Chapter 38

On a windy spring morning, Louise Crenshaw arrives as the new nanny. She bonds quickly with the children and sets boundaries: she wants no online presence and prefers being called Louise, though Natalie pushes for “Nanny Louise” to fit her brand. Relieved, Natalie privately revels that she will no longer be alone with the kids.

Amid a vibrant spring on the ranch, Natalie frames reality through her phone. A week earlier over coffee, her mother had criticized the children’s online exposure and revealed a shift to a more progressive church led by Pastor Ben, who is also helping Abigail study and has started seeing her.

Noticing Abigail no longer follows her, Natalie calls. Abigail says Natalie’s online persona feels alien and, guided by therapy, chooses not to follow. The call ends without a fight, leaving Natalie frustrated and unable to control the narrative offline.

After a week with the nanny, Caleb confronts Natalie about an $80,000 QuickCash payment and learns that Instagram payouts—$220,000 over four months—were routed to an account outside the accountants’ view. Natalie blames “pregnancy brain,” but Caleb has already redirected future payments to the LLC, signaling new suspicion toward her.

Reeling and nauseated, Natalie reframes her anxiety as content about her “perfect life.” That night she calls Instagram support to split incoming payouts between the main checking account and a new account—ostensibly for Caleb—quietly preserving her own control over the money despite his oversight.