Aria heads to the hospital. Her father, James, tried to kill himself. Mom, Sarah feels guilty for mom entirely wishing that Dad would die so that they would be free of the debt. Aria asks about Archie, and we switch to Archie at a bank, robbing it. But that’s just in his imagination. He hasn’t robbed it yet. He’s waiting for his number to be called. He practices what he’s going to say. His number comes up. He hesitates and gets skipped. A security guard notices that he’s acting strangely. Aria calls him. It’s enough to get him to leave. Archie quickly leaves.
Aria remembers the Woman with her same face and asks Mom if she, perhaps, had a twin that they gave away for adoption. Mom tells her to stop talking nonsense.
Switch to Leo getting slapped so hard by Dad that he falls onto the floor. Leo gets up and *apologizes to Dad* for upsetting him. He escorts the man who’s shown up uninvited out, even as the man pleads for Dad’s mercy. And I just have to say, no one should feel entitled to slap someone like that. It’s just wrong. Dad and the rest of the family – Stepmom, sister – pretend like the guy doesn’t exist and their dinner hasn’t been interrupted. Charlie and Oliver are a little less stone-faced.
Dad smiles – like the whole thing never happened – and asks Charlie if he’s met Emma yet. Oliver’s face looks like he’s paying attention but trying to look like he’s not. I wonder what that’s about. Riley starts to say that Dad shouldn’t be making Charlie marry Emma, but Dad acts like she’s not even talking. Riley stops. Dad asks how the meeting was. Charlie responds by quoting Dad: “Those who have power make knees bend and those who don't have power bend their knees.” The marriage is either kneeling down or make them kneeling down.
Stepmom says that it’s unfortunate that he’s getting married. It would have been nice if his mom was there. Where’s his mom? Dad glares at Stepmom and slams his silverware on his plate meaningfully. Charlie nods and exhales. What was that about?
Sia comes across Leo crying. She asks what’s wrong and he says that he’s crying because the flowers are pretty. Wow. She tells him that she found this roll of money in Charlie’s robe. Oliver happens to walk by and he says that he’ll give it back to Charlie. What is he up to?
He heads to his quarters, where Riley is downing wine. He asks why she's like that
again. She asks if he also thinks that she’s trying to take over the company and kick out Charlie. Oliver says that no one thinks like that. She should just ignore what Charlie said. She knows he’s not a normal person, right?
The look on her face makes him realize that he went too far. Riley stops him and says that he’s right… but she’s not normal either. She walks toward him and says that she doesn’t know why she married a boring guy who knows only work. So she’s drinking because of their relationship. Oliver smiles and says that he’s not normal either. Because he married a girl who has bad drinking habits and cries easily. Riley takes another few steps forward, so that they’re almost touching. She asks if he regrets it. He says he does. Why couldn't he find a girl like her sooner? Riley leans forward and whispers “Lies.” She turns to walk away but Oliver grabs her and forcefully kisses her. They begin to make out on the sofa.
Charlie is visiting with his psychiatrist, Doctor Kim. Doc asks if he’s still seeing something coming out of the water? Charlie smiles and asks what Doc would do if he continued to think like that. But he’s fine now. Doc asks about mom’s death. Charlie says that it was an accident. Thinking that someone killed his mother was a child-like thought. Wow, he's really trying to sound convincing. He thinks someone killed mom. Doc isn’t buying it. Doc asks if he’s been taken his medication. Charlie says that he has. Doc is surprised and asks to see the bottle. Charlie chuckles and says that it’s not necessary. He’s taking them well.
Doc sighs and says Charlie's name. Charlie pulls out the pills, unconsumed. He says that he’s looked into the pill's side effects and if you take a lot, you can die from a heart attack. Doc makes a note of “You can die from a heart attack”… Still looking at the pills, as if entranced, Charlie says that he’s not crazy. He keeps saying it, eventually shoving the pills and everything else off the table and screaming that he’s crazy!!! And he totally sounds and looks crazy right now, especially in the eyes. As Doc looks at him, he pants. Riley and Oliver burst into the room. Charlie looks at them and defeated, he starts to cry.
Aria has just discovered Archie’s plan and tells him he’s an idiot. She punches his arm several times. Archie protests about needing the money. Aria says that she has it and searches her pockets for the roll of money… but it’s not there. Because she put in the robe’s pocket, not her jacket. Dad wakes up and apologizes for worrying them. Aria yells at him for trying to take the easy way out and for being a wastrel. What about them? She says that she wishes Dad wasn’t her father because of how he makes them suffer. She tells him not to run away like a coward. Repay the debt and don't leave until he makes their family happy. She leaves and Dad starts to cry. Aria catches an elevator and starts to weep in spite of herself. The other occupants feel awkward. And I wonder how often we’re going to be seeing a crying Aria. Not that I’m complaining, but she
cries a lot.
That night, Charlie can’t sleep, because he hears voices tell him that he’s crazy. He gets out of bed and turns on his stereo. He looks out the window and sees a woman floating in the water. He grabs Leo for help, but when they get to the pool, there’s no one there. Charlie mutters that it can’t be. He chews on his thumb as he tells himself that he definitely saw her.
Stepmom appears and says that 10 years pass… even if 100 years pass, how can Charlie forget something like that? She wouldn’t be able to for the rest her life. Charlie being like this is a given. Her voice sounds so compassionate here. Charlie says that he’ll tell Dad. Stepmom doesn’t see the need to bother Dad. They'll pretend it never happened. She smiles kindly towards Charlie.
Now freaked out, Charlie takes one of the pills he didn’t want to take.
Aria heads back to the hotel and hunts for the money. Instead she finds Charlie's business card holder, which fell out of his pocket when he was stripping off his clothes.
Lunch out by the pool. A stringed ensemble plays classical music. Maudlin music at that. Charlie and Emma sit at either end of a long table. One of the servants walks forward with wine, and as she pulls off the cork, she drops a pill inside. Then she pours it into Emma’s glass. Who’s trying to kill Emma? Emma takes a drink of it and Charlie waves the ensemble to stop.
Sounding bored, Emma asks if Charlie has a faster song? She’ll fall asleep soon. The ensemble starts playing something peppy. As peppy as a bass and viola can sound. Charlie watches her as he chews. Emma notices and asks why he’s staring. He asks if she doesn’t remember. She looks away. He nods and says that not remembering is better for both of them.
Emma asks what he’s talking about. Charlie chuckles almost bitterly. She repeats her
question. Charlie gets up and walks over to her. He asks if he should make her remember. She doesn’t look at him but continues to look at her plate. He looks down and notices that there’s no scrape on her knee. He squats down and wonders if Emma is wearing skin-colored hose. He reaches over to investigate and Emma slaps his hand away. Does he want to be prosecuted for that? Did he already forget the content of the contract? He looks at her like he can’t believe she just said that. And from his perspective, it’s totally understandable, since she’s the one that forced all the skin ship the night before.
Riley arrives, so Charlie steps back a few feet. Emma barely gives Riley a glance. Riley tells her that she doesn’t know how Emma can do it. There is no one in this house that will welcome her. Charlie sighs. Oliver arrives. He asks Riley what she’s doing. Emma and Oliver share a look that makes me think that they are more than just friends, that he’s the man she was referring to when she said that she was still going to see someone. And it sure looks like he’s trying to protect his lover from Riley. Riley puts on a mean girl smile and says that she just...wanted to hear what Emma had to say.
Riley turns back to Emma and asks how Emma’s planning on enduring the place, since
she has no one to rely on. Small facial reaction from Oliver. Oliver waves at the ensemble to go, so everyone but the four of them clears out. Charlie just stands there. He seems annoyed that Riley’s going to do this, but he also knows that jumping in will only make Riley more obnoxious. Besides, Emma needs to be able to defend herself, because Charlie isn’t always going to be there.
Emma takes a drink of her wine and smiles up at Riley. She asks if she really needs someone to rely on. This is business anyways. Charlie’s eyebrows twitch, like he’s surprised she just said that. Riley stops smiling. One never knows. Emma looks in Oliver’s direction and says that they might get along after living together. Oliver grimaces slightly at that, like he can’t stand the thought of Charlie touching her. Riley looks at him and you can tell the wheels are turning in her head.
Emma asks who it would affect more if the marriage fails. Her father would just need to find another sponsor to enter the Presidential Elections. But what about Chairman John? Malpractice, embezzlement, and secret funds...Prosecutors won't stay put with all that. So Dad's not only an abusive, control freak, but a crooked businessman to boot. When there's a change of power in government, you can see on the news many chairmen with handcuffs. Riley – who sounds absolutely bothered by Emma’s attitude – asks if Emma is aware of how many of the Prosecutors are *their* people? The Public Prosecutor General is her father's junior. Wow… Admitting that they have prosecutors in their back pocket… wow.
Emma smiles and says that Riley can just arrange a marriage with one of them, then. And isn't the President the one who appoints the Public Prosecutor General? Livid, Riley starts to lunge at Emma, but Oliver stops her and drags her away. As Emma watches him go, it’s obvious that it makes her sad. Riley doesn’t miss it, either. Emma has another drink of wine.
Like nothing just happened, Charlie suggests they set a date, since it seems that Emma isn’t going to back out. When is she free? She says to talk to her secretary, since it’s really just a matter of making time to do it. Charlie’s fine with that. Emma smiles at the irony and asks him if it isn’t funny that they’re doing it. Humans are thinking animals but they're acting more like animals than thinking like humans, all because of money. It just must be the fate of a kept woman's child. Charlie doesn’t appreciate the comment.
Emma mentions that she heard that his mother is also a kept woman. So she was talking about herself. How interesting, that both of them are the products of affairs and yet are treated as full members of the family rather than illegitimates. Emma asks if Charlie’s mother will come to the wedding because hers won’t. So she doesn’t know that mom is dead. I wonder why not. Emma says that her mother threw her away and left a long time ago. That’s really sad that she thinks that. Charlie doesn’t say anything. Emma says that she’s heard the phrase “I left because of love,” but if you love, why leave? You should protect it to the end. Again, interesting.
Charlie nods and walks toward her, knocking a knife from the table. He stops to stand next to her and she looks up at him. He almost looks pained.
Riley is leaning over a sink with the water running. Oliver enters and says that he’s been looking for her. He sighs and tells her to stop being mad now. Emma isn't so bad. Not the thing to say. He repeats what she said when she was being a mean girl and says that if Riley had said them to him, he would have been mad, too. He reaches toward her but she bats his hand away, screaming “PLEASE!!” He stops, surprised.
Obviously upset, Riley asks Oliver not to take someone else's side in front of her. No matter how wrong she is, even if she kills a person, he has to be on her side. Isn't that so? Oliver seems moved. Even if she kills someone? There’s a scream. They look out the window and it looks like someone is drowning in the pool.
Aria decides that she will call Charlie.
Charlie is on the ground, lying on top of Emma’s coat and purse. He slowly lifts himself up, obviously disoriented. His phone starts to buzz. Charlie looks out at the pool. Emma’s body is floating there. Oliver comes running out. Charlie is horrified.
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