After an intimate weekend at Martha’s cottage, Jonathan reluctantly parted from Martha, appreciating her warmth and accommodating nature. On the train home, he ignored multiple urgent voicemails from his wife, Tara, and immersed himself in music, reveling in his disconnection from his marriage.

Arriving home, Jonathan found two female police officers, led by Beth, waiting with Tara. They explained that two women had reported being followed at night and that doorbell footage showed a man strongly resembling Jonathan. A neighbor had shared the clip, another woman recognized similar behavior, and someone using a false name had provided Jonathan’s identity and address to the complainants.

Shown a still image, Jonathan tried to distinguish the man by focusing on boot color and foot size, insisting the footage was not him. When asked for an alibi for the specific date and time, Tara initially placed Jonathan in Gloucester for work, then corrected herself, recalling he returned that day, aligning him with the location and timing. Jonathan maintained denial and claimed ignorance of the street in the video. The officers departed without resolution.

Alone, Tara admitted how closely the man in the footage resembled Jonathan. Jonathan masked violent impulses and gently minimized the incident, framing it as a coincidence. A tense dinner followed, during which Tara confronted Jonathan about persistent financial instability, his lack of verifiable contacts, and the emptiness at the center of their life together.

Tara pressed Jonathan on his identity and the secrecy around his work and relationships, saying she felt drawn into a “dark void.” Jonathan countered with practiced tenderness, assuring Tara of his love and asking her to keep faith and not give up, even as he privately recognized their relationship had reached a point of no return.