Husband, Wife and Their Lover (2022) - full transcript

Ballard.

From our family to yours

for over a hundred years.

Welcome to 10 years ago, Dad.

Baby steps.

Are you still upset

that I wouldn't approve

your single mother spot?

I just think it's time

to expand a little bit.

Well, good old-fashioned

family values.

Are the backbone of Ballard.

Yes, I know, Dad.

Mm-hmm. It should be all set

for the meeting.

Yes. Thank you.

Bye.

- Veronica.

- Yes, Dad?

I was just talking to Donna,

or rather,

Donna was talking to me.

And... maybe you're right.

About what?

Loosening things up.

So you wanna do

the single mother spot

after all?

Oh. No.

Donna thinks that you should

start doing more press

and social media,

you know, give the brand

a younger

but still very traditional feel.

But I did tell her I don't

want this to come at the cost

of you giving me a grandchild.

I told you, Jordan and I

are gonna try next year.

You're already 30.

I can still be a mom and a boss

or... boss's daughter.

But...

I will do all the social media

and press you want.

All right, then. Back to work.

I'm glad you had a good day,

honey.

Thank you for keeping

my spot warm, Cody.

I'm happy for you.

You deserve it.

Although I...

do feel like you have

an unfair advantage,

being that you're the only one

not afraid of your dad.

Oh, come on, that's not fair.

I'm very afraid of my dad.

How was your day?

Oh, you know,

just like any other day as

a junior high school teacher...

Drama, terror, insanity.

- Ah. Those kids.

- Oh, speaking of kids,

Dad brought it up again.

You didtell him

that we're enjoying

our last year of freedom, right?

Mm, he wouldn't really grasp

that concept.

He thinks we should've had kids

a long time ago.

Well, if we had kids

when we first started dating...

I would've been disowned,

and you would be castrated.

Oh.

Speaking of our last year

of freedom...

Mm-hmm?

I was thinking...

Never mind. Never mind.

No, what?

Come on.

I hate when you do this.

- Come on.

- Okay.

Well...

What do you think about, uh...

branching out a little?

What specifically

do you have in mind?

Well, like living on the edge.

I mean, don't you remember

that forbidden danger

of our first time?

Yes, having sex

at my all-girl private school?

- Mm-hmm.

- During school hours?

That was hot.

So you wanna go back

to my high school?

Oh, no, no, no.

More like, uh...

- Uh...

- Uh, what?

Uh... ooh...

A ménage à trois.

Oh. Um... you mean me

and another girl?

Well, um...

Yeah. Yeah. That's, uh...

That's what I would prefer.

Well, I bet you would.

It was just an idea.

Just an idea.

You know,

since I am turning 30 tomorrow,

tell me.

Mmhmm.

What's it like?

- Devastating.

- Oh.

It's like my youth

just disappeared

when I turned the big 3-0.

Funny.

I mean,

isn't it forbidden enough

that you're married

to an older woman?

Oh, yes.

Living on the edge.

All right. Night, honey.

Good night.

Wow, I don't know what to say.

That's crazy, right?

I mean, it's unexpected,

but it's not uncommon.

- Really?

- Yeah.

I know a lot of people

who have tried a third.

Yeah, well, that's because

you're so free-spirited, Lexi.

So you don't think

I should be worried?

About what?

About Jordan asking

for a threesome.

No. I actually think

it speaks a lot

to how much he trusts you

as a person.

I mean, it does take a lot to

open up about stuff like that.

I've been training you

for years now,

and you've never said anything

to make me think

that you can'ttrust him.

Guess you're right.

And you've been together

for what,

since you were teenagers, right?

Mm-hmm.

Yeah. So you haven't hide

the time to, you know,

So...

- So you're for it.

- I don't know.

I'm just... not against it.

Maybe I'll offer it to him

for his birthday.

Hmm. Yeah, I like it,

but just make sure

it's not someone

you know together.

- It could get a little awkward.

- Yeah, that makes sense.

Ooh, maybe you should pick

someone only you know.

I mean, you don't want a rando

walking in your house,

and like I said,

you're a little famous, so...

- That's a good point.

- Yeah.

Lexi...

Yeah?

What about you?

What about me?

Jordan doesn't know you,

and you don't work

at the office,

so he can't run into you

at any work function,

and you're sexy.

Would it be weird after?

I mean...

I don't wanna lose you

as a client.

I don't think so,

and you don't seem like

the type of person

that would be fazed by it.

Some of our stretches are...

rather intimate.

Plus we've already seen each

other naked in the locker room.

True.

Are you interested?

I just can't believe that you

of all people,

this rated G,

would do something so NC-17.

It's so... antithetical

to your whole persona.

Although for some,

those really are just masks

hiding what lurks beneath,

which apparently in your case,

is a sex fiend.

Okay, it would only be

one night, Gillian.

Oh.

The most appealing part

of it all is

that it flies in the face

of my good girl image.

- Ballard poster girl.

- Exactly.

So it's kind of exciting to

break out of my father's mold.

Well... sounds like

your little sex-capade

might have some

liberating therapeutic value.

I give my blessing.

You nervous?

Yes. Are you?

Completely.

- Lexi.

- Oh.

- Hey.

- Hey.

- You look beautiful.

- Thanks. So do you.

Please.

So, Lexi, this is Jordan,

my husband.

Jordan, this is Lexi Wolf.

- It's a pleasure to meet you.

- It's nice to meet you.

- So what's good here?

- Yeah.

So, yeah, and people would

tease me for it.

They used to say that I had

a silver cereal spoon

in my mouth.

And they're probably

just jealous.

But, Lexi, what about you?

I've never asked you

about your childhood.

Mm. It's so normal.

It'd bore you to tears.

But I saw you in your interview

on TV the other day.

Mnh-mnh.

And she's gonna be on all

the Ballard family commercials

soon.

See, I told you

you're a celebrity.

Oh, my gosh. Okay, guys.

Stop. It's so embarrassing.

Can we please talk

about something else?

So... why did you become

a trainer?

So I could meet Veronica.

I'm kidding, obviously.

No, actually,

I initially, um, studied

to become an actress.

I realized it was

such a long shot,

so I dedicated myself

to training.

I... love the human body.

It was a fun night.

Yeah.

You still into it?

Well, there was chemistry,

wasn't there?

Definitely.

I think it'll be something fun

for us to look back on one day.

So are we gonna do it?

Let's do it.

Yeah?

I think we should have

a safe word.

What do you mean?

Like a word we use in case

we wanna stop

for whatever reason.

Um, yeah, that sounds

like a good idea.

How about...

"taffy"?

That seems like a really funny

word to say when you're naked.

Hey, if it was too common,

we might say it accidentally.

Okay.

Good point. "Taffy" it is.

She's here.

Okay, uh,

do you want some taffy?

You... You wanna stop?

Oh, I just wanna make sure

you're still into this.

Well, you've come this far.

And I don't wanna be rude

and have her come all this way

for nothing.

Leave it to you

to bring good manners

in a situation like this.

I love you.

I love you, too.

Hi.

Come on in.

Cute dog. What's his name?

Cody.

I love your dress.

Oh. Thanks.

I haven't worn it in years.

Nice house.

Uh, yeah, we just, uh,

did a remodel.

Uh... let me get us

some refreshments.

You have

two different color eyes.

Yeah. Heterochromia.

It's... one of

my many unique qualities.

How come I didn't notice before?

You've never been this close

before.

Hey there.

Hey.

I can't believe we did that.

Right.

Well... did you enjoy it?

We both did.

And you're okay with it?

Yeah. Yeah.

Although I...

I feel a little, um...

shame?

That's a... That's

just the Catholicism talking.

- Hello!

- Hi.

Mwah.

Oh.

Thanks for coming.

Of course.

- Oh, let me order my...

- Oh, no. Already coming.

Oh, why, thank you.

So...

how'd it go?

Well...

Oh, no.

Was it horrible?

No.

The act itself was, um...

Hot? Sexy?

Mm-hmm.

I know.

Oh. Thank you.

- Anything else?

- No, we're good.

Oh, but you're notgood.

You're bad.

But...

But what?

Maybe it was a mistake?

What? Like, for your marriage?

I don't know.

Like I'm gonna regret it.

Veronica, I think you're just

being really hard on yourself.

Okay? Remember, this was

supposed to be

a liberating experience.

You're right.

Of course I am.

What's wrong?

Nothing.

Do you feel like

we shouldn't have done it?

Gillian said I shouldn't

feel that way.

You talk to Gillian about this

but not me?

She's objective.

She...

She wasn't there.

It's more than that.

I-I can tell.

- Did you enjoy it?

- Is that a trick question?

Trying to set me up

to be the bad guy?

No. Never mind.

I can tell you enjoyed it.

Look...

Not because I don't love you.

All right, or because I want it

to be a regular thing.

I know.

So...

We good?

Yeah. Of course we are.

I am so sorry I'm late.

No worries.

Here you go. Bicep curls.

Give me 10.

Wasn't that hot?

Um... yeah,

I... suppose it was.

So you wanna do it again?

What?

Um... thank you, but no.

Why not?

Because it was always just

supposed to be a one-time thing.

Why just one time?

What's gotten into you?

Well, does that...

Do you regret it?

Why are you acting like this?

Acting like what? Like I'm not

just a little pawn

that you can move around

in your life however you see fit

without even thinking

for a second

how it might affect me?

Lexi.

It's just so weird.

For as long as I've been

training with her,

she's never acted like this.

It's like she's just become

a different person.

- I'll get it.

- Okay.

- Lexi?

- Hey.

I... I was just

in the neighborhood,

and I figured I'd stop by.

It smells good.

- What are you cooking?

- Uh...

Can I join?

No. Listen, Lexi,

after what happened today,

I think...

Oh. Yeah, I'm... I'm sorry.

I let my emotions

get the better of me.

I just... wanted to come by

and... talk to you about

maybe lending me $5,000?

Hey. What's going on?

I got this.

No. You can't borrow $5,000.

Well, why not?

I don't have to give you

a reason.

It's really strange that

you're just coming in here

out of nowhere asking for money.

But we're friends.

We're more than friends.

And you have so much money.

Why are you being so selfish?

All right, that's enough.

So you need to leave.

And you're obviously fired.

You don't mean that.

I do.

But... you promised.

That was before what happened

at the gym today.

Veronica,

there's many sides of me.

Many sides.

You'll see.

Clearly, she's disturbed.

It was so unsettling.

What do I do?

You could report her at the gym.

I mean, coming over

to your place like that

definitely crossed

professional boundaries.

Obviously, I was the one

who crossed

professional boundaries first.

I invited her over to...

V., you can't change the past.

Is that the best

advice you've got for me?

I'm sorry.

This is a little out

of my wheelhouse. I...

I've never come across a psycho

trainer situation before.

Well... that makes two of us.

Dad?

Well... look who's here.

I'll just get right to it.

We have decided...

that you are going to be

the new face of Ballard Brands.

What?

And Donna says

that market research shows

that people like young faces

more than older ones, so...

S-Starting when?

Right away.

Our next commercial shoot

is in a few days.

That's so soon.

Oh, with the metrics, we're so

going in this direction.

Your Instagram following

is growing.

That's an Instagram that I don't

even personally post on.

This was inevitable.

You are the future of the brand.

You're smart,

young, modern,

still family-friendly.

You're the whole package.

I just... wasn't prepared

for the future to... be now.

We never are.

Congratulations.

Okay.

So...

What do you think?

Donna...

it's...

it's a lot.

It's a good thing, right?

Right.

You don't seem excited.

I'm just... feeling vulnerable.

I wasn't prepared to be so...

out there.

I have every confidence

you will rise to the occasion.

Do you think he'll let me

move the brand

in a more progressive direction?

Mm... not while he's alive.

Oops! Did I say that out loud?

But seriously, I've worked with

him since before you were born,

and it's a losing battle

on that front.

Yes, he is... set in his ways.

Mm, he is a petrified forest.

He will not sway.

So we'll just keep it

on tradition.

Understood.

Just think big picture, hmm?

Trust me.

You'll be running

the whole company one day.

And then you can do with it

what you want.

That's the plan.

It is.

And speaking of plan...

um... you and Jordan should think

about having a baby

sooner than later.

You know how cute a baby will

look in our cereal commercials.

We are gonna start

trying next year.

Good. It'll be a good look

for you guys.

A good look. Right.

Can I ask you something?

Sure.

Did you ever resent me?

Why?

Did you ever fantasize

about running the company?

It's Ballard FamilyBrands,

darling.

Yes, but you've worked so hard

for so long.

Oh, and I plan to retire

even harder.

Besides, I'm a behind-the-scenes

type of person, you know?

And you know what they say.

The hire up you go,

the bigger the target

on your back.

I'm just not built

for that type of pressure.

I'm not as strong as you.

Here to kick some butt?

Lexi.

What are you doing here?

I'm late. I know. I'm sorry.

I told you.

You're not my trainer anymore.

I fired you.

I... I thought that

that was a misunderstanding.

You promised me

that this wouldn't happen.

Are you gonna keep

your promises?

I'm sorry if I misled you, but...

You're just gonna throw me away

like garbage, huh?

Like garbage?!

Keep your voice down.

I don't wanna make a scene.

Well, it's too late for that,

Little Miss Perfect!

This is a scene,

and you're not the lead! I am!

You scared me half to death.

Oh, I'm sorry, but you're

Mrs. Ballard-Glen, right?

Yes.

The manager...

He's been looking for you,

and he needs to talk to you

right away.

About what?

I don't know. I'm sorry.

But he said it was important.

Okay. Thank you.

Have a good one.

So we have 10:30, 11:30,

and then finish at 12:30. Okay?

Okay. Good.

- Can you take that out for me?

- Yeah.

Can you please tell me

what's going on, Tom?

I don't have time for this.

I got some pretty disturbing

news from one of our employees...

Miss Lexi Wolf.

She left here in tears.

What do you mean, disturbing?

Well, she said you've been...

sexually harassing her,

stalking her,

and demeaning her.

So she refuses to come back

to work

unless your membership

be revoked.

Well, that's just not true.

If anything,

she has been the one...

Look...

Right. Well,

if you wanna dispute this,

you can file a counter report,

and then we can get

the authorities involved.

The authorities?

Mrs. Ballard-Glen,

as you can imagine,

we take this sort of thing

very seriously.

I don't want to involve

the authorities.

Okay. Well, she said

she wouldn't take

this thing any further

and that she'll return to work

on the condition

that you leave immediately

and that you pay for

the remaining training sessions

which is...

I guess 20 sessions.

This is ridiculous.

She's a liar.

Okay, do you wanna dispute this?

No, just revoke my membership.

I don't care.

Well, I must advise you

that if you do come back,

we will be forced to take...

Why would I ever wanna

come back here?

What the hell do you want?

Tom called me and told me

that you were leaving

and it was safe for me

to come back.

Was it humiliating

when I kicked you out?

Why are you doing this to me?

Mm. It's restitution

for the past.

What past?

You're not making any sense.

Let's just start with you

giving me $50,000.

Giving you?

I thought it was a $5,000 loan.

No, no, you have to learn

to give,

and your lack of interest

has been quite substantial,

so the price has gone up.

I mean,

if you had just paid me when

I first asked you to, then...

So it's about money.

Well, it's about so many things,

but let me ask you a question.

What?

What do you think would happen

if I shared with the world

what you, me, your husband did?

What do you think it would do

to you, your father,

and his wholesome

American brand?

So you're blackmailing me.

I'm just telling you

what the stakes are.

Veronica!

Ready for another take?

Uh... yes. Sorry.

- You all right?

- Yeah, of course.

All right, come.

Uh, give me a sec.

All set.

All right, guys, quiet on set!

All right, this is "The new face

for Cruncherz," take 5.

And... action.

Hi. I'm Veronica Ballard-Glen,

and like my father

and grandfather before me,

I am honored to be in your home

as the new face of Ballard.

From our family to yours

for over a hundred years.

And... cut!

I think we got it that time.

What am I gonna do, Jordan?

First thing to remember is

it's not just you.

We're in this together, okay?

Yeah, except none

of the crazy crap

is happening to you.

I know. I'm sorry.

You know, the thing is,

I tried to call her

to give her the money,

and her phone's disconnected.

That's weird. How are you

supposed to pay her?

I don't know.

I think she just wants me

to live in fear

so that she has all the control.

I mean, how did she keep

the fact that she's crazy

hidden for three years?

Everyone can hide their crazy

to some degree.

Hello? Hi, Donna.

Right now?

"Business Era" Magazine?

Okay. All right. Thank you.

Yes. Hello.

My name is Sally Langley

with the "Business Era."

I'm so sorry

for the technical issues.

We're having a problem

with our camera,

but it doesn't matter.

Everyone's just here to see you.

Thank you.

Don't even worry.

Uh, excuse me one moment.

I'm sorry, but your dad asked me

to check in

and see how you do.

You know how he is.

Of course.

I'm sorry. Where were we?

No worries. I know your father

can be very particular.

Didn't realize you could

hear that.

So let's just get straight

into it, shall we?

Absolutely.

All right, first, I wanna talk

to you about your image.

I've watched lots

of your interviews.

I've looked

at your social media, and I...

I see that

you've very well crafted

this all-American, wholesome

girl next door persona.

Would you say

that's the real you?

Um... well... what do you mean?

It's so obviously

a calculated façade

meant to align

with the Ballards' 1950s

old-fashioned Americana fantasy

that never really existed

in the first place.

Why not drop the illusion

and show the whole world

the real Veronica?

I'm sorry, but...

I think we both know

that the real Veronica

is anything but the wholesome

daddy's little girl...

I didn't realize that this was

going to be a hit piece.

I'm, uh, going to have

to end this.

Do you mean that it's hitting

a little too close to home?

That obviously

was not somebody from...

Obviously.

Let's just...

forget about all this.

No need to bore Dad

with the details.

Of course not.

Thank you.

I obviously didn't mention

anything about the 3-way.

Hmm.

Thankfully, neither did she.

Um, can you get the glasses?

Yeah.

Well, I guess I should

prepare myself.

What do you mean?

Well, in case she goes

to the tabloids or something.

Guess I have to lie.

Yeah, you're right.

But you know what's got me

most unsettled?

What?

She hasn't asked

for the money again.

But why?

Good question.

Hey!

What the hell

are you doing here?

What's it look like

I'm doing here?

I'm working out, just like you.

You don't go to this gym.

What are you, following me?

Hey, Lexi.

Do you want the money or not?

I'm done with this.

I want all sorts of things

from you.

I want... your love.

I want your anger...

and I want your pain.

You're a sick bitch.

Well, looks like I already

have your anger.

You don't have the leverage

you think you do.

It's my word against yours.

So... market research shows

that pivoting to Veronica

has us up 37%

across all demographics.

And the thing that popped out

at us the most

was the age group.

27% of that

are between 15 and 35.

What does that tell us?

Social media.

Now, of course, you have a lot

of folks telling you,

"Social media is gonna take

advantage of all of us."

Uh... I have to take this.

My word against yours?

Well, that video is worth

a thousand words...

50,000 to be exact.

Veronica.

Are you okay?

I'm s... I'm so, so sorry.

What's going on?

You just walked out

of the meeting.

I-I just...

I don't feel very well.

I... think I should go home

and rest.

Feel better.

And let me know if you can't do

the Luncherz launch presentation

on Friday.

No, I... I'll be there,

I promise.

All right, then.

Hey! What's up?

There's a video.

She made a video.

What am I gonna do?

Wait, wait. Hold on. A video?

Yeah, I don't know. Somehow

she recorded us that night.

She just sent it

to my work email, Gillian,

through email.

Okay, okay. Um... I need you

to take a deep breath.

You take a deep breath.

I need solutions right now.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry for snapping at you.

It's okay. I get it.

All right, we need to, uh...

we need to figure out

a plan here.

A plan. Right.

That's a good idea.

You need to find something

on her. Leverage.

I already Googled the hell

out of her.

It's like she doesn't exist.

Okay. All right. Wait a minute.

Um...

I have an idea.

Okay, I'm listening.

Uh, I'm not gonna suggest

the police

because I know you

don't want that, but I...

I really think that we should

hire a private investigator.

Someone like her probably

hasn't colored in the lines

her entire life.

There has got to be

something out there

from her past that we can use.

I'm telling you,

there is nothing out there.

Wait a minute.

Can a private investigator

break into her place?

Not legally, no.

Then I will.

Veronica, I...

I-I don't know about this.

If there's anything

I've learned,

you can't count on anyone else

to solve your problems.

Do you even know

where she lives?

Not yet.

Hey, how was your day, honey?

Let's just go to the bank

and get this over with.

I'll get your blood money.

What's the rush... love?

Okay, we can talk about

the money in a bit,

but first let me ask you

something.

When was the last time you...

went to church?

Church?

Church? Isn't your dad

one of the main benefactors

at Sacred Heart?

How do you even...

So it's been a while.

Christmas Mass is probably

the last time that I...

But what does this have to do

with anything?

Maybe you should start going

more often.

You're overdue for confession.

And what is it that you want me

to confess?

That I've had sex with...

You have to go further back

than that

to get to your original sin.

I have no idea

what you're talking about,

but I'm sure

that your confession

would take considerably longer

than mine.

My conscience is clean.

You have no conscience.

You're right.

Let's go to the bank.

I have to know.

How did you do it?

Oh, that. My phone was recording

our little love session

from inside my purse.

Why didn't you just send

the video from the beginning?

I figured if I couldn't get off

with you again,

then I could get off on messing

with your perfect life.

So this is all just a game

to you?

No. No, not at all.

No, I genuinely felt

a real connection

between... the three of us.

You need help.

Mm. But you're helping me.

You're helping me work through

all these complicated feelings...

Our little game.

Thank you for that, my love.

What the hell were you thinking?

I went looking for leverage

in case she wanted

to take things further.

It was dangerous.

All right?

You didn't even find anything.

I found a Sacred Heart yearbook.

At first I thought maybe we went

to school together,

but I didn't find her in it.

I guess she just has

an infatuation with me.

Well, maybe now

that she has the money,

she'll leave you alone.

Maybe.

So ultimately, it's our brand's

natural progression.

I mean, what comes

after breakfast? Lunch.

Speaking of which, we have

a lovely spread right outside,

so please, eat up.

Thank you.

Yes, thank you.

Well done.

Oh, no, thank you.

Thank you.

I think that went very well.

I do, too.

It's crazy to think

it only took a hundred years

to expand beyond breakfast.

Well, slow but steady

wins the race.

So another hundred,

we'll make it to dinner.

109.

Um... I see someone I know.

Okay.

Leonard, may I interrupt?

Yes, of course, I was just

having a conversation

with this charming young lady.

Lexi, was it?

- That's right, Leonard.

- Pleasure.

I already gave you 50 grand.

What the hell

are you doing here?

Mingling.

Great speech, by the way.

I did notice, though,

that you didn't serve

any of your own product

to the guests here.

Hmm. I guess Luncherz

is just for the masses,

just like your whole act.

What do you want?

$100,000.

I don't have that

kind of liquidity, Lexi.

Mm, ask Daddy.

I can't ask him.

No, you don't want to ask him.

I'll ask him.

$100,000.

Meet me at Sacred Heart

in exactly 48 hours.

You look so worried, hmm?

It's just part of our game.

Games are supposed to be fun,

right?

I'm having fun.

Aren't you?

So you want me to ask him

for money, too?

She has all the power.

I think you should give her

what she wants.

And what am I supposed

to say to him?

I don't know.

Why does this

all come down to me?

Don't you think that I hate

that it comes down on you?

All right, you know my family

doesn't have any money.

Trust me, if I could,

I would ask.

I would steal it if I thought

it would fix things for you.

I'm sorry for taking it

out on you.

It's okay.

So...

What do I say to him?

Say...

Say it's for a vacation home,

in, uh, in Florida.

Really?

It's that, or we have her

arrested for blackmail.

All right,

but then all this gets out.

Those are our choices.

Those are our choices.

I said no.

Absolutely not.

Come on in, sweetheart.

Is this

a bad time? I can come back.

No, it is always a good time

to talk with my daughter.

This discussion is over.

Everything all right?

Uh, yeah, why?

Well, lately you've seemed,

um...

preoccupied.

Oh, I'm fine. It's just...

a learning curve.

Second thoughts?

No. No. Not at all.

Because I don't want you

to feel any pressure.

I want this to be something

that you want.

Dad, don't worry. I want this.

But... that's not why I'm here.

Okay, then, why are you here?

Well... um, Jordan and I

found a beach house in Florida,

and we'd like to buy it.

That's wonderful.

Yeah, um... we wanna fly out

and take a look at it, but...

But?

Um...

We're short on the down payment.

How short?

$100,000.

And you'd like me

to loan you the money.

Well, all of my savings went

into the remodel,

and unless you give me access

to my trust...

Veronica, you make

a substantial salary here.

Surely, you could save up

that money in no time.

What's the rush?

Well, the property is, um...

Time-sensitive.

Exactly.

And we really want it.

Hmm.

You know why I'm not going

to give you the money?

Take a look at some of the kids

you went to private school with.

So many of them

are still spoiled,

confused, aimless children.

They never really grew up ready

for the real world.

But I work hard, Dad.

And I always have.

Well, then I've done my job.

Veronica.

You're not upset with me,

are you?

No.

I'm not upset at you.

Oh, V. You must be

feeling so trapped.

I hate to say it, but I think

you only have one option.

Going to the police

is not an option.

Honey, it's your only option.

Not only would I probably

be fired

for violating

my morality clause,

but it's the nightmare

that the controversy

would cause my father.

Controversies go away.

This woman won't.

I'm here. Gotta go.

Okay. Good luck.

You don't have it, do you?

No. I don't.

I asked my dad,

and he didn't give it to me.

I don't want excuses.

I want $100,000.

Release the video. Then what?

Then your blackmailing stops.

And what will you do then?

I'm gonna watch

your whole world fall apart.

And I'm gonna watch

your family brand get sullied.

- But I have tried...

- Respect the game.

Respect me.

I love the taste of fear,

especially yours.

God, give me the strength

to bestow your justice

upon the wicked.

God, give me the strength

to bestow your justice

upon the wicked.

God, give me the strength.

God, give me the strength

to bestow your justice

upon the wicked.

God, give me the strength

to bestow your justice.

Amen.

What now?

I found it in his food bowl.

She took Cody!

Why didn't you call me?!

Tutoring was canceled.

I just got home. I...

It's a nightmare.

This can't be happening.

Wait. Where are you going?

To get Cody. You coming?

Of course I am.

Her car's not here.

Looks deserted.

Yeah, I know.

What should we do now?

We wait.

For how long?

For as long as it takes.

What's going on?

She never came home.

Crap. I'm late for work.

Obviously, I'll call in sick.

I don't wanna...

If anything happens to him,

I swear...

Cody's safe... for now.

But the amount's gone up.

$150,000 in 24 hours in cash.

Let me make one thing clear.

If you don't pay up,

you can say goodbye to your dog.

What are we gonna do?

I don't know.

What about...

What?

Well, there's that jewelry

from your grandmother.

You know, maybe.

It's worth a shot. I mean...

My grandmother gave me this

on her deathbed...

and her mother before that.

I remember

when she gave it to you.

Veronica, are you sure

you wanna do this?

We have no choice.

I knew it wouldn't be enough.

I'm sorry, honey.

You know what? I've...

I've had enough.

I'm just gonna go to the police.

Whoa, whoa, you sure?

Yeah, I don't have

any other choice.

Maybe you should tell

your father first.

Really?

Shouldn't he be the first

to know?

You know, and he might be able

to pay her off

with one of those

legal agreements.

I think the rich and powerful

use it all the time.

It's like a...

It's like legalized blackmail.

That's true.

Mm-hmm.

Hmm. Of course I'll get fired.

But I suppose

I should just go now,

let him make that choice.

You haven't slept.

You haven't eaten.

You haven't showered.

Don't you think you should wait

till he gets off work?

I just don't wanna waste

any more time.

I know. I know. Well, look,

we've... we have come this far.

All right, it's all gonna end

one way or the other.

I don't think a few hours

is gonna make a difference.

Right? You wanna be

in the right state of mind

when you talk to him.

You know, self-care's important

in times like these.

Not that we've beenin times

like these before, but...

You should take a nap.

Mm. I could use one.

Although I don't think

I could sleep right now.

Well, it's worth a try.

Come on,

I'll make you some food.

Aah!

Oh, my God.

You scared me.

I barely recognize you

with your new hairdo.

That's because

it's my old hairdo.

So is it done?

Yes.

I put two sleeping pills

in her food.

She'll be knocked out

for quite a while.

Plenty of time to do

what we need to do.

Look, you know,

I didn't wanna do it this way.

All right, in the beginning,

it was just supposed

to be enough

so we could get away.

All right, go somewhere,

reinvent ourselves.

I know, I know,

but I have my reasons

for asking for more money.

Yeah, for what,

the renovation you got going on?

No, Jordan, these people...

Money makes their world

go round, right?

So what better way to shatter it

than by taking it away?

Look, you know I hate being

poor Mr. Veronica Ballard...

All right, the schoolteacher

that lives off

her family's money.

But I don't understand why

this has become

so personal against her.

If I told you my reasons,

I'd have to kill you.

Uh-huh.

Okay. We have to get ready.

We're running out of time.

It's risky, Lexi.

The bigger the risk,

the bigger the reward.

Burner phones.

And...

Come on. We gotta hurry.

6:30? But I set an alarm.

Jordan?!

Jordan!

As you can see, the men

in your life are with me.

So if you want them back,

you'll send me a million dollars

worth of crypto

by the end of the day tomorrow.

With your father... indisposed,

I know you have access

to corporate funds.

And don't even think

about calling the police.

If I feel cornered at all,

I'm taking them all down

with me.

Sins of the father

and of the daughter

will be paid.

God, he was heavy.

I think I threw my back out.

Maybe you should go

to a yoga class.

How can you be

joking at a time like this?

"A," who said I was joking?

And "B," why are you whispering?

Because if he wakes up...

All right, he finds out it's me,

then we have to...

Kill him?

Oh, come on.

What's one less rich a...

Stop. Lexi.

Relax.

The amount of Ketamine

we gave him

will keep him asleep for hours.

Plus, it eliminates

the possibility of him

remembering anything.

I don't know. It, uh...

- This all just feels so wrong.

- Oh, my God.

Would you just stop

with the whispering?

Thank you for understanding.

Done.

I called all the board members,

and they're all in agreement.

The funds will be released

by the end of the day.

And you're sure you don't wanna

call the police?

Yes, I'm positive.

I don't want anything to happen

to Jordan and my father.

But that's not gonna stop you

from looking for them, is it?

Absolutely not.

Okay. Where do we start?

You really did want it to go

this way the whole time,

didn't you?

God, what was I thinking?!

You know, this whole

faking my death thing?

No, no.

No? Well, maybe...

you don't have to fake it.

Sorry.

I know I've misled you a little.

My bad.

We have to assume she's not

working alone.

She can't kidnap two grown men

by herself.

That's true, but... she is

a personal trainer.

And she keeps referring

to the past

and Sacred Heart and confessions

and meeting at a church.

But I've looked through

that yearbook a hundred times,

and she's not in there.

Maybe she changed her name.

But there's no one in there

that even resembles her.

Could she have had

plastic surgery?

I mean, if she did,

how would I...

Wait a minute.

There was this one girl.

But I forget her name.

Everyone made fun of her.

She was shy and plain-looking,

nothing like...

That's her.

Sarah Birch.

Why, Lexi?

It's not, Lexi, actually.

It's Sarah Birch.

Sound familiar?

Sacred Heart?

I know. I looked a lot different

back then.

But, Jordan...

we were so in love.

I loved you.

You were in love with me.

Or at least that's how it felt,

anyway.

Do you remember when, uh...

you picked up my books for me

when you were walking me home?

No.

Yeah, I knew.

I knew from that moment

that what we had

was something special,

even if you didn't say

anything to me.

Our love was the only thing

that kept me going.

You're delusional.

Veronica.

Yes. Veronica.

She... stole you from me.

I saw you.

Premarital sex?

In a school that was part

of the church?

Turns out she was always such

a sanctimonious hypocrite...

even back then.

Stop, stop, stop, stop, Lexi.

It's Sarah.

Sarah!

What are you up to, V.?

Just a little detective work.

Bingo.

She inherited a house from her

mother's sister when she died.

Do you remember my mother?

She worked in the cafeteria.

She cleaned toilets at night

just so I could go

to your fancy school.

After she died...

they kicked me out.

They asked you.

They... asked you

if they could use

some of the money

from the scholarship fund

that youcreated

to pay for the rest

of my education.

You said no.

Because I was from

the wrong side of the tracks,

and you thought it made

the school look bad.

I...

I changed my name.

I...

I found my way into her life,

and I waited.

I waited

on God's perfect timing,

and He... He answered my prayers.

Weapon.

Dad!

Dad, can you...

Come on. No, please, don't!

I'll stop it

if you throw that aside.

Better?

You killed Jordan?

He was in on it.

I mean... he didn't know

the whole story.

But let's just say

the whole ménage à trois

was not the first time that him

and I have been... intimate.

God, I love it

when you're feisty.

This is for stealing Jordan

from me at Sacred Heart,

and this is for your father

kicking me out of school!

Goodbye, Wayne.

Lexi, wait.

Do you remember our first kiss?

I... I do.

You're a terrible kisser.

Dad.

Oh. Veronica.

Oh.

Get your feet. Come on.

Thank you so much

for not listening to me.

You know,

for calling the police.

What are best friends for?

Here.

Cheers... to being

on the other side

of... all of it.

Why does the other side

feel so empty?

'Cause Jordan wasn't the man

you thought he was.

I know it's a lot to process

right now.

But it will get easier.

- Promise?

- Absolutely.

Little by little, day by day.

- You know what?

- What?

I think you're right.

Of course I am.