Running late, Evie chooses a no-frills diner near her new job—assistant to the event coordinator at a small gallery, secured through Ryan’s client, Mr. Walker—over the friends’ preferred tearoom. She arrives dressed to stand out, notes their discomfort, and receives a brief text from Ryan urging firmness. Beth mentions drinks before an upcoming Derby party, while the group assesses Evie.

Once orders are placed, Rachel presses for personal history. Evie withholds details until she deploys a calculated origin story: from Brookwood near Tuscaloosa, a couple of years at Alabama, parents killed in an accident, and restless moves afterward. The revelation elicits sympathy and momentarily halts deeper probing, aligning with Evie’s philosophy that the first decisive lie frames all that follows.

Rachel persists, asking why Evie came to Lake Forbing. Evie answers: an online hospital job in billing that fell through. When Rachel questions Evie’s rapid move-in and motives, Evie counters by urging the friends to trust Ryan, asserting she has told him what she won’t share with them. Embarrassed, the others shut down the confrontation, and the lunch ends quickly.

Outside, Evie reflects that friends require the most work. She immediately searches her name and hometown, confirming the planted, recently created news articles about the fatal accident that bolster her cover. Satisfied that the lie will hold under casual scrutiny, Evie returns to work.