How It All Goes Down
Rachel
- Anna runs into the house, and Rachel reluctantly follows.
- As soon as Rachel is inside, Tom lays into her: "What on earth's wrong with you? Are you drunk?" (34.5).
- Rachel tells Tom that she knows he hit her in the underpass.
- He still denies it of course, so she continues, saying she knows he then got into the car with Megan.
- More denial flows from Tom, like a river in Egypt: "Last time we talked about this, you told me you saw me get into the car with Anna. Now it's Megan, is it? Who's it going to be next week? Princess Diana?" (34.15).
- Rachel tries to get Anna on her side, and Anna admits to finding Megan's phone in his bag.
- Tom confesses to the affair, but he doesn't feel guilty about it at all.
- He becomes really condescending, saying, "I loved you both, I really did, but you can both be incredibly weak" (34.34). Ugh.
- Anna gets offended, not because she called him weak, but because he's putting her and Rachel in the same category. Double ugh.
- Tom continues his emotional abuse and then he takes the baby from Anna and starts to walk away.
- Rachel drags Anna outside and tells her to distract Tom while she calls the police. Um, Rachel, what have you been doing for the last two pages?
- Rachel dials 999, which is how the British spell 911, but of course Tom finds her, kicks her, and takes her phone away.
- He drags her inside, where Anna isn't trying to distract him at all. She's making lunch like this is just another normal day.