Her relationship with her mother might be strained, but the distance between them helps.
At least, thats what Charlotte keeps telling herself.
But as Rocco and Ruths relationship becomes more serious, Ruths apparent obsession with Daisy grows more obvious.
Credit: Christine Jean Chambers
Then Daisy is kidnapped, and Charlotte is convinced theres only one person who could have taken her.
Theres much more to this twisty saga, but well let the book speak for itself.
EW can exclusively reveal the books gorgeous cover, as well as a first excerpt.
HarperCollins
Read on below.Something Shes Not Telling Uspublishes April 7, 2020, and isavailable for pre-order.
What was Daisy wearing when she left for school this morning?
It had been one of those mornings.
An underwatery wake-up after a very late night.
Charlotte and Eli and Daisy were supposed to land at JFK by seven.
But their plane was delayed in Mexico City.
They didnt get back to their East Village loft until well after eleven.
Unforgiveable, on a school night.
But what else could they do?
Well, not exactly in one piece.
Roccos girlfriend, Ruth, lost her US passport.
Charlotte hears herself groan.
The first lie of the morning.
She doesnt want to think about what happened to Ruths passport.
She doesnt want to think about Ruth.
Anyhow, Rocco is safe.
Thank God hes okay.
And thank God that Charlotte doesnt have to feel guilty about leaving him in Mexico, with Ruth.
Dont I have school today?
So now the problem of Daisys breakfast.
Charlotte can do it, even though shell probably be late for her nine oclock meeting.
The event planners have to understandCharlotte has a school-age child!
They dont have to understandanything.
The milk is sour, and someone (no ones perfect, not even Eli!)
put an empty Cheerios box in the refrigerator.
What else is there?
A massive Sub-Zero with nothing inside but spoiled milk and one dead banana.
Daisy hates bananas, even when they arent mottled with gray-green splotches.
Eli can buy Daisy a doughnut on the way to school.
But its better than nothing.
Better than Daisy going to kindergarten with an empty stomach on her first day back after spring break.
And Daisy will love it.
Charlotte worries about how much her daughter likes sugar.
Eli says, In this city you pay for sunlight.
Even when Charlotte just thinks about the loft, she knocks off $400,000 from the terrifying price.
Dear God, is the building on fire?
The marshals dont care if Charlotte and Eli own their loft, or how beautiful theyve made it.
All that money, all that costly, painstaking renovationso their home can smell like an ashtray.
Charlottes pretty sure that the buildings not on fire.
One spark, and all her late husbands canvases will go up in a flash.
Charlottes family house in upstate New York burned down when she was in high school.
So shes sensitive about fire.
Not obsessed or phobic, but definitely aware.
The last holdout when the building went co-op, Ariane is why the staircasehasntbeen replaced.
She refused to sign the release, even when Eli offered to pay for the project.
In her charitable moments, Charlotte thinks: Who can blame her?
Ariane has no money.
And her crazy middle-aged son, Drew, moved back in with her a few months ago.
For what Arianethinksis easy.
But what can Charlotte do?
She cant think of a way to defuse the ill will between herself and her downstairs neighbors.
Charlotte has heard Ariane and Drew shouting and slamming doors, sometimes all night long.
Fighting and smoking and fighting.
The smoke would be less upsetting if Daisy werent asthmatic.
Every puff Ariane and Drew exhale up through the floor terrifies Charlotte.
If that happens, if Daisy has an attack, theyll have to sue Ariane or move .
Actually, Drew scares Charlotte even more than the smoking.
Charlotte doesnt like the twitchy smile on his face when he sees Daisy and pats her on the head.
Who pats five-year-old girls on the head??
But Drew wasnt on the list.
It makes Charlotte super vigilant, as if she werent already vigilant enough.
Charlottes shrink, Ted, is helping her work on not worrying quite so much.
Not living in fear.
Not worrying about Drew, or about anything, until something happens.
Until something isaboutto happen.
Its a subject that she and Ted talk about, a lot.
She says that every mother is as bad as she is.
And Ted oh-so-gently says shes wrong.
There are mothers less plagued by fear and able to enjoy their lives more of the time.
If only Charlotte were one of them!
Why she always seems so .
Like me, Charlotte thinks guiltily.
More comfortable out in the world.
Not that therapy isnt hard, not that she doesnt cry sometimes.
But Ted knows what to say, ornotsay, to help her get through itand get over the past.
Ted says that Charlotte needs to remember that her fantasies arent real.
Shes too quick to imagine catastrophe and disaster.
By the time Daisys old enough to come home on her own .
Maybe theyll live someplace else.
Maybebetter optionDrew will live somewhere else.
Eli goes into Daisys room to help her pick out clothes for school.
Charlotte hears the first sounds of a disagreement likely to escalate between her daughter and her husband.
Charlotte needs to shower and get dressed, but she pauses outside Daisys door.
Its great that she wants to wear Grandmas present.
But its still very cold outside.
And shes refusing to wear a coat.
The argument lasts until Eli throws pop crack open the window and says, Not warm!
Charlotte likes when he calls Daisy muneca.
Eli is half Panamanian.
Her bright purple quilted jacket will go on top of that.
Charlotte would intervene if she had more energy, if she werent hungover.
Anyway, Daisy will shed the jacket the minute she gets to school.
Her school is still so overheatedCharlotte has been in greenhouses colder than Daisys school.
Shes had to stop herself from suggesting jungle plants that would thrive in the urban microclimate.
One too many tacos at Moms house in Mexico!
A talking zipper means too much wine and too many sleeping pills.
By that afternoon, Charlotte will wonder: WhatwasDaisy wearing?
What did they finally settle on?
Was it the blue cardigan or the pink sweater?
The purple jacket or the puffy white vest?
Their whole lives will be on the line.
How could they not know?
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