Chapter 44

Natalie attends Doug’s presidential announcement rally, noting its carnival atmosphere and apocalyptic slogans that echo Caleb’s online forums. She recognizes that Doug’s team has tapped into a fear-driven narrative—plagues, rodents, and cleansing—that resonates with the crowd.

In the VIP room, Doug appears surgically polished yet visibly anxious, while Amelia looks frail. As Doug waffles between bravado and fatalism, Shannon discreetly films on her phone. Doug notices, prompting security to lunge, but Natalie shields Shannon and insists the footage won’t go anywhere. Doug is called to stage, steels himself, and exits.

Doug’s thunderous speech—framed as a national rebirth—earns rave media reactions and fuels frenzied online commentary about the family. Leaving the venue, Shannon calls the speech terrifying and challenges Natalie’s dismissal of its consequences. She points out that Doug’s “Yesteryear” language mirrors Natalie’s captions, implying complicity.

Fans recognize Natalie and swarm her; separated from Shannon, she struggles through attention that feels more frightening than hate. After getting lost among multiple parking lots, she reaches the van, torn between fear of Shannon’s power over their content and relief to find her.

Shannon pointedly takes Natalie’s seat, refusing to engage further, then turns to Caleb and asks about his forums. Caleb brightens, suggesting a pivot toward his online world and foreshadowing deeper entanglement between the family brand, Doug’s politics, and extremist narratives.