Lucy is fired from her executive assistant job after becoming the subject of Ben Owens's true crime podcast.

Beverly calls Lucy and convinces her to return to Plumpton for Beverly's eightieth birthday celebration.

Lucy arrives back in Plumpton and moves into her parents' house for the week.

Lucy approaches Ben at the local diner and asks to speak with him off the record.

Beverly admits she orchestrated Lucy's return to Plumpton so Lucy could work with Ben to find Savvy's killer.

Lucy agrees to collaborate with Ben on investigating Savvy's murder despite her family's strong objections.

Ben's podcast reveals Colin's alibi was false — he secretly left the wedding with an unidentified married woman.

Matt warns Lucy that helping Ben is a mistake but she persuades him to do a podcast interview.

Lucy encounters Matt's estranged second wife Julia, who agrees to give Ben an interview about her marriage.

Julia reveals on the podcast that Matt was abusive and once drunkenly insinuated he was with Lucy when Savvy died.

Lucy visits the wedding venue with Ben and Matt, triggering fragmented memory flashes from the murder night.

Matt confesses he found Lucy holding a bloody tree branch that night and disposed of it to protect her.

Emmett kisses Lucy when she stops by his shop to say goodbye, suddenly triggering a crucial forgotten memory.

Lucy and Emmett fight after she confronts him; Ben arrives and backs Lucy's version of events to police.

Emmett is charged with Savvy's murder, and Lucy's parents are charged with withholding evidence.

Lucy Chase loses her executive assistant job in LA when she becomes the subject of Ben Owens's true crime podcast about her best friend Savvy's unsolved murder. Her grandmother Beverly lures her back to their hometown of Plumpton, Texas, where Lucy meets Ben and reluctantly agrees to help him investigate. The case gains new momentum as Ben uncovers suspicious behavior from multiple people, including Matt's second wife Julia, who reveals he was abusive and may have been with Lucy the night Savvy died. Matt eventually confesses he found Lucy holding a bloody branch that night and disposed of it, a revelation that overwhelms Lucy and nearly drives her out of town. A visit to Emmett's shop triggers Lucy's long-buried memories, and the truth about Savvy's killer finally surfaces during a violent confrontation. Emmett is arrested for Savvy's murder, and Lucy's parents are charged with withholding evidence.

The core investigation: Lucy's return, the podcast, and Emmett's arrest.

Lucy begins listening to Ben's podcast episodes to prepare herself for returning to her hostile hometown.

Kathleen tells Lucy that Ben Owens is currently in Plumpton, warning her of what she is walking into.

Lucy visits Beverly, who hints at Ben having uncovered new information and asks if he has contacted her yet.

Lucy unexpectedly bumps into Nina at the grocery store and feels less resentful after hearing her speak on the podcast.

Ben reveals he knows Lucy writes romance novels under the pen name Eva Knightley and promises not to expose her.

Nathan breaks up with Lucy via text message while she is staying in Plumpton with her parents.

The podcast reveals a neighbor confirmed Matt left home after a woman visited him the night Savvy was killed.

Lucy drives to Austin to meet Maya, Savvy's sister, and reveals she knows Savvy's darkest secret.

Maya begins to believe in Lucy's innocence after realizing Lucy kept Savvy's most dangerous secret from the police.

Matt visits Lucy at night, thanks her for protecting his image, then reluctantly reveals Nina was at his house.

The internet discovers Lucy's true identity as romance novelist Eva Knightley after Ben's episode about Nina drops.

Nina admits to Lucy that she went to Matt's house that night to force him to leave Lucy, then departed immediately.

Lucy confronts Don and learns Matt told her parents she was guilty and they agreed to cover it up.

Ben tells police he heard Emmett admit to trying to kill Lucy before, stretching the truth to make her believable.

Lucy stops by Beverly's house on the way to the airport to thank her for engineering the investigation.

As Ben's podcast gains traction, Lucy's personal life in LA crumbles — her boyfriend ends things and she begins listening to the podcast episodes to steel herself for returning home. Back in Plumpton, clues gradually emerge about multiple people's hidden activities the night Savvy died, including Matt's unaccounted-for whereabouts and his secret connection to Nina. Lucy travels to Austin to win over Savvy's sister Maya, who becomes a crucial ally once she realizes Lucy has guarded Savvy's deepest secret from police all along. Matt eventually confirms that Nina was the woman at his house the night of the murder, and a confrontation with Don reveals just how much her parents chose to believe others over their own daughter. When the final confrontation with Emmett comes, it is Ben's calculated lie to police — not Lucy's word alone — that ensures the truth is believed. Lucy closes the chapter by thanking the one person who never stopped believing in her.

The supporting details: relationships, alibis, and secrets uncovered.

Lucy decides to return to Plumpton for Beverly's birthday despite the podcast making her a public target.

A flashback reveals Savvy, noticing Lucy's bruises, seriously and repeatedly proposes the two women kill Matt together.

Kathleen shocks the room at Beverly's birthday party by publicly admitting she had a secret affair with Colin Dunn.

Lucy faints when Ben takes her into the woods to the exact spot where Savvy's body was discovered.

Matt attacks and punches Ben in the parking lot outside a bar, an assault Ben secretly records on his phone.

Ben interviews Lucy for the podcast and she publicly shares her version of the murder night for the first time.

Lucy confesses her years-long intrusive thoughts about murdering people to Ben and he responds with calm acceptance.

A flashback reveals Savvy confesses she once killed a man named Troy who tried to sexually assault her.

Beverly reiterates her absolute faith in Lucy's innocence and urges her not to give up just as Lucy prepares to leave.

A flashback reveals Savvy and Lucy made plans the night of the wedding to leave Plumpton and start new lives in California.

A flashback reveals Emmett intercepted Savvy and Lucy on the road, confessed his love, and demanded Lucy leave Matt.

A flashback reveals Emmett attacked both women when Lucy rejected him and fatally struck Savvy as she tried to shield Lucy.

The full memory of the murder night floods back to Lucy as she watches Emmett grab Nina's wrists inside his shop.

Lucy confronts Matt and her parents outside the hospital, declaring that Savvy was the only person who ever protected her.

Convinced by Savvy's voice encouraging her, Lucy replies to Ben's message agreeing to see him back in LA.

Even before Lucy returns to Plumpton, a pivotal decision is made — she chooses to face the storm rather than run from it. Through flashbacks, the darker sides of Savvy and her enemies emerge, including Savvy's confession that she killed a man in self-defense and her fierce determination to free Lucy from Matt's abuse. The investigation takes dramatic turns when Kathleen's secret affair is publicly exposed, Matt violently assaults Ben on camera, and Lucy gives her first-ever public account of the murder night. Lucy's buried memories resist surfacing until two triggers arrive at once: Emmett's unexpected kiss and the sight of him hurting Nina. The complete truth floods back — Emmett intercepted the women on the road, flew into a murderous rage when Lucy rejected him, and killed Savvy when she blocked the fatal blow meant for Lucy. Lucy confronts everyone who failed her, wins justice for Savvy, and chooses to embrace a hopeful future.