The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

When Monique assumes that Evelyn only requested her to make amends, Evelyn argues that she’d found her right-to-die piece and knew she could tell a complicated story intelligently and empathetically. Evelyn knows that she cannot make up for what she’s done and lets Monique decide what to do with her story. Though Monique hates her, she still wants to write the book. Evelyn reveals that she has breast cancer, so Monique can release the book soon.

When Monique gets home, she finds the coffee table that David took. On it, is a letter from David apologizing for taking it and thanking her for being strong enough to end their marriage. Monique realizes that without Evelyn, she would have never ended her marriage, stood up to her boss, written a best seller, or learned about the “true depths of [her] father’s devotion” (370).

At Evelyn’s photoshoot, Monique is overwhelmed by how commanding Evelyn’s presence is in front of the camera. She finds herself captivated despite her hate. After the photoshoot, Monique says goodbye to Grace. Evelyn had surprised her assistant with a vacation that leaves immediately. Monique suddenly understands what Evelyn’s plan is: “she wants to die now” (375).