After the Mick Riva marriage scandal, Evelyn enjoys two months of near-bliss with Celia, moving freely while gossip columns stay distracted by Evelyn’s public romantic persona. Evelyn’s strategy—keep tabloids focused on her as a serial bride—successfully shields their relationship, allowing them to live together in secrecy, “hiding in plain sight.”

The calm ends when Evelyn confirms she is pregnant, a result of the Mick plan. She tells Celia by the pool. Celia reacts viscerally—throwing her glass, screaming underwater, then packing—revealing a fundamental mismatch in expectations about what Evelyn would do with Mick. The pregnancy becomes proof to Celia that Evelyn crossed a boundary she cannot accept.

A heated argument follows. Celia condemns Evelyn for sacrificing intimacy and authenticity for fame, calling her a coward and a “whore,” while Evelyn insists she acted to protect both careers and their safety. Evelyn claims she could survive exposure by marrying a man, but fears Celia could not. The confrontation crystallizes their differences about survival versus honesty, and Celia leaves, ending the relationship.

Determined to “take care of it,” Evelyn chooses an abortion. Three days later, Harry drives her to Tijuana to avoid scrutiny. Evelyn disassociates through the procedure and feels no regret over ending the pregnancy, but she mourns the loss of Celia and the fallout from her choices, even as work on Anna Karenina looms.

On the drive back, Harry reframes the accusation against Evelyn as misogynistic policing of women’s power and affirms her toughness and pragmatism. He cares for her at home, and Evelyn feels, for the first time in a long time, that she has family. Evelyn and Celia do not speak for five years, and Evelyn leans on Harry as her anchor.