Grief and Schemes Begin

Chloe, a vulnerable seventeen-year-old, is left orphaned after her mother's sudden death. She finds herself in the care of Dez, a disgraced, predatory ex-lawyer who is both her lover and manipulator. Dez, embittered by his own failures and society's judgment, is driven by self-pity and a twisted sense of justice. As Chloe mourns, Dez's mind turns to opportunity. When a daytime talk show features Jasper Ulrickson—a successful author and former lover of Chloe's mother—Chloe innocently reveals that Jasper might be her real father. Dez, sensing a chance for revenge and profit, begins to hatch a scheme that will upend all their lives, setting in motion a chain of manipulation, seduction, and deceit.

The Paternity Letter

Jasper Ulrickson, a respected writer and devoted husband, receives a legal summons: he's been named in a paternity suit by Chloe, the daughter of his long-ago summer fling, Holly. Jasper's life, already marked by caring for his locked-in wife Pauline and their young daughter Maddy, is thrown into turmoil. The possibility that he fathered a child he never knew about fills him with guilt, confusion, and a sense of responsibility. As he consults lawyers and prepares for a DNA test, Jasper's orderly world is invaded by the past, and the prospect of a new daughter brings both hope and dread to his fragile family.

Ghosts of the Past

Haunted by memories of his brief, passionate encounter with Holly, Jasper is forced to confront the randomness and consequences of desire. Meanwhile, Chloe, coached by Dez, navigates the bureaucracy of foster care and the legal system, all while mourning her mother and clinging to the hope of a new family. The narrative weaves between Jasper's guilt and Chloe's longing, as both are manipulated by Dez's unseen hand. The past, once buried, now threatens to reshape the present, and the emotional stakes for all involved grow ever higher.

The DNA Trap

Dez's plan hinges on subverting the DNA test that will determine Chloe's paternity. Exploiting his legal knowledge and connections, Dez bribes a phlebotomist to swap Chloe's DNA sample with one taken from Jasper's real daughter, Maddy. The result is a fraudulent match: Jasper is declared Chloe's father. The deception is seamless, and Chloe is awarded to Jasper's custody. For Jasper, the news is both a shock and a strange joy; for Chloe, it is the beginning of a new life; for Dez, it is the first step in a larger, more sinister scheme.

Chloe's Arrival

Chloe moves into Jasper's affluent Connecticut home, joining his disabled wife Pauline and young daughter Maddy. The family dynamic is instantly strained. Pauline, once supportive, grows suspicious and jealous, sensing something amiss. Maddy is both enchanted and confused by her new "sister." Jasper, torn between paternal affection and a growing, unspoken attraction to Chloe, struggles to maintain boundaries. Chloe, for her part, is caught between her role as loving daughter and her secret mission for Dez. The house becomes a crucible of desire, suspicion, and longing.

Seduction and Suspicion

As weeks pass, Chloe—under Dez's instructions—begins to subtly seduce Jasper, blurring the lines between innocence and provocation. Jasper's internal struggle intensifies; he is tormented by shameful fantasies and the fear of betraying his family. Pauline's unease deepens, and Maddy, in her childish way, senses the tension. Chloe herself is torn, finding genuine affection for Jasper and the family, even as she continues to play her part in Dez's plan. The emotional stakes rise, and the threat of disaster looms ever closer.

The Plan Unravels

Chloe's feelings for Jasper and his family complicate her resolve. She confides in Dez, expressing doubts about the plan and her own role in it. Dez, frustrated and desperate, pushes her harder, reminding her of their shared grievances and the supposed threat Jasper poses. Meanwhile, Pauline, unable to communicate verbally, becomes increasingly alarmed by what she observes. She attempts to warn Jasper through her daughter Maddy, using a painstaking system of blinks and letters. The web of lies and secrets tightens, and the first cracks appear in Dez's scheme.

The Therapist's Deceit

Dez, disguised as a psychiatrist, infiltrates Jasper's home under the pretense of helping Chloe adjust. In a chilling session, he manipulates both Jasper and Chloe, encouraging them to confront and even act on their forbidden desires under the guise of therapy. He exploits Jasper's guilt and confusion, and sows further discord between Jasper and Pauline. The session culminates in Pauline suffering a medical crisis, her silent warnings unheard. Dez's intervention accelerates the family's collapse, and the consequences are immediate and devastating.

Pauline's Silent Warning

Trapped in her paralyzed body, Pauline fights to communicate the truth. She enlists Maddy's help, using the alphabet song and Maddy's drawings to spell out cryptic warnings about the DNA fraud and Dez's true identity. These messages go unnoticed by Jasper, who is consumed by his own turmoil. Pauline's heroic effort to save her family is a testament to her love and resilience, even as her body fails her. The tragedy of her silence underscores the novel's themes of miscommunication and the limits of agency.

Catastrophe and Confession

In the wake of Pauline's collapse, Jasper and Chloe are left alone in the house. Overcome by grief, guilt, and the manipulations of Dez's "therapy," Jasper finally succumbs to his forbidden desire. The encounter is both passionate and catastrophic, leaving both traumatized. Chloe flees, and Jasper, horrified by his actions, confesses to the police. The family is destroyed: Jasper is arrested, Pauline remains comatose, and Maddy is sent to live with relatives. Dez's plan has succeeded beyond his wildest dreams, but at a terrible cost.

Ruin and Retribution

Jasper is tried and convicted, his reputation ruined and his fortune lost in civil suits. Chloe, coached by Dez, appears on national television to denounce him, cementing his infamy. Dez, flush with money and a sense of triumph, indulges in a life of excess and depravity. Yet the victory is hollow; Chloe is left adrift, wracked by guilt and regret, and Dez's own demons begin to consume him. The cycle of damage continues, and the possibility of healing seems remote.

Aftermath and Reckoning

Years pass. Jasper, released from prison, is a broken man, nearly blind and estranged from his family. Chloe, having escaped Dez's control, struggles to build a new life, haunted by her role in the tragedy. Dez, his fortune squandered, descends into addiction and squalor, his schemes finally catching up with him. Pauline, miraculously, begins to recover, and Maddy grows up in the care of relatives. The survivors are left to pick up the pieces, each seeking redemption in their own way.

The Truth Emerges

Through Pauline's painstakingly coded messages, the truth about the DNA fraud and Dez's manipulation finally comes to light. Jasper, with the help of Deepti and Maddy's drawings, uncovers the full extent of the deception. The revelation is both liberating and devastating, offering a chance for justice but also forcing all involved to confront their own complicity and failures. The novel's central mystery is resolved, but the emotional wounds remain.

Confrontations and Forgiveness

Jasper and Chloe meet one last time, each seeking understanding and closure. Their conversation is fraught with pain, regret, and the hope for forgiveness. Chloe confesses her doubts and remorse, and Jasper acknowledges his own failings. Both are victims and perpetrators, bound together by the consequences of desire, manipulation, and the longing for family. Their confrontation is a moment of hard-won honesty, and a tentative step toward healing.

The Mastermind's Fall

Dez, abandoned by Chloe and consumed by addiction, is finally exposed and arrested. His schemes unravel, and he is left alone, a hollow figure undone by his own malice and self-delusion. The novel's true villain is revealed not as a mastermind, but as a deeply damaged man, driven by envy, resentment, and a hunger for control. His downfall is both satisfying and tragic, a cautionary tale about the corrosive power of unchecked desire.

Family Fractures, Family Healing

With Dez gone and the truth revealed, the survivors begin the slow process of rebuilding. Pauline, aided by Jasper and Deepti, regains some measure of health. Maddy, now a young woman, reconnects with her family. Chloe, free from Dez's influence, pursues her own path, seeking meaning and connection. Jasper, though forever marked by his actions, finds a measure of peace in caring for Pauline and making amends. The family, though fractured, is not beyond hope.

Cycles of Damage

The novel reflects on the cycles of abuse, desire, and betrayal that shape its characters' lives. Each is both victim and perpetrator, shaped by forces beyond their control and by their own choices. The story is a meditation on the nature of evil, the limits of forgiveness, and the possibility of redemption. The scars remain, but so does the capacity for change.

The Search for Redemption

In the end, the characters are left to seek their own forms of redemption. Jasper dedicates himself to caring for Pauline and supporting Maddy. Chloe, having faced her own complicity, strives to build a life of integrity and purpose. Dez, irredeemable, fades into obscurity. The novel closes on a note of hard-won acceptance: the past cannot be undone, but the future remains unwritten, shaped by the choices each character makes in the aftermath of tragedy.

Characters

Jasper Ulrickson

Jasper is a successful writer, loving husband, and devoted father, whose life is upended by the revelation that he may have a secret daughter. His sense of duty and guilt drive him to welcome Chloe into his home, but he is unprepared for the emotional and sexual turmoil that follows. Jasper's psychological journey is one of self-doubt, shame, and ultimately, ruin. Manipulated by Dez and betrayed by his own desires, he becomes both victim and perpetrator. His relationship with Pauline is marked by deep love and tragedy, and his bond with Chloe is fraught with longing, confusion, and regret. Jasper's arc is a meditation on the fragility of virtue and the destructive power of repressed desire.

Chloe Dwight

Chloe is a seventeen-year-old girl left alone after her mother's death, vulnerable to Dez's manipulation. Initially a willing participant in Dez's scheme, she is driven by a longing for family and belonging. As she becomes part of Jasper's household, Chloe's loyalties shift, and she is torn between her affection for her new family and her role as Dez's instrument. Her journey is one of awakening, guilt, and the search for agency. Chloe's relationship with Jasper is complex—she is both daughter and seductress, victim and conspirator. Ultimately, she seeks forgiveness and a new identity, striving to break free from the cycles of damage that have defined her life.

Dez (Russell Dezollet)

Dez is a disgraced ex-lawyer with a history of sexual predation and a deep-seated resentment toward society. He is both Chloe's lover and abuser, using her as a tool in his elaborate scheme to destroy Jasper. Dez's psychological makeup is a toxic blend of self-pity, envy, and sadism. He rationalizes his actions as justified revenge, but his true motivation is control and the satisfaction of his own desires. Dez's relationship with Chloe is exploitative and destructive, and his manipulation of Jasper is both cunning and cruel. Ultimately, Dez is undone by his own hubris and addiction, a cautionary figure whose evil is both banal and profound.

Pauline Ulrickson

Pauline, Jasper's wife, is rendered nearly mute and immobile by a stroke, but remains a keen observer and the emotional anchor of the family. Her inability to speak or act directly is a source of both frustration and heroism. Through her coded messages, she attempts to warn Jasper of the deception unfolding in their home. Pauline's love for her family and her resilience in the face of suffering make her a tragic yet inspiring figure. Her relationship with Jasper is marked by deep intimacy and loss, and her bond with Chloe is fraught with suspicion and, ultimately, compassion.

Maddy Ulrickson

Maddy, Jasper and Pauline's young daughter, is a symbol of innocence and the future. She is both enchanted by Chloe and confused by the changes in her family. Maddy becomes the unwitting conduit for Pauline's warnings, her drawings and songs carrying messages that go unheeded until it is almost too late. Her fate is a central concern for all the adult characters, and her well-being is both a motivation and a source of guilt. Maddy's resilience and eventual healing offer a glimmer of hope amid the novel's darkness.

Deepti

Deepti is Pauline's devoted caregiver, a steady and compassionate presence in the Ulrickson household. She is both practical and wise, offering support to Jasper, Pauline, and Maddy. Deepti's outsider perspective allows her to see through some of the deceptions at play, and her actions are instrumental in uncovering the truth and supporting the family's recovery. She represents the possibility of kindness and stability in a world marked by chaos and betrayal.

Dr. Geld (Dez's alias)

As Dr. Geld, Dez infiltrates the Ulrickson home under the guise of therapy, exploiting Jasper and Chloe's vulnerabilities. His pseudo-psychoanalytic advice is designed to push them toward disaster, and his manipulation is both psychological and physical. Dr. Geld embodies the dangers of false authority and the abuse of trust, and his sessions are a turning point in the family's unraveling.

Holly Dwight

Holly, Chloe's mother and Jasper's former lover, is a ghostly presence whose choices set the novel's events in motion. Her brief affair with Jasper, her struggles as a single mother, and her untimely death leave Chloe vulnerable to exploitation. Holly's memory haunts both Jasper and Chloe, and her absence is felt in every act of longing and betrayal.

The Phlebotomist (Ames)

Ames is the technician bribed by Dez to switch the DNA samples, enabling the central fraud of the novel. His actions, motivated by financial desperation, have far-reaching consequences. Ames's subsequent death (an apparent accident) removes a potential witness and underscores the novel's themes of chance and moral compromise.

The Law (Pollock, Dunwoody, etc.)

Lawyers, police, and social workers populate the novel as both helpers and obstacles. Pollock, Jasper's lawyer, is pragmatic but ultimately limited in his ability to help. Dunwoody, the halfway house officer, represents the impersonal machinery of the justice system. These characters highlight the limits of institutional support and the ways in which systems can both protect and fail individuals.

Plot Devices

Dual Narratives and Shifting Perspectives

The novel alternates between Jasper's and Chloe's perspectives, with interludes from Dez and other key characters. This structure allows the reader to see the same events from multiple angles, exposing the gaps between intention and perception. The shifting viewpoints create dramatic irony, as the audience is often aware of dangers and deceptions that the characters themselves cannot see. This device heightens suspense and deepens the emotional impact of the unfolding tragedy.

Foreshadowing and Symbolism

Colapinto employs foreshadowing through recurring motifs—letters, songs, and coded messages—that hint at the underlying fraud and the characters' psychological states. Pauline's silent warnings, Maddy's alphabet song, and the repeated references to lost objects and mistaken identities all serve as symbolic markers of the novel's central themes: the limits of communication, the dangers of misreading, and the persistence of the past.

The Unreliable Confession

Much of the novel's tension arises from the characters' inability to fully trust their own perceptions or the stories they are told. Jasper's diary, Chloe's shifting loyalties, and Dez's manipulations all blur the line between truth and fiction. The ultimate revelation of the DNA fraud is both a plot twist and a commentary on the fallibility of evidence and the ease with which reality can be constructed and destroyed.

Psychological Realism and Moral Ambiguity

The novel delves deeply into the psychology of its characters, refusing easy answers or clear-cut villains. Jasper's descent is rendered with empathy and horror, Chloe's complicity is both understandable and tragic, and Dez's evil is rooted in his own wounds and resentments. The story resists moralizing, instead inviting the reader to grapple with the ambiguity of motive and the possibility of redemption.

The Locked-In Witness

Pauline's paralysis is both a literal and metaphorical barrier to truth. Her struggle to communicate, and the eventual decoding of her messages, serves as a powerful plot device, dramatizing the novel's themes of voicelessness, agency, and the desperate need to be heard. Her eventual awakening is both a narrative climax and a symbol of hope.

Analysis

Undone is a harrowing exploration of the destructive power of desire, the fragility of family, and the ease with which truth can be manipulated. Through its intricate plot and psychologically rich characters, the novel interrogates the boundaries between victim and perpetrator, love and exploitation, and justice and revenge. Colapinto's narrative is both a thriller and a moral inquiry, exposing the ways in which trauma, longing, and resentment can be weaponized by those who feel wronged. The novel's use of shifting perspectives and unreliable narrators forces the reader to question their own assumptions and sympathies, while its central mystery—anchored in the technicalities of DNA and the failures of communication—serves as a metaphor for the deeper uncertainties of identity and belonging. Ultimately, Undone is a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked desire and the necessity of empathy, forgiveness, and self-awareness. It offers no easy answers, but it does suggest that even in the aftermath of ruin, the possibility of healing—however partial—remains.

Last updated: October 28, 2025