Celeste attends Madeline’s book club expecting an actual discussion of the chosen book. She has prepared notes like she once would have for legal work, but she quickly realizes the book is only a pretext for socializing. Embarrassed by her own seriousness and too emotionally worn down to withstand teasing, Celeste hides the book in her bag.

As the group talks, Celeste becomes painfully conscious of the hidden violence in her marriage to Perry. Surrounded by polite parents in an ordinary social setting, she feels unable to reconcile her public image with the fact that her husband hits her. The pressure of concealing her reality makes her feel breathless and isolated.

The book club’s real topic becomes the petition to have Ziggy suspended. The parents trade rumors and opinions about Amabella’s injuries, Renata’s assumptions, Harper’s role in the petition, and whether Ziggy could be responsible. The discussion is mostly sympathetic toward Jane and critical of the petition, though the parents also acknowledge how frightening the bullying situation would feel if it involved their own children.

The conversation turns unexpectedly toward Celeste when someone mentions Renata’s work connections and asks whether Renata knows Perry. Celeste says Renata and Perry are merely in the same industry, then explains that Perry is away in Geneva, though she first says Genova and notices the mistake. The room briefly seems to focus on her, making Celeste feel scrutinized and unsure whether she has revealed something strange.

Celeste says the others will meet Perry at the upcoming trivia night, which prompts her to think about the expensive pearl necklace Perry plans to buy for her Audrey Hepburn costume. The gift highlights both Perry’s extravagance and Celeste’s discomfort with the wealth and performance surrounding their marriage. A later police-interview-style comment from Samantha recalls Celeste looking stunning at trivia night but strangely sad, as if she sensed something terrible was coming.