Contents
Chapter 64
Overview
Naomi recounts duping Jeremy with a rigged paternity test by swabbing his father with Alzheimer’s, securing a near-certain match and prompting marriage. She reframes Veronica as an unfit, drug-addicted mother and vows that Veronica will never reclaim Teddy. The chapter ends with Naomi deciding Veronica must die, escalating the stakes.
Summary
Naomi arrives at Jeremy’s apartment holding Teddy, triggering Jeremy’s panic and demand for a paternity test. Although Jeremy insists they always used condoms, Naomi presses that the baby needs a father and leverages Teddy’s resemblance to Jeremy to reinforce her claim.
Anticipating Jeremy’s distrust, Naomi accepts his plan to control the testing. After receiving a swab kit from Jeremy, Naomi drives to Long Island to the Roth family home. Exploiting Mr. Roth’s Alzheimer’s, she obtains a cheek swab from him while Mrs. Roth is out, then returns and gives Jeremy the envelope, knowing it will yield a father–child match when paired with Jeremy’s sample.
The results confirm near-certain paternity, convincing Jeremy to marry Naomi so Teddy would have two parents and because he did not trust Naomi alone. Naomi recalls being happy for a time and takes pride in having outsmarted Jeremy.
Confronted now with Veronica’s reappearance and drug record, Naomi concludes Veronica is the negligent mother from the rest-stop incident and unfit to have Teddy. Determined to keep her son, Naomi resolves that Veronica must die and commits to planning it carefully.
Who Appears
- NaomiNarrator; manipulates a paternity test using Jeremy’s father’s DNA and resolves to kill Veronica to keep Teddy.
- JeremyConfronted with Teddy; demands a paternity test, later marries Naomi believing he is the father.
- TeddyInfant Naomi presents as Jeremy’s son; used to secure paternity and marriage.
- Mr. RothJeremy’s father with Alzheimer’s; unwittingly provides DNA that enables Naomi’s paternity fraud.
- Mrs. RothJeremy’s mother; leaves the house, enabling Naomi to access Mr. Roth for the swab.
- VeronicaBelieved to be Teddy’s biological mother; deemed unfit by Naomi, who plans to kill her.