How It All Goes Down
Villa d'Oro — Singapore
- Rachel has been in hiding at Peik Lin's house and hasn't had anything to eat since she's been there.
- After fainting at Su Yi's Malaysian lodge, she was revived by the Thai maids and carried outside by Nick, not before hearing Su Yi said she had a "weak constitution" (3.15.12).
- Asking for time alone, Rachel tells Nick to drop her off at a town down the mountain.
- Nick doesn't want to leave her alone, thinking she'll be a risk to herself.
- He's heavy with guilt for what happened to her (and maybe you should be, Nick!), for leading her into the "viper's nest" (3.15.26).
- After Nick checks her into a hotel and kisses her goodbye, she leaves the room, stops payment on the credit card, and calls a taxi.
- Three days at Peik Lin's and Rachel finally calls her mom. She cuts right to the chase and asks if her dad is still alive.
- Kerry awkwardly avoids answer the question.
- Rachel demands, "Who is Zhou Fang Min?" (3.15.40).
- Without Kerry explaining anything, Rachel blows up at her, totally furious that her mother had lied to her. She feels she doesn't know who she is anymore.
- Hanging up, Rachel crawls into bed with no answers.
- Nearly a week later Rachel emerges and joins the Gohs for dinner. They feed her graciously, happy to see her out of her sadness.
- Well, maybe just out of the bedroom.
- Rachel thanks them for letting her stay there. She decides she's going to China before returning to the U.S.
- She wants to meet her father.
- And she doesn't want Nick to come.
- Peik Lin tells Rachel that Nick has been calling every day, he even drove up a couple times.
- Rachel can't stomach facing him again. "He had suddenly become a reminder of everything that had gone wrong in her life" (3.15.89).
- Yowsa.
- After a little more talk with Peik Lin and the family, Rachel decides she should see Nick. It's not his fault his mother is awful.
- When Nick comes to Villa d'Oro, he isn't sure how to ask for forgiveness from Rachel. He apologizes for being "recklessly ignorant" about his family (3.15.101).
- Rachel notices that Nick looks terrible. He says he's been staying at Colin's house while he's on his honeymoon.
- Rachel tells Nick she's going to China to see her father.
- And she's going on her own.
- Oh and she'll be going back to NYC on her own.
- Oh , and they should stop seeing each other.
- Uhh.
- Expectedly, Nick freaks; "I love you. I want to marry you" (3.15.133).
- It'll never work, she says. His legacy is in Singapore and she doesn't want him to resent her. She doesn't want to be a part of a family like his. She wants her kids to have a "loving, nurturing home" (3.15.148).
- Ouch, but, you know, she's not wrong.
- She closes with "I've had enough of being around all these crazy rich Asians" (3.15.148).
- Nick can see that Rachel is "lost to him" (3.15.149).