The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo: Chapter 50 Summary & Analysis

Back in the present, Evelyn tells Monique they should pause the interview. Monique agrees, checking her phone to see two missed calls from David, one from Frankie, and one from Monique’s mother. On her way home, she listens to her mom’s voice mail first, in which her mom reminds her that her flight will get in on Friday evening and tells her not to meet her at the airport (Monique texts back to say she’ll meet her at the airport anyway). Next, she learns from David’s voice mail that he's at her apartment right now, waiting to talk.

Monique hurries home. When she sees David in her kitchen, she remembers the things that drew her to him in the first place. He was white, so he’d never tell her she wasn’t Black enough; he didn’t read much, so he wouldn’t criticize her writing; he was less attractive than her, which meant he wouldn’t leave. She realizes that she chose David to avoid being challenged. David says he came back to set their relationship right. He thinks that they should keep trying to make it work. But Evelyn knows she doesn’t feel heartbroken that they broke up: she feels defeated because her marriage failed—because it was the wrong marriage to begin with.

Monique tells David he should go back to San Francisco, adding that he never felt like her “other half.” He leaves without saying much. The next morning, Frankie calls Monique to arrange the details of the photo shoot. Monique and Evelyn agree that they’ll shoot at the apartment. Evelyn suggests Friday, which shocks Monique: it’s only three days away. Evelyn tells Monique she should be pleased by the fast pace, because by then, she’ll have all the answers she wants.