The novel flashes back to six months earlier. In need of money, Gus, herself an emerging ceramicist, decides to reach out to Anna for a job, even though their pottery styles are different. Gus suspects that Anna fled to Stoke-on-Trent to avoid media attention after being sued. Anna has a pottery factory called Bellinter in the city. In her introduction message, which she peppers with falsehoods to impress Anna, Gus mentions that she and Anna once met at a party.

Gus narrates her background. She grew up on the outskirts of London and attended an Evangelical Christian school where both her parents worked. Gus moved into a rented room and started working at a café. Around this time, her interest in pottery began, and she started joining studio sessions. Instead of entering art school to foster her skills, Gus decided to keep ceramics as a hobby while pursuing other work. She applied for residencies and was surprised when she was accepted for one in Rome. After Rome, Gus decided not to return to London; instead, she moved to Stoke, where she could continue fostering her ceramics interest.

A week after contacting Anna, Gus receives a response from Anna’s assistant. They invite Gus to an interview at Anna’s house. The assistant does not say whether Anna will be present. Later, Gus texts a friend about the news.

The novel returns to the courtroom. Gus marvels at the fact that Anna and Mary’s conflict, common to many families, has become highly publicized. Anna has defended her newsletter as a “rant” that did nothing to harm Jean’s reputation, asserting that Jean is a “cultic abuser.” Nonetheless, Jean is seeking a seven-figure sum in damages. Gus anticipates that Anna will at least be happy to see Mary at court, for the first time in nearly two years.

Lucy curses at Jean as soon as she enters the courtroom. Gus hopes that the case can be resolved before the need for her to interfere arises. She fears being called a “leech” by the lawyers, the same way that Anna insulted her in the past.

Gus arrives at Anna’s house for the interview and meets her assistant, Clover. Before the interview starts, Gus asks Clover for advice. Clover suggests that she agree with whatever Anna says and never bring up her legal troubles.

Anna comes in with her dog, Quill. She stresses the need for discretion in the role. She then asks Gus about her passions, biggest strength, and biggest weakness, adding that people normally don’t reflect on their flaws. Gus answers her pottery, her loyalty, and her candor, respectively. Anna applauds her answers, then shows her where they keep Quill’s belongings. It occurs to Gus only then that she is being interviewed as a dog walker. Gus plays along, knowing that she can get closer to Anna at home than at the office. Anna asks Gus not to let anyone take Quill from her. Gus assures her that Quill will be safe, and she is pleased when Anna says her help will be “needed.”

Now, Jean’s lawyer, Ms. Ibrahim, delivers her opening statement. She asserts that Mary had the right to distance herself from her family, but Anna did not have the right to damage Jean’s reputation in response. She reminds the court that Jean’s responsibility isn’t to prove whether Anna’s claims are true. She discusses how Jean has helped many of her patients and has been professional ever since she started working as a mental health professional in her teens. At the end of the statement, Lucy comments that Jean’s business is a “cult.”

Anna’s lawyer, Ms. Carr, delivers her opening statement. She asserts that credentials in the British mental health system are widely unregulated and that millions of people supported Anna’s petition against Jean. She adds that Anna’s claims are true: Jean coerced and exploited Mary, among many others, through her practice. Carr explains Sigmund Freud’s concept of “transference,” in which patients transfer affections to their therapist for helping them. This makes it necessary for therapists to create clear boundaries with their patients, which Jean failed to do. She claims that Jean planted false memories in Mary’s mind, making her antagonize Anna. The defense’s case rests on proving that Anna’s statement was not libelous.

Anna is then called to the stand. She sees Gus in the gallery and nods to her.

Gus forms a routine with Quill, regularly texting updates to Anna and spending more time inside her home. She sees photographs of Mary and observes how much Anna loved her, which contrasts with the lack of affection Gus felt from her own parents. She starts hoping that she can talk to Anna about the case, if only to tell her that she needs to let Mary go in order to win back her approval.

Two weeks into her employment, Gus sees two journalists going through Anna’s garbage. Anna throws objects at them from the window, and Gus supports her, shooing the journalists away. Later, Anna worries about how the press will depict her based on this incident. Gus reassures her by asking questions about her life. Gus is thrilled when Anna indicates that she has seen Gus’s artistic work. At one point, Anna makes a flirtatious comment about Gus in her dungarees, adding that she once owned the same pair.

Anna learns that Gus rarely speaks to her parents and encourages her to reach out to them. She explains that parents are fallible, and the moment they figure out how to parent their children properly, their children have already grown to resent them. Gus explains the distance from her parents as the difference in their personalities. She also reassures Anna over Mary’s role in her court case. Later, Gus reflects that Anna needs a surrogate for her daughter, which fits Gus’s need for someone to depend on.