Study Guide

Big Little Lies Chapter 48

By Liane Moriarty

Chapter 48

Madeline is a little adrift, post-book club.
Especially when she remembers that she doesn't have to take Abigail to her math tutor in the morning. Every time she remembers that Abigail doesn't live with her, it smarts a little more.
So she does the obvious thing: she Facebook stalks Abigail.
Abigail has a lovely new profile picture of her doing…yoga. How very Bonnie of her. Some girl has commented that it's not "slutty/sexy enough" for some mysterious project. Abigail has commented back that the project is "top secret."
Madeline's mystified for a second, and then goes into concerned mama mode. Madeline is online, and it's midnight.
She messages her daughter, telling her it's time for sleep.
Abigail messages back—her dad cancelled the math tutor, so there's no need to go to sleep early.
Wait —what? Madeline, furious, calls up Nathan to demand why he canceled the tutor.
Nathan is asleep when she calls, and is more than a little ticked off.
Madeline is hurt, humiliated, angry, and frustrated all at once, so she does the logical thing…and throws her phone against the wall, shattering its screen.
Good one, Madeline.