A Simple Favor

Emily watches as Stephanie takes her place; although it disgusts her, it also excites her. As far as she is concerned, Stephanie can have her life—except for Nicky. Emily’s habit of spying began when she was a child as she watched her mother drink from a hidden gin bottle. When she got a little older, Emily drank from her mother’s hidden bottle, but her mother never noticed. She believes that, thanks to television, everyone had a bad childhood but thinks everyone else’s was perfect.

After she disappeared, it took everything Emily had “not to completely mess with Stephanie’s head” (158). She is annoyed at Sean for being with Stephanie and feels that he failed a test. She wonders how quickly Sean would dump Stephanie if she returned. After all, she reasons, Stephanie isn’t very smart, which is why Emily chose her. In contrast to how Stephanie feels about secrets, Emily knows that they are necessary.

Emily sees herself as a predator. She met Sean at a charity dinner and immediately realized that she could control him. On their third date, they watched her favorite movie, Peeping Tom, about a serial killer who films his murders. Afterward, Sean commented that it was “a little much” (161) and to Emily, he failed a test.