In New York City in 2013, Henry Strauss’s life is framed by an early medical crisis: he is born with a heart defect that doctors repair, but he grows up feeling as if something was left “too open.” Henry experiences emotions at an overwhelming volume, with grief and rejection hitting like physical damage, and he begins using alcohol and pills as a way to dull the intensity.

As Henry ages, time seems to accelerate while his sense of direction collapses. He cycles through choices and expectations—eventually landing in theology more to please his parents than out of conviction—only to find that study erodes his belief rather than strengthening it. Travel and school fail to give him a calling, and by his late twenties he feels left behind and fundamentally unmoored.

Henry’s world shifts when he meets Tabitha Masters, first noticing her while she dances and then speaking to her at an after-party. Falling for Tabitha feels unusually easy compared to Henry’s previous messy relationships, and their two years together are marked by steady routines, affection, and Henry trying to be better—drinking less, staying clean, and spending money he cannot afford to keep her happy.

The stability proves fragile when Henry proposes in the park and Tabitha says no. Her refusal lands with an unspoken verdict—that Henry is “not right” and “not enough”—and Henry ends up drunk at a crowded bar called the Merchant with his closest friends, Bea and Robbie, who try to comfort him. When Henry realizes Bea and Robbie expected Tabitha to refuse, he feels betrayed, lashes out, and insists on being alone even though he desperately does not want to be.

Outside in the rain, Henry buys more vodka, ignores his buzzing phone, and stumbles as the bottle shatters on the sidewalk. He cuts his hand on the glass, and the silk kerchief holding the engagement ring is stained with blood as the ring spills onto the wet pavement. Henry retrieves the ring because he cannot afford to lose it, while his mind spirals through a litany of past breakups and the recurring message that he is not enough.