Ariane is a nearly 40-year-old high school English teacher and translator living in a posh Parisian suburb. Originally from a working-class background, she meticulously curates her physical appearance and home to fit her wealthy in-laws' bourgeois standards. She suffers from a mysterious nocturnal itch and harbors intense, obsessive anxiety about losing her marriage.

Ariane's unnamed husband is a wealthy, handsome professional who provides his family with a comfortable suburban lifestyle. He projects the image of a perfectly involved father who delights in baking birthday cakes and telling history stories to his children. Within his marriage, he fluctuates between offering tender affection and maintaining a detached, aloof demeanor.

Maxime is a married father who meets Ariane through their children's school. He engages in a flirtatious texting dynamic with her that escalates into physical encounters. Uninhibited and physically attentive, he provides a sharp contrast to the emotionally guarded atmosphere of Ariane's home life.

Louise is married to Nicolas and recently gave birth to a baby girl named Violette. She enjoys a wealthy, urban lifestyle and shares an easygoing partnership with her husband. She often makes blunt, candid remarks about parenting that inadvertently trigger insecurities in the women around her.

Lucie is Ariane's closest female friend and a regular companion at the local tennis club. She frequently complains about her husband Pierre and gossips about her sister's dramatic love life. Despite their regular meetings, she maintains a somewhat superficial bond with Ariane, assuming her friend's marriage is completely free of tension.

Ariane's 10-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter are quiet, well-behaved siblings growing up in a fashionable suburb. They rely heavily on each other for emotional support and look to their father for bedtime stories and affectionate attention. Their mother carefully trains them to remain soft-spoken and polite at all times.

Nicolas is a high-flying finance executive and a childhood friend of Ariane's husband. He lives in an impressive city duplex and approaches his family life as a collective unit, frequently using the word "we" when telling stories about himself and his wife.

Pierre is married to Lucie and frequently serves as the target of her verbal complaints. During a chaotic Saturday birthday party, he becomes caught up in Ariane's impulsive behavior.

Marion is Lucie's 40-year-old sister who works as a literature professor and writes books on courtly love. She lives a dramatic life marked by intense romances, canceled weddings, and a long-term physical battle with illness.

Adrien is a man Ariane dated before committing to her current husband. He offered her a stable, devoted relationship where he loved her unconditionally, a dynamic she ultimately rejected in favor of a more anxiety-inducing romance.

Zoe is a young babysitter who watches over Ariane's children in the evenings. She lives in a modest attic room and politely declines her wealthy employer's occasional, awkward offers of discarded home decor.