After Eve and Nate return home from her birthday dinner, Nate seems distracted and immediately claims he is exhausted. Eve reads his behavior as another transparent attempt to avoid sex, but she decides not to fight with him on her birthday and tells him they do not need to have sex that night. Nate appears surprised and offers if she wants to, but Eve refuses and lets him go upstairs.

Once Nate is out of sight, Eve hears her phone buzz and sees a disappearing Snapflash message from Jay. Earlier in the evening, Eve had intended to end the affair, but Jay tells her he has left a present at the door. Eve quietly checks the front porch and finds a shoebox there.

Inside the box, Eve discovers a pair of glossy red Sam Edelman sling pumps she had wanted but could not buy. She realizes Jay must have secretly purchased the last pair for her despite his limited money, and his thoughtfulness moves her deeply. When Jay asks if she got the gift, Eve thanks him and tells him she loves the shoes.

The gift intensifies Eve’s emotional conflict. She becomes tearful, thinking that she is trapped in what she now sees as a loveless marriage while the man she truly loves is someone she cannot openly be with. Jay’s gesture contrasts sharply with Nate’s detachment and strengthens Eve’s sense of dissatisfaction with her life.

As Eve is about to try on the shoes, she hears a sound outside the front door and instantly hopes Jay has returned. She opens the door expecting to kiss him, but no one is there. Eve calls out twice, then is left unsettled and confused by the unexplained noise in the darkness.