Esmé Squalor

Esmé Gigi Geniveve Squalor is a fictional character and an antagonist of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events series. She is Count Olaf's girlfriend. Prior to the events of the series, she was a professional stage actress and member of V.F.D. Esmé is distinguished by her obsession with high fashion and, later, with her protégée Carmelita Spats. Both the character and her husband's names are a reference to "For Esmé – with Love and Squalor" by J. D. Salinger.

Esmé is first introduced as the materialistic and inconsiderate wife of Jerome Squalor and the self-proclaimed "city's sixth most important financial advisor". When the Baudelaires discover Olaf's plan to smuggle Duncan and Isadora Quagmire through a secret passageway in 667 Dark Avenue, Esmé traps them in an unused elevator shaft and tells them their mother once stole a "sugar bowl" from her. Though the Baudelaires escape, Olaf's plan succeeds and Esmé leaves Jerome to join the count. During the events that follow, Esmé participates in her boyfriend's schemes but becomes increasingly disenchanted by Olaf's disregard for her interests. While Olaf sees embezzling orphans' inheritances as the "greater good", Esmé wants only the sugar bowl and Olaf's affection.