The Paradise Problem Plot Summary
The novel follows Anna Green, a pre-med student who ends up marrying William (Liam) “West” Weston for access to subsidized family housing while studying at UCLA. She also thought she’d signed divorce papers when the graduation caps were tossed, and they both went on their merry ways. Three years later, Anna is no longer a pre-med student but a starving artist who is living from paycheck to paycheck.
Meanwhile, Liam is a Stanford professor who is one of the four heirs to the Weston Foods conglomerate. Liam’s father wants him to join the company business as the CEO of Weston Foods but still being hurt over a past scandal, Liam refuses to work with Raymond Weston who has no respect for the people around him, including his family members.
Does Anna join Liam for his sister’s wedding?
Liam’s grandfather’s will states that the 4 Weston grandchildren will each get an additional reward of 100 million dollars if they are happily married for 5 years. After graduating, Liam thought that he could keep this marriage of convenience with Anna a secret only to divorce her after he received the 100 million dollars.
However, 4 months before their fifth anniversary, Liam is invited to join the family at a luxurious paradise in Indonesia for his only sister’s wedding. The condition is that Liam has to bring Anna along. Liam shows up outside Anna’s door and convinces her to join him at the wedding, pretending that they are happily married in exchange for a 100,000 dollar reward.
Desperate to help her father with his Leukaemia treatment, Anna agrees to pretend that she has been happily married to Liam for the last five years. She is also forced to pretend that she is a third-year medical student to keep up with Liam’s lie.
What does Liam tell Anna about his grandfather’s will?
With Liam’s oldest brother – Alex on to him, Anna and Liam start pretending to be madly in love with each other. Liam tells Anna that according to his grandfather’s will, if it is revealed that any of the siblings are lying about being happily married, all 4 siblings will end up losing their 100 million dollar reward.
Upon learning that Raymond was going to make his second son – Liam the CEO of Weston Foods instead of Alex who is the oldest, Alex ends up making Anna and Liam’s secret public. He gets drunk and tells the entire wedding party that Anna was not a med student but worked as a cashier at a local store.
He also reveals that Liam had married Anna for the 100 million reward which prompts Raymond to use the incident as blackmail. Raymond tells Liam that if he wishes for his siblings to get the 100 million reward, he has to join Weston Foods as the CEO.
Do Anna and Liam break up?
Anna tells Liam that his father was trying to manipulate him by holding his and his siblings’ reward money as leverage. She tells him that his family is extremely money-hungry and would do anything it takes to choose money over him. When Anna calls Raymond out on his manipulation, he has Liam and Anna take the flight back to the USA.
On the flight ride back, Anna tells Liam that her artwork is finally selling out and she is excited about it. She learns from her art dealer that Liam was the one who had purchased three of her paintings at a 5 times higher price. Anna is upset with Liam for making her believe that she is selling her artwork based on her talent. After the argument, Anna and Liam end things and go their separate ways. Liam pays Anna the remaining 900,000 dollars and the two agree to divorce after the completion of their 5th anniversary according to their contract.
What does Raymond do to destroy Liam’s career?
After ending things with Anna, Liam talks to Jake about the loophole in their Grandfather’s will. Liam tells his younger brother that despite having feelings for Anna, he is going to take up the CEO position to appease their father. Jake thanks Liam for “taking one for the team” instead of asking his brother to follow his heart.
Liam realises just how greedy his brother is and just how right Anna was about his family choosing money over him. He decides to follow Anna’s advice and refuses to join Weston Foods. In retaliation to Liam’s protest, Raymond leaks confidential documents from a past scandal about Liam. The PISA Scandal states that Liam was accused of stalking the Weston employees using software he had created as a teenager.
Does Anna get back with Liam?
Anna tells her father all about Liam. He asks her to reconcile with Liam because she is in love with him. However, the news of the scandal causes Anna to panic. She takes the flight to Liam’s house where the news reporters have mobbed the place. Liam and Anna reconcile and she confesses her feelings for him.
Anna asks Liam to reveal the truth that Raymond was stalking and sexually harassing the Weston employees using Liam’s software but he does not do so. All of a sudden, the news reports that Alex had spoken to the reporters about their father’s involvement in the stalking and sexual harassment. The PISA Scandal is pinned on Raymond who was the real culprit behind it all.
Alex also reveals that Liam had donated all his earnings to a trust for the Weston employees who were wrongfully terminated by Raymond. This changes the media’s opinion about Liam instantly.
How does The Paradise Problem end?
Raymond is arrested for his crimes and gets a 10-year sentence. Meanwhile, Anna and Liam agree to continue their contractual marriage while they try a hand at dating each other. Liam agrees to take on a joint CEO position at Weston Foods while retaining his teaching job at Standford. Alex and Jake continue as the CFO and COO of Weston Foods while retaining their shares of the reward money.
Anna is now a renowned artist with her own art shows in various states around the USA. Liam finally finds a father figure in Anna’s father and buys a small house for him as a present. Anna and Liam purchase a humble abode of their own and invite Liam’s family for dinner. The Weston siblings as well as Liam’s mother all go to family therapy to overcome the years of emotional abuse at Raymond’s hands.
On their sixth anniversary, Anna finally agrees to wear the ring and tells Liam that she is finally ready to marry him as the novel comes to an end.