Evelyn marries Max in a small Joshua Tree ceremony attended by Connor, Harry, and Max’s brother, Luc. After the guests depart, Evelyn and Max spend a rare, private night together, celebrating their union and talking about films and future projects. Max flatters her legend, repeatedly calling her “Evelyn Hugo,” while Evelyn asks to simply be seen as Evelyn, taking comfort in the feeling of being chosen after believing Celia gone for good.

The next day’s domestic ease gives way to unease when Max wakes withdrawn and admits he hates the desert, asking to cut the trip short and return to the city. At the airport, he delights in a People magazine write-up dubbing Evelyn a “daring sexpot” and him her “white knight,” feeding his enchantment with her celebrity. Evelyn is reminded of Rita Hayworth’s line about men loving the screen persona rather than the woman.

Max fixates on his appearance, vowing to lose weight to be “handsome” for photos with Evelyn. When a coach passenger recognizes her on their flight, Max thrills at the imagined stories others will tell about encountering “Evelyn Hugo.” Evelyn’s heart breaks as she recognizes his preoccupation with her myth over her reality.

Over the next four months, Evelyn realizes Max has no intention of learning or loving her true self; he loves the idea of being with “Evelyn Hugo.” Despite this, she resists leaving him because she yearns for a lasting marriage and does not want another divorce, believing—against evidence—that he might eventually see her as she is.

That hope never materializes. Max parades Evelyn around as a status symbol, basking in the attention that her fame confers. Evelyn understands he is enthralled by the alluring persona created in Boute-en-Train, a woman she herself admires but is not, underscoring the gap between her public image and private self.