The Other Woman

Emily refuses to speak with Adam for over a week. He approaches her outside her office and begs her to talk with him. He looks gaunt and bereft. Emily agrees to a brief, five-minute conversation at a cafe. They speak about superficial issues until Adam points out that Emily hasn’t asked about Pammie. Still thinking Pammie is lying about her cancer, Emily replies sarcastically to Adam. Adam shares details about taking Pammie to a chemotherapy appointment, including what her treatment room looks like. For the first time, Emily considers Pammie to be honest about her health. Emily consoles Adam when he begins crying. Adam asks Emily to visit with Pammie, reporting how Pammie wants to see Emily and apologize. Emily tentatively agrees to escort Adam to Pammie’s next chemotherapy appointment.

Adam returns to living with Emily in their shared apartment two days before they visit with Pammie. Pammie greets Emily warmly when she and Adam arrive at her house. She apologizes to Emily immediately and suggests they have a more extended chat when she returns from the hospital. Emily feels confused; Adam had led her to believe that both he and Emily would escort Pammie to her treatment. Instead, Adam leaves with Pammie for what Emily assumes will be several hours.

Emily looks back through the photo albums Pammie showed her during their first meeting. She recognizes how happy Pammie looks with Jim. Unable to find the photo of Adam and Rebecca, Emily snoops through Pammie’s drawers, eventually making her way into Pammie’s bedroom. Along the way, she uncovers old checkbooks with records of 200-pound monthly payments to Adam, with no similar records for James. Emily discovers an old jewelry box in Pammie’s bedroom dresser drawer. Realizing how much she dislikes her own intrusive actions; Emily returns the box to the dresser. A secret compartment opens when she lightly drops the box, revealing the photograph of Rebecca and Adam and an inhaler. Emily feels certain the inhaler belonged to Rebecca, and Pammie intentionally stole and hid it from her, killing her.

Adam arrives back at Pammie’s house sooner than expected. When Emily asks why he isn’t with Pammie, he explains that she likes to be alone during her treatments. Emily realizes Adam never actually saw Pammie receive treatment; he parroted secondhand details about the hospital supplied to him by Pammie. Emily once again suspects that Pammie is faking a cancer diagnosis. Believing Pammie can murder, Emily insists on leaving immediately and returning to London. Adam refuses to allow Emily to leave.

Emily and Adam retrieve Pammie from the hospital. Emily feels nauseated at the sight of Pammie, believing she is faking the side effects of chemotherapy. They return to Pammie’s house, and Adam dotes on Pammie while Emily makes her tea. Pammie suggests Adam move back in with her, describing how vulnerable she feels living alone. Adam tells Pammie he belongs with Emily, but he and James both plan on visiting more frequently. Pammie reports James has a new girlfriend to whom he devotes most of his spare time. Emily realizes the news makes her jealous, though she would never pursue a relationship with James.

With Adam out of earshot, Pammie rudely comments about Emily’s weight. Emily asks Pammie if the chemotherapy will affect her asthma symptoms and notices the question shocks Pammie. Pammie’s denial of being asthmatic eliminates the possibility that the inhaler is hers.

Pammie asks when Emily and Adam plan to reschedule their wedding and speculates that the couple must wait several months before their venue has an opening. She jokes that James and his new girlfriend will likely be married before Emily and Adam. Emily retorts that she and Adam can reschedule their wedding sooner rather than later. Both women pretend to be affectionate with each other in front of Adam; however, Emily feels resolved to prove to Adam that his mother is a murderer.

Emily feels a refreshed determination to win Adam over from Pammie. She initiates sex as soon as they arrive back at their apartment. After, she asks about Rebecca, asking pointed questions about who the last person was to see her alive (Pammie) and who discovered Rebecca’s body (also Pammie). She silently wills Adam to grow suspicious of Pammie, but he feels only sympathy for his mother, who was traumatized by Rebecca’s death. Knowing she cannot accuse Pammie outright of murder without hard evidence, Emily makes a tremendous effort to be a doting and attentive fiancée to Adam. She wears sexy lingerie and makes elaborate dinners every night. She believes her efforts will manipulate Adam into being more committed and dedicated.

Adam asks Emily to take Pammie to one of her chemotherapy appointments since he and James are both busy. Emily agrees, seeing an opportunity to expose and confront Pammie. Seeing Emily arrive at her house without Adam, Pammie tries to dismiss Emily. She refuses Emily’s offer to help her inside the hospital to her treatment room. Emily drives to the ’hospital’s rear exit leading to a shopping center and watches as Pammie walks out of the hospital into a coffee shop.

Emily confronts Pammie. She intends to tell Adam that Pammie is faking a cancer diagnosis. Pammie explains her presence in the coffee shop as a scheduling error at the hospital. Pammie blackmails Emily, threatening to tell Adam about Emily’s relationship with James. Emily denies meeting with James, but Pammie states she instructed James to meet with Emily, intending to split up Adam and Emily.

Emily feels very sick when she returns to her apartment. She initially blames her nausea on her heightened emotional state after confronting Pammie; however, she realizes that the cause of her illness could be pregnancy. Emily rushes to a convenience store where she buys and takes a pregnancy test, which immediately reveals a positive result. She calls Pippa in a panic, who suggests the pregnancy might have a constructive outcome for her and Adam’s relationship. Emily feels uneasy about carrying Pammie’s grandchild.

Emily struggles to focus at work and makes several mistakes. Her manager sends her home early, and Emily travels to Adam’s office. Adam meets Emily for drinks, and Emily tells Adam about the pregnancy. Shocked, Adam asks about Emily’s birth control pills. Emily explains that in the chaos of the canceled wedding, she forgot to take her medication for a few weeks. Adam implies that Emily is irresponsible, and although he doesn’t seem happy or excited about the pregnancy, he labels it “good news.”