The characters of I've Got You Under My Skin. Be aware of potential spoilers.
open/close all folders
Powell household and friends
Betsy Powell
Betsy Bonner Powell
A former actress-turned-socialite, who was murdered on the night of the Graduation Gala twenty years ago.
- Abusive Parent: She's revealed to have been one to her daughter. While on the surface Betsy appeared to be a doting mother, it was purely for show and she didn't truly care about Claire's well-being, treating her more as an object than a person. Worst of all, Betsy was aware that Robert was sexually abusing Claire, but did nothing to stop him because she was happy being married to him; she even forbade Claire from boarding at her high school and college despite knowing it was the only way for her to escape the abuse, so she went beyond being a Useless Bystander Parent to actively abetting Robert's abuse.
- Asshole Victim: It becomes evident that she was not a pleasant woman; she was vain, greedy and selfish with a cruel streak, and enjoyed manipulating other people for her own gain. She harmed all the suspects in one way or another, and the only person who appears genuinely heartbroken by her murder is her husband. Everyone else privately thinks that it's not surprising someone whacked Betsy and they're not sorry she's dead.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Even posthumously, Betsy is widely known to have been a charming and generous woman. When she first decides to take the case, Laurie is righteously angry that Betsy's life was violently cut short and wants to help her grieving husband find answers. However, it quickly becomes clear to both the reader and the Under Suspicion team that the image Betsy presented to the outside world hid her true nature: conniving, malicious and utterly self-absorbed.
- Blackmail: During the Graduation Gala, George decided to end his affair with Betsy after his wife Isabelle told him she was pregnant, to which Betsy demanded he pay her $25 million or she'd reveal the affair to Isabelle. George grudgingly agreed to pay her off, as he was desperate not to lose Isabelle and their future together, though Betsy took such glee in threatening him he wasn't sure she would keep her word. And then Betsy was murdered later that night, taking the secret to the grave...
- Gold Digger: She moved to the affluent neighbourhood of Salem Ridge specifically to pursue a rich man. She ended up marrying the incredibly wealthy Robert Powell and certainly enjoyed the lavish lifestyle he provided for her. It's implied she may also have started an affair with George Curtis for this reason; while Rob was rich, his fortune paled in comparison to George's, as the billionaire owner of a fast food franchise. Betsy began demanding that George divorce his wife, presumably so they could be together, though she may also have just been messing with him.
- Kick the Dog: Betsy thoroughly enjoyed twisting the knife deeper into people she'd manipulated and screwed over, just for the hell of it.
- After she caused Alison to lose out on the medical scholarship she had expected to win, Betsy rubbed it in Alison's face at the gala.
- Betsy sent a gala invitation to Muriel, during which she gushed about how grateful she was that Muriel's daughter introduced her to Rob and how happy they were; Betsy was well aware Muriel was extremely bitter to have lost Rob to her and blamed her daughter for it. At the gala, she also mockingly asked Nina whether her mother was still hung up on Rob.
- When she threatened to reveal their affair to George's wife, Betsy cruelly mused that perhaps the shock would cause Isabelle to miscarry; she had just announced she was pregnant with twins after previously having four miscarriages, with Betsy being well-aware how badly Isabelle and George wanted children.
- The Lost Lenore: For her husband Robert, who freely admits he has never gotten over her death and still regards the years they were married as the happiest of his life. He willingly agrees to appear on Under Suspicion, lets the crew film in his home and provides a substantial amount of money to convince Claire, Nina, Alison and Regina to take part, all so he can have a chance at finding out who killed Betsy. Given that Robert has been diagnosed with terminal illness, he knows this is his last opportunity to pin down a culprit. When he discovers Jane killed Betsy, he personally murders her to avenge his wife.
- Posthumous Character: She was smothered to death in her own bed in 1993, with her murder remaining unsolved for twenty years. The pilot episode of Under Suspicion is dedicated to trying to uncover clues about who killed her and why, with Betsy continuing to cast a long shadow over the lives of those close to her (many of whom also had strong motives to kill her).
- Rags to Riches: She and her daughter Claire had struggled to make ends meet for most of Claire's childhood, with Betsy only sporadically getting acting roles in minor productions and working as a theatre usher the rest of the time. Betsy marrying Robert Powell meant money was no longer something she and her daughter had to worry about. Betsy was also unwilling to give up her newfound fortune for anything, including turning a blind eye to her husband molesting her daughter and being willing to seduce and financially ruin Regina's father to secure her own wealth.
- Slain in Their Sleep: Subverted; her killer attacked her and held a pillow over her face as she slept in her bed, but as her body was found clutching the edges of the pillow the following morning, she actually woke up during the attack and unsuccessfully tried to push the pillow off.
- Slut-Shaming: A lot of the characters who knew Betsy Powell well tend to use words like slut, whore and tramp to describe her. Considering she was a gold-digger who romantically pursued a man knowing he was seriously dating someone else (and rubbed it in her face for years afterwards), cheated on her husband with another married man and quite a few other men, as it turns out and used sex to manipulate people, the disparaging comments come off as more justified than is typical for this trope.
Robert Powell
Robert Nicholas "Rob" Powell
A successful and wealthy hedge fund manager, the husband of the late Betsy Bonner Powell and stepfather of Claire Bonner.- Asshole Victim: He is fatally struck in the head with a stray bullet when the cops confront Blue Eyes. As by this point he'd been revealed to be a dreadful person who was just as guilty as Betsy of helping ruin the graduates' lives and was in all likelihood going to get away with it, no one is sorry he died like he did save for Muriel Craig (mostly because she's now lost her Meal Ticket).
- Bluffing the Murderer: On the night before filming is set to end, Rob publicly announces that he now knows who killed Betsy and intends to make this information public tomorrow. It's not clear if he really does think he knows the killer's identity, but either way he's clearly trying to make them panic. It prompts Jane to try and kill Muriel, revealing herself as Betsy's killer. Rob appears genuinely shocked, as he had always thought it was one of the graduates.
- Good Stepmother: He makes himself out to be a good stepfather to Claire; he says he loved her like his own daughter, especially as he never had children, and did his best to be a father figure to her. After her mother died, Robert tried to stay in contact with Claire and offered to keep financially supporting her, but Claire always rebuffed him, which he tells Laurie he believes was caused by grief and resentment. It's subverted hard when it's revealed Robert had actually been molesting Claire and was incredibly controlling of her, so it's completely understandable Claire couldn't wait to get far away from him.
- The Mourning After: He's never had another relationship in the twenty years since his second wife was murdered; he openly says that he was never able to move on after what happened to Betsy and has even kept her bedroom the same. He does start showing an interest in his old girlfriend Muriel, although Nina thinks it's obvious he's just toying with her.
Jane Novak
Jane Novak
The Powells' live-in housekeeper, who was one of Betsy's oldest friends.
- Anguished Declaration of Love: When she's revealed as Betsy's killer and Robert catches up to her, demanding to know why she did it, she sobs that she's in love with Robert and has been for years.
- Better Manhandle the Murder Weapon: When Betsy was found dead with a pillow over her face, Jane pulled the pillow off to check if she was alive and then kept holding it from shock. It's later subverted; Jane actually was Betsy's killer and she was quick to grab hold of the pillow in a way that didn't look suspicious, so that it wouldn't raise any red flags if her fingerprints or DNA were found on the pillowcase.
- Creepy Housekeeper: She's been Robert Powell's housekeeper for nearly thirty years, and is devoted to both the house and Robert. She makes it clear she doesn't like the idea of a television crew poking around and stirring up trouble; while she's polite on the surface, she makes everyone feel like intruders and can't wait to see the back of them. When Laurie first meets Jane and inadvertently irritates her, she thinks to herself that she wouldn't want to get on Jane's bad side. Jane has also been in love with her employer almost as long as she's worked for him, to the point it's obsessive; she gets agitated every time she sees he's got meetings with women for fear they might become the new Mrs Powell, constantly gushes about how handsome and generous Robert is, fantasizes about becoming his wife, drinks from Robert's mug (without washing it), and even lays her head on his pillow while making the beds, to name a few examples. It's eventually revealed she murdered Betsy out of jealousy, believing she didn't deserve Rob.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Part of the reason Jane killed Betsy was her resentment of Betsy for lording her wealth over her and treating her like dirt after their years' long friendship, as well as Betsy cheating on Robert (whom Jane loved). While it's understandable she'd feel hurt and betrayed by this, committing murder over it is a tad extreme.
- It's All My Fault: She says she's always partly blamed herself for Betsy's death because she left a backdoor unlocked, believing that an intruder killed Betsy during a botched burglary. It's subverted when it turns out Jane directly killed Betsy and isn't remorseful over it at all; she pushes the unlocked backdoor story to deflect suspicion from herself.
- Love Makes You Evil: Her obsessive love for Robert motivated her to murder his wife Betsy, whom she felt didn't deserve Robert, so she could have him to herself. She was willing to let several innocent people, including Betsy's daughter Claire (who Jane had known since Claire was a child) be suspected of the crime so she could stay at Robert's side. When she fears Muriel is going to take Robert from her, she tries to kill her as well, declaring that even if she gets caught, at least Muriel won't get Robert.
- We Used to Be Friends: She and Betsy were good friends when they both worked together at a theatre, Betsy as an actress or - more often - an usher when she couldn't get roles and Jane as a cleaner. When Betsy married Robert Powell, she offered Jane a permanent position as a live-in housekeeper. Jane was thrilled with this opportunity, but her friendship with Betsy soon turned sour, as Betsy almost immediately began acting as though she was superior to Jane and treated her merely as 'the help' rather than her old friend, starting with her insistence Jane call her "Mrs Powell" at all times. Jane was also aware that Betsy was cheating on Robert with numerous men and came to resent Betsy, especially as Jane herself fell in love with Robert.
- Yandere: She's been obsessed with Robert Powell for years, to the point of being willing to kill. It's revealed she murdered Betsy from jealousy, hoping Rob would turn his affections towards her instead. She also attempts to murder Muriel when she seems to be winning Rob back; when Rob confronts her, she sobs that she did it all for love of him.
Josh Damiano
Josh Damiano
Robert Powell's long-time personal assistant and driver.- Blackmail: He secretly records three of the graduates' conversations, where they each say things that could incriminate them in Betsy's murder. Josh tells Nina, Alison and Regina that he will destroy the recordings if they agree to give him some of the money they're being paid to appear on Under Suspicion, or he'll make them public. He goes a step further with Regina, demanding she give him all her money as the evidence against her looks especially damning, especially as he had stolen her father's suicide note from her purse, the details of which gives her a strong motive.
- Blackmail Backfire:
- He tries to record Claire's conversations along with the other three graduates, hoping she will say something incriminating he can use to extort money from her. However, to his disappointment Claire is mostly silent throughout the car trip (unlike the others she rides alone and doesn't make or receive calls) and avoids him afterwards, so he has nothing to blackmail her with.
- After Jane is revealed to be Betsy's killer, thus freeing them from any suspicion, Regina, Nina and Alison go straight to the cops about Josh's attempt to blackmail them over incriminating recordings he made of them, using the copies he gave them as proof. Josh is swiftly arrested.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: He gives Regina, Alison and Nina copies of the incriminating recordings he made of them, as proof that he isn't playing around and so they should pay up if they know what's good for them. After it's revealed none of them are the killer, they take the recordings to the police as damning proof of Josh's misdeeds.
- Slimeball: He's a conniving, unscrupulous man purely out for his own gain. He records Robert's business associates when they takes rides in his boss' Bentley in case they say anything that could help make Robert more money or get better deals for himself. Josh also secretly ferried Robert's wife Betsy to and from her extramarital liaisons. In the present, Josh records Regina, Alison and Nina's conversations and then uses the recordings to blackmail them. He even goes through their personal belongings and steals Regina's father's suicide note, using it to blackmail her for even greater amounts of money.
Muriel Craig
Muriel Craig
A once semi-famous actress whose career has since faded; she's the mother of Nina Craig and former flame of Robert Powell. She hoped to marry Robert until he met Betsy and has been bitter over it ever since.
- Abusive Parent: She has been viciously emotionally, verbally and financially abusive towards her daughter Nina for decades, even now Nina is an adult. Muriel constantly belittles and criticizes Nina as a failure, uses Nina's credit cards to splurge on expensive items, leaves the house they share looking like a tip, and unfairly blames Nina for her break-up with Rob Powell, frequently telling her she ruined her life. Muriel even threatens to falsely tell the police Nina confessed to murdering Betsy to her, with Nina seriously believing her mother would be capable of it.
- Blackmail: When she learns about Josh's blackmail scheme, she demands that Nina agree to pay him off (mostly because she's also on the recording trash talking Betsy, which could jeopardize her chances with Rob Powell), threatening to go to the cops and tell them Nina confessed to killing Betsy to her.
- Blatant Lies: When she first meets Laurie, Muriel dramatically tells her what a terrible tragedy it was to have lost her dear friend Betsy. Not several minutes ago, Nina had to endure Muriel ranting in the car how much she despised Betsy and thought she got what she deserved. Nina is so disgusted by her mother's feigned grief, she walks off to avoid saying anything inflammatory. Laurie also doesn't buy it for one second.
- Gold Digger: Her acting career never quite took off the way she wanted, so she hoped to marry into money. She was dating Robert Powell and they had talked about getting engaged, until Rob met Betsy and married her instead. Muriel has always been bitter about this and in the present day she really lays on the charm in an attempt to win Rob back.
- I Coulda Been a Contender!: Muriel likes to go on and on and on about how she could've become a famous actress and/or been the second Mrs Powell and be living the high life right now, if it weren't for her daughter and Betsy screwing everything up. Nina thinks that Robert was never that into her in the first place and that she was always a second-rate actress.
- Insane Troll Logic: Nina's mother blames her for Robert Powell leaving her for Betsy, because the three of them happened to be having lunch in the same restaurant as Betsy and Claire, and thirteen-year-old Nina called them over to say hello, resulting in Rob and Betsy getting to know each other.
- Jerkass: She's selfish, demanding, cantankerous, two-faced and straight-up nasty to her daughter; nearly thirty years later, she still blames Nina for 'ruining' her chances to marry Robert Powell and/or become a successful actress, while also criticizing and making snide comments about Nina. It's worth noting that she relies on Nina for financial support, but still shows her no respect.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Muriel is no angel herself and Nina in particular is sick of her going on about it, but every one of her criticisms regarding the late Betsy Powell are technically right and are even mirrored by other characters.
- Romantic Runner-Up: To Betsy for Robert. She and Robert were dating and had serious discussions about getting married - to the point Muriel decided not to take a lucrative acting role because Robert told her he didn't want her working so much when they were newly wed - but after Robert met Betsy, he quickly moved on to her instead. Muriel publicly insisted she didn't care because she and Robert weren't seriously involved, though in private she took it extremely badly and is still resentful about it over twenty years later.
- Silver Vixen: Muriel likes to imagine herself as one. While she is still an attractive woman in her sixties, the way she throws herself at her old flame Robert Powell is embarrassingly obvious and Nina futilely tells her she's making a fool of herself.
The Four Graduates
Claire Bonner
Claire Bonner
The daughter of Betsy and stepdaughter of Robert. She is now a social worker specialising in troubled youth and has been estranged from Robert since her mother's murder.
- Broken Bird: She comes across as a stoic, even cold woman who rarely confides in anyone and is difficult to read emotionally. The sections told from her perspective reveal she's bitter and tormented by her past and the knowledge many people believe she killed her own mother, though other people often can't tell what's going on inside her head. Considering that she had a mother and stepfather who were both cruel, controlling Manipulative Bastards (including tormenting and ruining the lives of her best friends), she was sexually abused by her stepfather and found out her mother willingly turned a blind eye to it, then was wrongfully suspected of murder for two decades, it's unsurprising Claire is quite a jaded and repressed person. She starts getting better after she's finally cleared of murdering Betsy and her stepfather is killed.
- Harmful to Minors: It's revealed that from the age of thirteen, she was sexually abused by her stepfather, which started a month after she moved into his house and is implied to have continued until she finally moved out at the age of twenty-one. It clearly still affects her all these years later; during a breakdown, she admits to herself she's never really addressed it and should probably seek therapy. On a more positive note, it's also the reason she became a social worker, wanting to help kids going through similar situations get support or prevent it altogether.
- Hates Their Parent: Contrary to what Robert Powell claims, Claire despised her mother by the end of her life. Claire loved her mother when it was just the two of them, but after she married Rob Powell she came to see Betsy for who she really was, hating her for being an utter Manipulative Bitch who didn't care about anyone but herself and for letting her husband molest her.
- It's All My Fault: It's suggested that part of her blamed herself for her stepfather's sexual and psychological abuse, despite there being no way it could've been her fault and her not blaming the kids she works with for similar things, as in the epilogue, she is able to say with confidence that "It wasn't my fault" after coming to terms with the abuse.
- Like Parent, Unlike Child: About the only thing she has in common with her mother is her looks (which she actively tries to downplay) and their financial troubles. Betsy wanted a life of glamour and wealth, initially pursuing acting before marrying a rich hedge fund manager and becoming a socialite while also engaging in multiple affairs. Claire chooses to work a lower-paying but emotionally-rewarding job as a social worker and is still single (either by circumstance or choice). Betsy loved to be the centre of attention, indulging in expensive clothes and jewellery and regularly flaunting her position. Claire prefers plain, modest clothes and doesn't wear make-up; she prefers to keep a low profile and is intensely private, and her idea of indulgence is spending a few nights at an expensive seaside hotel. Betsy presented herself as a charming, gregarious woman but was secretly a sadistic, manipulative asshole who would use and abuse anyone to get what she wanted. Claire comes off as extremely reserved and outright cold-hearted on the surface, but she's actually a compassionate and dignified woman who is dealing with a lot of trauma alone.
- Near-Death Experience: It's mentioned early in the story that she nearly died of pneumonia the previous year and she's still recuperating. Part of the reason she agrees to participate in Under Suspicion is because she could use the money to take some much-needed time off work.
- Parental Betrayal: Claire endured her stepfather sexually abusing her and didn't tell her mother because she saw how happy Betsy was being married to him, especially as they had struggled financially until Betsy met Robert. However, Claire eventually overheard that Betsy had known for some time about the abuse and simply didn't care, causing Claire to despise her.
- Parent with New Paramour: Robert says that when he married Betsy, he tried to get her then-teenaged daughter Claire to warm up to him and did his best to support her, but that Claire was always a bit standoffish with him. After Betsy was murdered, Claire immediately moved out and cut off contact with her stepfather. Robert says he got sense Claire was jealous and resentful of his relationship with her mother, as up until the point they met, it had just been Claire and Betsy for Claire's entire life. Claire's perspective paints their relationship in a very different light; the reason Claire hated her stepfather wasn't mere jealousy but because he was possessive and sexually abusive (which her mother did nothing to stop) and he did horrible things to all her friends: he helped financially ruin Regina's father, driving him to suicide, he abruptly dumped Nina's mother for Betsy after giving her the impression he'd marry her (for which Nina's mother blamed her) and thanks to his donation to Alison's college, Betsy was able to swindle her out of her medical scholarship.
- Strong Family Resemblance: She bears a strong resemblance to her late mother Betsy. When she first arrives at her stepfather's mansion for the filming of Under Suspicion, Claire intentionally invokes this by carefully choosing her make-up, clothes and hair style to resemble her mother as much as possible, in order to mess with Rob. She looks so much like Betsy everyone can only stare at her and Nina even faints in shock. However, after that Claire goes back to her usual style, which involves downplaying her resemblance to Betsy as much as possible.
- Tarnishing Their Own Beauty: She's noted to be a pretty woman, but she tends to downplay this as much as she can, such as wearing drab clothes, having an unflattering hairstyle and refusing to touch make-up; she's even reluctant to let the make-up team put foundation on her so she doesn't look washed-out on-camera. She also wants to avoid resembling her late mother as much as possible, especially as Betsy loved wearing expensive, flashy clothing and jewellery. It's revealed this is because she was sexually abused by her stepfather. In the epilogue, after she's cleared of murdering her mother and started getting support for her trauma, it's noted she's wearing more flattering clothes and make-up, indicating she no longer feels the need to hide her looks from fear and repulsion.
Nina Craig
Nina Craig
A struggling actress stuck living with her obnoxious mother, Muriel, who blames her for her break-up with Robert Powell.
- Awful Wedded Life: Nina has been divorced for a few years; she says her ex-husband was a serial cheat and that it was for the best they didn't have children, as it would've just made things messier.
- Dissonant Laughter: After Jane is caught attempting to smother Muriel and she has to be revived via CPR, thus revealing herself as Betsy's killer, Nina is heard laughing hysterically from the shock, especially given Muriel had falsely told Robert that Nina killed Betsy.
- Fallen-on-Hard-Times Job: She wanted to become an actress and had aspirations to go to Hollywood, but her career never really took off and she's now stuck mostly working as an extra.
- Fiery Redhead: She's a redhead with a bold, outspoken personality; notably, she's the one who first insists she and the other graduates be paid more money in exchange for appearing on Under Suspicion, as compensation for the way they've suffered as murder suspects for twenty years and knowing the show can't go forward without their cooperation. Her friends say they use to call her the "flaming redhead" because of these traits.
- Hates Their Parent: She loathes her mother and it's not hard to see why, considering how Muriel has been making her life miserable for decades. A big part of the reason Nina agrees to appear on the programme is because she could use the $300,000 payment to buy her mother her own house and finally be rid of her. Notably, besides being a bit shocked, Nina isn't that affected by Jane's attempt to kill Muriel, and tells her she can have all of the money she was paid for appearing on the show on the condition she never speak to her again.
- Parental Betrayal: Her own mother threatens to tell the police that she (falsely) confessed to her that she killed Betsy so that Muriel could be with Robert so she can collect the reward money, with Nina realising she believes her mother really would throw her under the bus. Muriel later tells Robert that Nina confessed her crime to her in an attempt to ingratiate herself with him, much to Nina's fury and despair. However, it backfires when it turns out Jane killed Betsy and attempts to take out Muriel, too.
- Tragic Dream: She dreamt of being a famous actress in her youth, including moving all the way from New York State to Hollywood after graduating. She does act now...as an extra. She never managed to get her big acting break, not necessarily because she's a bad actress but because she just never got lucky and any talent she has is overshadowed by her alleged involvement in the Graduation Gala murder. Given she's now in her early 40s with no roles of note under her belt, Nina's chances of Hollywood success are even slimmer. Unlike some examples, Nina is fairly accepting of this and focuses on getting enough money to pay her bills and get her horrible mother out of her life. By the end she's engaged to a well-off producer, so she's at least got love and financial stability; her fiance's connections could also potentially aid her acting career.
- What Did I Do Last Night?: A particularly dark example. During the Graduation Gala, Nina was so angry and hurt over Betsy's behaviour - and her situation in general - she got blackout drunk, leaving her memories of that night very hazy; she doesn't even remember going to bed. The only thing she clearly remembers is being woken the next morning by Jane's screams upon discovering Betsy's body. Nina wonders if she could've attacked Betsy in her drunken state and not fully remember.
- You Are What You Hate: She hates her mother for being so ruthless and manipulative, although Nina herself has a manipulative streak and can be quite cold and calculating when she's trying to get something she wants. It's implied that Nina picked up these traits from Muriel both from living with her for decades, and to try and survive living with her.
- You Remind Me of X: She bears a resemblance to the late wife of Grant Richmond, a producer she has been casually dating. For her formal interview, Nina gives the make-up artists a photo of Grant's wife and requests that they make her look her that, hoping to invoke this if Grant watches the show and thus spark a more serious relationship. It apparently worked, as six months later they're engaged.
Alison Schaeffer
Alison Schaeffer
A pharmacist whose dreams of becoming a doctor were dashed by Betsy Powell.
- Assumed Win: She says she was so certain she was going to win a medical scholarship in college, during the announcement she was already halfway out of her seat to accept it when it was given to another girl. Given the dean's awkward reaction and Betsy's later mockery of Alison, it's strongly implied that Alison would've been awarded the scholarship until Betsy persuaded the dean to change the recipient at short notice. Alison still regards it as one of the most humiliating moments of her life.
- The Atoner: Alison stayed with Rod and helped him with his disability out of guilt and shame; she'd married him because he was set to become a high-earning football player and could pay for her medical studies, but a month after the wedding he suffered an accident that made it impossible to continue a career as a professional footballer. Alison also thinks it's possible she could've killed Betsy unknowingly, as she'd been furious with Betsy at the gala and was sleepwalking later that night. She believes Rod suspects her, but he's never said anything about it and she sees supporting him as a way to make up for this.
- Brainy Brunette: She's a brunette and is noted to have been the best student out of the graduates, getting top grades and aspiring to become a doctor. She could've easily gotten into medical school based on her academic achievements if it weren't for her lacking the money to take on student debt without a scholarship (which she would've won if Betsy hadn't interfered).
- Brutal Honesty: During her interview with Alex Buckley, Alison becomes so stressed she has a mini breakdown and blurts out that Betsy Powell was "evil and vain and a whore" and that, while she didn't kill her, she's not sorry she's dead and hopes she's rotting in hell.
- Fallen-on-Hard-Times Job: She aspired to become a doctor and was smart enough to get into medical school, but she couldn't afford to pay for her studies unless she took on a lot of debt. She instead took night classes to become a pharmacist and now runs her own pharmacy (which originally belonged to her husband's elderly cousin), with her disabled husband doing what he can to help.
- Florence Nightingale Effect: It's implied that she came to genuinely love her husband while helping him recover from his accident and supporting him with his disability.
- Gold Digger: She's a more sympathetic example. She was dating Rod in college, who had been in love with her for years. Alison didn't feel as strongly, but after she lost out on a much-needed scholarship to go to medical school thanks to Betsy, Alison agreed to marry Rod when he promised to put her through medical school with his earnings from the New York Giants. Unfortunately, less than a month later Rod was involved in an accident that ended his career in football and Alison dropped out of medical school to care for him.
- Hard Work Fallacy: She was an accomplished student and studied incredibly hard in college in the hopes of winning a scholarship to medical school. Unfortunately, Betsy Powell used her influence over the college (which her husband had made large donations to) in order to persuade the dean to give it to a different student, one who was clearly undeserving (Alison recalls the dean awkwardly commenting on her being a "good student" while handing out the scholarship, to which Alison scoffs that the student dropped out within two years). The fact that Betsy did it solely to impress the other student's mother and gain access to the fancy club she was president of makes it sting all the more.
- I Coulda Been a Contender!: She still feels sad and bitter she was never able to follow her dream of becoming a doctor, mostly because she was never able to afford the tuition costs. She hopes to use the $300,000 pay-out to cover some of the costs. In the end, she finally gets to pursue her dream.
- Sleepwalking: She sleepwalks when she's stressed. After Rod catches her sleepwalking in their hotel, he gently brings her back to their room. A distraught Alison confesses to Rod that on the night Betsy was murdered, she recalls sleepwalking into Betsy's room and wonders if she could've killed her. Alison didn't kill Betsy, but she did witness the real killer putting a pillow over Betsy's face.
- That Was Not a Dream: She confides in her husband that she's had recurring nightmares about going into Betsy's room and holding a pillow down on her face, but that she was sleepwalking that night, she's not certain if it was just a dream or an actual memory. Alison didn't kill Betsy, but she did sleepwalk into the room and hide in a closet, witnessing Betsy's murder through the slats of the closet door.
- Witch with a Capital "B": At the gala, she was overheard seething to her friends that she was "going to kill that witch", referring to Betsy and her continued taunting of Alison over the loss of her scholarship. Considering that someone did kill Betsy later that night, it doesn't look good for Alison.
Regina Callari
Regina Callari
A struggling real estate agent haunted by her father's suicide, for which she holds the Powells partly responsible.
- Blatant Lies: The reader is already aware that Regina's father did leave a suicide note and she hid it, but when Alex Buckley questions her about it directly in her interview, Regina starts cracking under the pressure and repeatedly, rapidly denies there was a note in such a way that it's basically a confession.
- Dark and Troubled Past: She had an idyllic upbringing until her father killed himself when she was fifteen, with she being the one to find his body. She was also aware of why her father did it because she found his suicide note, but has kept this a closely guarded secret for decades. Regina and her mother lost almost everything because of her father's death, with her mother dying several years later. In addition to trauma of her parents' deaths, Regina has slso had to deal with being a suspect in Betsy Powell's murder, which took a toll on her mental health and partly led to the breakdown of her marriage.
- Harmful to Minors: When she was fifteen-years-old, she found her father's body in the garage after he hanged himself. She has suffered nightmares and flashbacks, and had bouts of depression over it, for decades.
- Riches to Rags: The Callari family were initially well-off financially; not quite as wealthy as the Powells but definitely comfortable thanks to Mr Callari's successful business. Unfortunately, Regina's father lost all his money with an unwise investment into Robert's hedge fund and took his own life shortly after. Regina and her mother were forced to move to a much smaller home and Mrs Callari had to work multiple jobs to support them; she died not long after Regina graduated college from a stress-related illness. Regina has never quite managed to get back on top financially; her ex-husband Earl began making big bucks as a musician after they separated, but as Regina couldn't afford a lawyer to prove he began writing his music before they got divorced, she can't share in any of his royalties and he's never been inclined to help her with money. She lives in a tiny apartment that's obviously a converted garage and is trying desperately to keep her real estate business afloat.
- "Well Done, Dad!" Guy: She dearly loves her son Zach and desperately wants to be someone he can be proud of, as well as provide him with the same things his wealthy father can. She's all too aware that Earl uses his money and connections to try and win Zach's affections and is afraid she will lose her bond with him, especially as he's heading to college soon. Zach reveals to Regina that while he likes his dad's expensive gifts, he actually appreciates her more because she's genuinely nurturing and emotionally supportive.
Others
Rod Kimball
Rod Kimball
Alison Schaeffer's husband and co-worker; he was formerly a professional footballer, but had his career cut short by an accident that left him permanently disabled.
- Career-Ending Injury: He was a talented football player in college and had signed a lucrative contract with the New York Giants. Unfortunately, after playing just one season, he was the victim of a hit-and-run that left him permanently disabled. His injury even affected his new wife's career; Alison had been planning to attend medical school, but put those plans aside to help Rod's rehabilitation, then took night classes to become a pharmacist to support them financially after the money Rod got from his brief football career ran out.
- Insecure Love Interest: Rod has always suspected he loved Alison far more than she loved him and that she only stayed with him after his accident out of pity and a sense of obligation. He's sometimes thought about telling her to leave him and find someone else, but can't bring himself to do it because he can't bear the thought of living without her. Alison does privately admit that she mostly married him for his money at first, but given she stood by him all these years, stays married to him even after getting $5 million that could allow her to do whatever she wanted, and happily tells him she's pregnant with his child, it appears she came to genuinely love him.
- Tragically Disabled Love Interest: To Alison. A month after their wedding he was badly injured in a hit-and-run; he had to learn to walk again and will never fully recover, still using crutches and occasionally suffering from aches and pains because of his injuries. Alison devoted herself to caring for him throughout his rehabilitation, still regularly helps him with physical tasks he finds difficult and studied to become a pharmacist to financially support them. Rod sometimes feels guilty over how much Alison has sacrificed to help him and part of him wonders if she only stays with him out of pity. She later reveals she stays with him because she truly came to love him.
Earl
Earl
Regina Callari's ex-husband and father of her son Zach. He pursued a successful career in music following his divorce.
- Disneyland Dad: He's a successful musician, while his ex-wife runs a struggling real estate business. Although Regina primarily raised their son Zach, he tends to prefer spending time with his dad, who uses his wealth to buy Zach things Regina couldn't begin to afford. Regina privately fears that she and Zach will grow apart because of this. Zach later admits that while he likes the lifestyle his father gives him, he doesn't much enjoy being there because his dad and his current wife fight constantly and he wishes he could spend more quality time with his mother.
- Jerkass: From what we hear of him, he sounds like a real piece of work. Regina says he divorced her because he couldn't handle her depressive episodes and was frustrated she wouldn't get help. Based on one of her flashbacks, Earl just seemed utterly unsympathetic to his wife's traumatic past and mental state, berating her that he was "tired" of her having nightmares and being 'moody'. He did add that it wasn't good for their son to see her like this, but the comment is thrown in as an afterthought and there's no indication Regina was a bad mother. After divorcing Regina, Earl went on to become a highly successful musician, but was happy to let Regina struggle financially while using his wealth to try and alienate their son from her.
- Ungrateful Bastard: One of the main reasons he was able to go from working in IT to making big bucks as a musician is because his first wife was doing all the hard work at home, including being primarily responsible for childcare (while also struggling with her mental health); this gave Earl the time and space to work on creating the music he released after divorcing Regina. Earl has never given Regina credit or shown her appreciation in any form, instead acting like it was all down to him.
