Alethea Lopez, turning 40, appears outwardly poised—she runs a boutique in Port of Spain. But behind closed doors, she hides bruises from her abusive partner, Leo, and juggles a complicated affair with her boss to salvage her sense of agency. When Alethea witnesses a crime—another woman being murdered by a jealous lover—her own hidden vulnerabilities and suppressed memories begin to resurface. As she unravels trauma and confronts her past, she must decide who she truly wants to be. The novel weaves a haunting, lyrical narrative that tackles issues of domestic violence, gender inequality, race, and self-identity in a Trinidadian setting.