Chapter 1: The Crooked Sign

Margot Liddell drives three hours from Portland to escape a career implosion — armed with a color-coded binder, a recovery timeline, and a desperate need for solitude. The coastal cottage is perfect. The welcome basket is charming. The two sets of towels are... concerning. When a stranger with grocery bags and zero urgency walks through the front door, Margot discovers that Dolores Whitfield has double-booked her emotional support cottage — and neither of them is leaving.