her as beautiful but skittish, and the memory casts her current situation as increasingly troubling.
Celeste visits the apartment she has secretly leased in McMahons Point as a possible escape from Perry. A neighbor, Rose, introduces herself and her twin daughters, Isabella and Daniella, but the encounter makes Celeste uneasy because speaking to future neighbors makes the plan feel too real. Celeste frames the lease as homework for her counselor, Susi, imagining herself presenting a practical plan involving the flat, work in North Sydney, and a new school for the boys.
Inside the sparse rental, Celeste compares the apartment with the grand, curated wealth of her home with Perry. The contrast makes Celeste reflect on how their beautiful house and happy family images conceal Perry's violence, including an attack on the couch and the aftermath of supposedly joyful family outings. Celeste places a colorful lamp in the bedroom precisely because Perry would dislike its cheap, tacky style, and the object becomes a small symbol of a life chosen by Celeste alone.
Celeste imagines preparing the apartment so thoroughly that, after Perry next hits her or while Perry is traveling, Celeste could simply leave with Josh and Max. Yet each imagined step raises new fears: the boys' confusion, custody battles, Perry's family's reaction, and the humiliation of documenting abuse as Susi advised. Celeste resists Susi's case-study view of Perry because Celeste still sees Perry as loving, generous, devoted to the children, and part of a warm extended family.
As Celeste continues through the apartment, Celeste thinks of what leaving would cost: morning walks with Jane, coffee with Madeline, the beach, sex with Perry, Perry's family, and the many moments of beauty in their marriage. Celeste minimizes her danger by calling the apartment only an exercise and by telling herself Perry is not controlling her money or movements. The chapter ends with Celeste recognizing the contradiction: if her life is almost worth the violence, why is Celeste secretly planning an escape like a prisoner?
Who Appears
- Celeste Whitesecretly visits her leased escape apartment and wrestles with leaving Perry.
- Perry Whiteabsent but central; abusive husband whom Celeste still loves and defends.
- SusiCeleste's counselor, whose advice pushes Celeste toward documenting abuse and planning escape.
- RoseCeleste's new neighbor, whose friendliness makes the secret apartment feel real.
- Isabella and DaniellaRose's twin daughters, briefly meeting Celeste outside the apartment.
- Stutrivia-night witness who recalls seeing Celeste acting strangely in a furniture store.
- JaneCeleste's friend, remembered for quiet walks and recent confidences about Ziggy's father.
- MadelineCeleste's friend, remembered as a source of coffee, conversation, and divorce insight.