The Perfect Divorce

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of graphic violence, emotional abuse, and physical abuse.

“Does a patient undergoing surgery in a hospital notice when their stomach has been sliced open? No, they don’t, because they’re under anesthesia. Kelly and I were drugged that night. I don’t know by who, but someone drugged us. And as I said, when I came to, it was still pitch-black out; I couldn’t see a thing.”

Adam Morgan’s interview in the Prologue establishes the stakes for The Perfect Divorce. The Prologue functions as an introduction to the novel’s central plot points and mystery: It reminds the reader of the events central to the prequel, The Perfect Marriage, while foreshadowing coming events. Adam’s reference to Kelly Summers’s murder and mention of being drugged foreshadows what will happen to Stacy Howard at the same mystery perpetrator’s hand.

“Isn’t that what they all say? It was only one time. It was an accident, an error of judgment, something completely out of character, something they’ll never do again. It didn’t mean anything. She didn’t mean anything. Yeah, that is what they all say, but only once they get caught. They’re not sorry for what they’ve done. They’re sorry that you know what they’ve done. And Bob’s no different. He’s just like the rest of them.”

Sarah Morgan’s internal monologue during her and Bob Miller’s legal meeting introduces the theme of Trust and Betrayal in Intimate Relationships. Although she and Bob have been married for over a decade, Sarah’s private thoughts reveal that she has never trusted Bob, simply because he is a man. She has operated under the guise of a faithful and loving wife since she and Bob got together, but she has always seen Bob as no different than her first husband Adam. Because there’s no trust in her relationship, the couple’s marriage cannot last.

“It used to be him giving the commands around here. But not anymore. Things change, and apparently, so do people—for the worse, that is. Ryan was slipping for a while there. Then about a year ago, he started spiraling out of control, and it didn’t take long for the community to notice their sheriff was a drunk. At first, they took pity on him, but that didn’t last long either. There was a petition, a protest, and finally a recall around five months ago. He was out, and shortly thereafter, I was elected as the new sheriff.”

Marcus Hudson’s assessment of his former boss and sheriff Ryan Stevens captures The Impact of the Past on the Present. Marcus worked under Stevens for years; he is intimate with Stevens’s personal history and feels that Stevens’s choices and life path are integral to his own story.