Evelyn confronts Harry with a damaging Sub Rosa article about her marriage, learning Sunset Studios can no longer buy favorable coverage. Celia arrives, and amid their shared frustration they reflect on having just wrapped Little Women, the late-night coaching that improved Evelyn’s craft, and growing awards buzz that makes optics more urgent.

When Harry suggests a public outing to manage the story, Evelyn refuses, wary of being seen with “single Celia” and worsening speculation. Parsing a line about being unkind to the help, Evelyn concludes her maid, Paula, leaked to the tabloid and decides Paula must go. Evelyn worries audiences will resent a woman who won’t give her husband a baby and that Don will look weak, raising the stakes for both careers.

Evelyn asks Harry to arrange a serious-sounding call from Dr. Lopani at six and drafts exact wording to imply a pregnancy in jeopardy. Don storms in, angry and demanding a plan; Evelyn keeps Celia in the room and proposes faking a miscarriage to redirect public sentiment. Don rejects being pitied, but Harry argues pity sells, and Celia underscores that the public will sympathize if they believe Evelyn cannot carry a child.

That evening, Paula answers the doctor’s call, and Evelyn performs audible grief while Don listens. Soon after, Don fires Paula with calculated cruelty to ensure she runs to the tabloids. The maneuver is designed to reframe the couple as victims of tragedy rather than targets of scorn, preserving their box-office appeal as awards chatter grows.