Olivia — Chapter 9

Olivia escapes the wedding bustle, reflecting on her former crush on Charlie and feeling embarrassed by her younger self. As she wanders past the island’s deserted houses, she recalls finding a dead, disemboweled baby seal, which fixes the place in her mind as linked to death.

She descends into the Whispering Cave to hide during the ceremony, mulling over her fraught relationship with Jules—resentment mixed with guilt for past kindnesses. An Instagram post from Ellie reopens fresh heartbreak, and Olivia fights the urge to smash her phone.

Footsteps interrupt her solitude. It is Hannah, Charlie’s wife, also looking to hide while Charlie and Jules catch up. They sit together, share cigarettes, and talk. Hannah mentions a rough crossing, her clubbing past, quitting smoking when she was pregnant, and her clever sister, Alice.

Prompted by Hannah’s questions, Olivia admits she dropped out of Exeter after her first serious boyfriend, Callum, broke up with her, though she insists the breakup wasn’t the only reason. She hints at worse events that followed but withholds details, unable to articulate them.

As the light fades, Hannah suggests returning to the Folly. Olivia nearly confides fully but pulls back, choosing secrecy. Hannah prepares to leave, and Olivia remains burdened by her unspoken past and the island’s oppressive atmosphere.