The Arrangement

Peter serves as the deuteragonist and the other narrator of the novel. He represents the archetypal unfaithful husband whose past indiscretions make him vulnerable to manipulation. His character exhibits dynamic development, evolving from a guilt-ridden cheater to a man who believes that he has committed murder to protect his wife, only to discover that he has been an unwitting pawn in her elaborate scheme. Peter’s psychological profile reveals a man trapped between his impulsive nature and his deep-seated fear of consequences, making him the perfect target for Ainsley’s manipulation.

Peter’s primary character flaw is his inability to control his impulses, particularly regarding infidelity. His affairs with multiple women and Seth stem from his need to feel desired and escape the numbness of his marriage. His affair with Seth represents a particularly complex aspect of his sexuality, as he admits, “Seth’s the only man I’ve ever been with” and realizes that he is bisexual (185). This internal conflict about his identity makes him more susceptible to Ainsley’s psychological manipulation, as he already carries substantial guilt about his hidden life.

Peter’s relationship with truth demonstrates the theme of The Performance of Domestic Normalcy as Survival. Throughout the novel, he struggles to maintain his role as A devoted father and husband while harboring secrets about his sexual encounters and, later, his belief that he committed murder. His nervous behavior around the police and his obsessive cleaning of blood evidence reveal his psychological fragmentation under pressure. “I’d kill for you, Ainsley. Without a second’s hesitation” (173), he tells his wife, not realizing that he has already been manipulated into believing he has done exactly that. The final revelation that Peter is actually a serial killer who has murdered 15 women in his secret room completely recontextualizes his character, suggesting that Ainsley’s manipulation was directed at someone far more dangerous than she realized.

Stefan serves as both a catalyst and a victim in Ainsley’s manipulation, contributing to the theme of control and manipulation disguised as love through his unwitting participation in her scheme. As a police officer, Stefan possesses the authority and protective instincts that Ainsley exploits to create her perfect scenario. His character functions as a tragic figure whose genuine concern for a woman whom he believes is being abused ultimately leads to his death.

Stefan’s most significant trait is his protective nature, which Ainsley deliberately triggers through her fabricated abuse narrative. His persistence in contacting Ainsley after their date, which she frames as stalking behavior, actually represents his professional and personal concern for her safety. The messages revealing his worry about her well-being demonstrate his genuine character, making his death more tragic as readers come to understand that he was trying to help someone he believed was in danger. His appearance at the Greenburg house with handcuffs and a weapon suggests that he came prepared to potentially arrest an abusive husband, not to harm Ainsley.

The police’s revelation that Stefan was allegedly a serial rapist complicates his character posthumously, but once again, he is revealed to be an innocent victim of Ainsley’s manipulations, framed by her to take the blame for Peter’s crimes. Throughout the novel, Stefan is a pawn that Ainsley uses first to bind Peter to her through his murder and then to preserve her family’s stability by framing him for Peter’s murders.

Illiana functions as both an antagonist and a victim, as she is a wife seeking the truth about her missing husband while unknowingly confronting his killer. Her character embodies determination and investigative skill, as she successfully tracks down Ainsley despite the fake identity and privacy protections of the dating app. Her relentless pursuit of answers demonstrates her love for Stefan and her refusal to passively accept his disappearance.

Her most defining characteristic is her tenacity in seeking truth, which ultimately seals her fate. When she confronts Ainsley at the bank, declaring, “I know you were sleeping with Stefan” (145), she demonstrates both courage and naivety about the danger she faces. Because her husband was a police officer, she has confidence in her investigative abilities, but this also makes her a threat that Peter cannot allow to exist. Illiana’s character serves as a foil to Ainsley, representing genuine love and concern for a spouse compared to Ainsley’s manipulative control of Peter.

Glennon represents the archetypal loyal best friend whose own marriage secrets parallel the main couple’s deceptions. Her character serves as a supporting figure who unknowingly enables the protagonists’ lies while harboring her own truth about her sham marriage to Seth. Her function in the narrative demonstrates how even close relationships can be built on mutual deception and how secrets create ripple effects throughout social networks.

Her most significant trait is her protective loyalty to Ainsley, which makes her ignorant to the danger her friend represents. Glennon’s insistence that Peter confess his affair with Seth stems from her genuine desire to protect Ainsley from further betrayal, not realizing that Ainsley already knows about Peter’s infidelities and is orchestrating events for her own purposes. Her character illustrates the theme of performance of domestic normalcy as survival through her own marriage arrangement with Seth, where both partners maintain a public facade while privately living separate lives.

Seth functions as a supporting character whose sexuality creates a vulnerability that Peter exploits. His character highlights the complexities of identity suppression and societal pressure, as his family’s Catholic beliefs forced him into a marriage arrangement with Glennon to maintain his inheritance and social standing. His affair with Peter complicates the narrative’s exploration of truth and deception within marriages, but the novel’s resolution, in which Seth is out to his family and has maintained his friendship with Glennon, offers an optimistic conclusion to their drama.