Blake lies on the kitchen floor after falling from a stool, assessing his injuries and realizing nothing is broken, though his elbow is badly hurt. He confirms the paper bag he found remains on the top shelf and recalls the horrific contents: what appear to be apples rotted into a maggot-infested mess, responsible for the sickly sweet smell and the fruit fly outbreak.

Blake reasons the bag was intentionally hidden where he would not find it, and links the timing of the fruit flies to Whitney’s arrival. He concludes Whitney planted it to make his home feel unclean and unsafe. He rejects confronting Whitney, believing she will deny it and grow more hostile, and he decides not to involve Krista, who already doubts him and whose relationship with him is strained.

Using a heavy pot as a makeshift step, Blake retrieves the bag without it disintegrating. Furious but cautious, he seals the paper bag inside a plastic one to contain the contents. He then carries it upstairs to Whitney’s room, which is unlocked because its lock only secures from the inside.

Blake briefly surveys Whitney’s room, noting it is neat, with a made bed and organized closet, though her wastebasket is full of crumpled sticky notes. He abandons further snooping and proceeds with his plan.

Standing over Whitney’s bed, Blake overturns the plastic-wrapped paper bag. As expected, the rotten fruit bursts through the weakened bottom, splattering maggots and decay across her clean blanket. Blake feels a surge of vindication, thinking, “Now we’re even.”

He returns downstairs intending to clean the kitchen and eliminate the flies, planning to reward himself with a beer afterward. Despite the satisfaction, Blake recognizes that Whitney will not see it as payback and worries he has made a fatal error by escalating the conflict.