The next morning, Dylan and Florence both sleep in, which is unusual for Dylan, who is typically an early riser. When Florence drops Dylan off at school, the other moms tell her that the school gala is going ahead as a memorial fundraiser for Alfie. When Florence asks if they have checked in on Cleo, they tell her it would not be “appropriate,” because “she’s threatened legal action against the school” (258).

That evening, Dylan seems tired and out of it at dinner. After Dylan goes to sleep, Florence sends Alfie’s half-brother, Ian, a direct message on Instagram, and they arrange to meet at a bar. Florence leaves Dylan home alone and goes to meet Ian. The bartender, Ricky, makes Florence a Negroni because it fits with her personality, “refreshing, yet bitter” (262). Ian and Florence toast to Alfie. Florence tells Ian she saw Cleo on the bus and that she seemed distraught. Ian tells her he is not close with Cleo and that his Aunt Helen had attempted to get Ian added to Rollo’s will. Florence is shocked to learn that Ms. Schulz is Ian’s aunt. Florence blurts out that if Cleo and Rollo divorce and Alfie is gone, Ian is the only remaining heir to the family fortune. Ian is offended and leaves. Elliott calls Florence and leaves a voicemail. The bartender asks Florence if she would like to get a drink together, but Florence says she has “work in the morning” (265).

Florence returns home and listens to Elliott’s voicemail, hoping he’ll say he wants to relaunch her music career. When he doesn’t, she’s angry and upset. Around 2:00 am, she hears a noise and checks Dylan’s bed, but he’s not there. She goes downstairs to find Dylan in the kitchen. He claims he got out of bed to get a glass of water, but he’s fully dressed and wearing sneakers.

The next morning, Dylan asks again if he can spend time with Mr. Foster. Florence refuses. She drops Dylan off at school and goes to Ms. Schulz’s home. Florence confronts Ms. Schulz about hiding the fact that Ian is her nephew. Ms. Schulz tells Florence that Rollo impregnated her sister, Mary, when she was 16 and “refused to acknowledge his son” (271). The pressure drove Mary to death by suicide. Ms. Schulz says she had thought Florence was one of Rollo’s flings and that perhaps Florence could encourage Rollo to include Ian in his will.

Ms. Schulz tells Florence that Mr. Sexton isn’t a pedophile and that he was framed for Alfie’s disappearance. She explains that two years ago, Mr. Sexton had given Alfie a failing grade and refused to let him retake an exam. In retaliation, the Risbys fabricated the “groping” allegations. The school fired Mr. Sexton so as to avoid a controversy while the venture capital firm’s takeover was being negotiated. Ms. Schulz adds that the headmistress likely got a kickback from the sale. She says the allegations “ruined” Mr. Sexton’s life. He now works at a Christmas tree farm, which explains the fertilizer and saw in his possession when Jenny and Florence were tailing him.

Thrown by Ms. Schulz’s revelations, Florence feels guilty for having “fram[ed] an innocent man” (276). She goes home to take a shower. A sludgy goo begins to flow out of the showerhead instead of water. She’s furious because Adam was supposed to fix the plumbing. She goes to Adam’s apartment to complain. Jenny opens the door. Florence is shocked to see that Jenny and Adam have been having sex. Jenny does not understand why Florence is so upset. Florence reflects that she’s always seen Adam as a safe “backup plan […] my permanent plan B” (277). She calls Jenny a “slag” and storms off.

Enraged, Florence goes back to her apartment and destroys the books Jenny lent her. She feels betrayed just as she did when Will left her for Rose. In the aftermath of that betrayal, Florence remembers that she “lost [her] mind” (279) and ended up in the tabloids after storming into Will’s office and dumping breast milk onto the desk. In his voicemail, Elliott had suggested Florence write a tell-all memoir to reclaim the episode: “the icon of public meltdowns, now widely viewed as a survivor of a broken system” (280). Florence is not interested because she is not a “feminist icon,” just an angry woman.

Florence wakes up on Saturday morning. Dylan is at his father’s house for the weekend. She has texts from Jenny and Adam. They both tell her they are away that weekend, but they want to talk. She assumes they are on a weekend getaway together.

A woman rings the doorbell. She has balloons. She says her name is Zofia and she is looking for her sister, Marta, Adam’s ex-girlfriend. Zofia is shocked when Florence says she hasn’t seen Marta in three months and assumes Marta has moved back to Poland. Zofia explains that Marta has been texting her about her life in London, but they have not actually spoken in some time. Florence agrees to help Zofia find her sister. They go together to the hair salon where Marta once worked. The owner, Cillian, tells them that Marta quit via text without warning three months ago because she was going back to Poland to take care of her mother, who had been diagnosed with cancer. Shocked, Zofia says their mother died 12 years ago.

The salon owner gives Florence the phone number of one of Marta’s friends, Natalia. They contact Natalia, who says Marta texted her to say she was moving back to Poland. She had fought with her boyfriend some time before she left. Natalia says the boyfriend was married and had a dark green sports car. Florence calls the salon owner, who confirms that Marta had two boyfriends: a fit cop (Adam) and an older, wealthy, married man who used to get his hair done at the salon. He gives Florence the older man’s phone number. She calls the number and gets Rollo’s voicemail.

Florence is stunned to realize Marta was having an affair with Rollo. On Sunday morning, Zofia texts to say she’s filing a police report. Florence is skeptical that the police will help. Dylan returns home early and begs to go over to Mr. Foster’s house, and Florence reluctantly agrees. Florence calls Marta’s phone number. She hears the phone ringing from Adam’s apartment and realizes Adam has Marta’s phone.

Florence calls Jenny and says she needs to talk to her urgently. Dylan returns from Mr. Foster’s with “a stack of cricket cans” (301). Florence leaves Dylan at home and goes to Jenny’s house. She tells Jenny that Adam might be “involved in his ex-girlfriend’s disappearance” (302). Jenny assumes Florence is being dramatic and trying to break up Adam and Jenny due to her jealousy. Florence confesses that she framed Mr. Sexton for Alfie’s disappearance because she “thought he was a pedophile” (304). She explains she found Alfie’s backpack in Dylan’s bedroom. Jenny is shocked that Florence withheld such crucial information from her. Jenny and Florence argue and insult each other. Florence storms off.