Jasmine is a 44-year-old bartender desperate to escape her violent boyfriend, Glenn. Deeply affected by childhood neglect and ongoing trauma, she carefully saves money and plans her escape in secret, hoping to find freedom and a fresh start. On her flight out of town, she sits next to a woman named Stephanie who physically resembles her.

Stephanie is a 45-year-old television news director from Madison, Wisconsin. Divorced with an adult son, she feels overworked, unappreciated, and lonely in her empty apartment. She longs for excitement and a break from her demanding career, hoping her upcoming business trip will offer a chance for fun and rebellion.

Trent is a recently divorced 52-year-old news director from Atlanta. Confident, focused on his appearance, and unapologetic about his desires, he treats the conference primarily as a hunting ground for romantic encounters. He zeroes in on Stephanie immediately, aggressively pursuing her attention.

Glenn is Jasmine's abusive boyfriend in Madison. A physically imposing man with a volatile temper, he refuses to accept Jasmine's departure. He externalizes his anger, blaming a "devil" inside him for his violence, and begins an aggressive, paranoid search to track Jasmine down.

Anna is a bartender and Jasmine's loyal best friend since childhood. Though she provided Jasmine with loan money to help her leave, Anna is terrified of Glenn's violent temper and must protect her friend's secret while fielding escalating threats at her workplace.

Robert is Stephanie's trusted neighbor and close confidant in Madison. He frequently helps Stephanie with pet care and provides her with companionship. When Stephanie's travel updates become strange and alarming, Robert takes it upon himself to investigate and alert the authorities.

Dave is the station manager at the Madison television station where Stephanie works. He is strict about workplace hierarchy and deeply concerned about the stability of the newsroom, reacting with frustration and worry when his reliable news director suddenly goes off the grid.

Bruce is the assistant news director under Stephanie. He attempts to manage the stressful environment of the news station during her absence but quickly finds himself caught between his demanding boss, Dave, and his suspicious colleagues.

Lucy is the digital manager at the Madison news station. Sharp and observant, she is the first in the office to suspect that the highly formal text messages coming from Stephanie's phone might not actually be from her.

Raven is Jasmine and Anna's tough childhood friend. Known for being formidable and resourceful, she is contacted to help handle the escalating situation with Glenn in Madison, offering protection and unconventional problem-solving.

Nora is a colleague at the Madison news station who collaborates with Lucy to investigate Stephanie's bizarre behavior. Together, they create a fake scenario regarding non-existent clients to see how whoever has the phone will respond.

Evan is Stephanie's adult son from her previous marriage. He lives independently away from home, which leaves Stephanie feeling isolated in her empty apartment.

Diana is a woman Stephanie plans to meet up with in San Diego to help make her business trip more exciting. She represents Stephanie's desire to inject fun and unpredictability into her otherwise rigid schedule.

Bill is the general manager at the Atlanta news station where Trent works. He prioritizes the station's reputation and its relationship with advertisers above personal loyalty to his employees.

Katrina is Trent's former wife. Having lived with him, she possesses firsthand knowledge of his volatile temper, difficult personality, and capacity for cruelty.

Dorothy is a news director grouped with Trent and Stephanie at the San Diego conference. She is observant of the people around her and retains small details about her colleagues' behaviors and preferences during the event.