Leo is a 40-something former media mogul and the eldest Plumb sibling. Recently discharged from a rehabilitation facility, he loses his assets in a pending divorce from his wife following a highly destructive car crash. Accustomed to a wealthy lifestyle, he relies on his charm and past connections to try to salvage his career. He projects confidence but avoids taking genuine responsibility for his actions.

Jack is an antiques dealer who has structured his lifestyle around the anticipated inheritance. Growing up in his older brother's shadow has left him desperate to maintain an image of upper-class success. He has secretly taken out a line of credit against a shared second home to prop up his failing business, placing immense pressure on the trust payout.

Melody is a 39-year-old married mother who has spent years renovating an expensive home in an elite neighborhood. She views her twin daughters as an extension of herself and sets her sights on sending them to expensive private colleges. Because she cannot truly afford her lifestyle, she depends entirely on the upcoming maturation of the family trust on her 40th birthday.

Bea is a modestly living writer and the only Plumb sibling not financially dependent on the family trust. Following the death of her long-time partner, she experienced a prolonged creative slump. She works at a literary journal and focuses on a new short story that she hopes will revive her career. She is generally more forgiving of human flaws than her siblings.

Stephanie is a pragmatic literary agent who previously worked with Leo at SpeakEasy. She owns a Brooklyn home that she has carefully renovated to her own tastes. Though she recently sold her agency to join a larger firm, she remains independent and fiercely protective of her boundaries, especially regarding her complicated history with Leo.

Francie is the matriarch of the Plumb family and the manager of her late husband's trust. She highly values the family's public image and reputation. Without consulting her other children, she uses the bulk of their inheritance to pay off the victims of Leo's accident to prevent a public scandal.

Walker is an attorney who works in public interest law. He is Jack's long-time partner and new husband. Grounded and realistic, he frequently warns Jack not to rely on the family inheritance and strongly disapproves of unethical shortcuts.

Walter is Melody's husband and the father of their twin daughters. He frequently pushes back against Melody's financial decisions, advocating for a more realistic approach to their lives. He worries about the massive mortgage on their fixer-upper home and suggests their daughters attend public universities.

Matilda is an aspiring singer who accepts a ride from Leo Plumb, resulting in a devastating car crash. She suffers a severe injury requiring an amputation. From an undocumented family, she takes the Plumb family's payout to buy an accessible apartment but directs her guilt inward, viewing the accident as a karmic punishment.

Nora is a high school junior and one of Melody's twin daughters. She feels suffocated by her mother's intense focus on elite college admissions. Finding freedom in secretly skipping her expensive tutoring classes, she begins exploring her identity and sexuality while wandering New York City.

Louisa is Nora's twin sister and a talented sketch artist. Like her sister, she rebels against her mother's rigid educational plans, preferring to spend her weekends at the Museum of Natural History. She questions her own path while observing the changing dynamics in her sister's life.

Tommy is a retired New York City firefighter whose wife died in the World Trade Center attacks. While assisting with the recovery efforts, he quietly took a valuable damaged statue from the rubble. He keeps the artifact hidden in his apartment, burdened by the fear that his theft will be discovered.

Paul is the founder of a literary journal and a former employee of Leo Plumb. After Leo excluded him from a major business transition, Paul built his own publication from the ground up. He harbors a quiet, long-standing affection for his employee, Bea.

Vinnie is a military veteran who lost his arm in combat. He meets Matilda in a rehabilitation facility and tries to use anger management techniques to cope with his daily life.

Simone is an edgy, sophisticated high school junior who befriends Nora and Louisa. She encourages Louisa's art and forms a close bond with Nora.

George is a second cousin to the Plumb siblings. He serves as the executor of the family trust and acts as Leo's personal attorney, prioritizing legal damage control over familial harmony.

Victoria is Leo's soon-to-be-ex-wife. Their marriage sours before the accident, and she accepts a financial payout from the Plumb family to keep the details of Leo's infidelity out of the press.

Nathan is Leo's former business partner at SpeakEasy. He successfully built his own media conglomerate without Leo's help, making him a target for Leo's comeback attempts.

Celia is an artist and a friend of Stephanie. She hosts a social gathering where Bea overhears critical gossip about her own writing career.

Tucker was a poetry professor at Columbia who taught Bea before they entered a romantic relationship. He passed away from a stroke three years before the main events of the story, leaving Bea an apartment.

Fernando is Matilda's cousin. He represents the extended family she feels obligated to support after receiving her financial settlement.

Ronnie was Tommy's wife who was killed in the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Her memory drives Tommy's obsession with the statue he recovered.

Leonard is the late father of the Plumb siblings. He was a successful engineer and businessman who established the family trust to provide for his children later in life.