01x47 - Episode 47

[bunniefuu]

You have to leave now.

-They can't do that.
-Hell no.

So are you going to tell wifey
who I am,

or should I?

This is your daughter, Eva.

MARTIN:
You used me--

a little child--
as a cover-up story

so you could
sleep around on Mom!

You're despicable!

You made the wrong choice.

No need to get up on my behalf.

Pretty sure I'm the last person
you bargained on seeing.

Are you serious?

Showing up at our home?

Somebody get her
the hell out of here.

Is this the room
where it all happens?

Where the power players
spin the story

so that you look like
the long-suffering victims?

Tell the neighbors
how this femme fatale wrecked

Ted's happy home?

But all will be well

after a brief residency

at a rehab

and a brief apology tour.

Call the police.

LESLIE:
Oh, I'm not falling
for that trap,

little brownie man.

That's what I used
to call Martin

when he and Daddy
would drop in for desserts

at the café where I worked.

Look at you now,

little Mr. President. [chuckles]

She'll get tired of listening
to herself eventually.

[laughs] No, she won't.

And she's got a lot to share.

See, daddy moneybags here--
he won't call the cops

'cause what would
the neighbors say?

We're not concerned
about the neighbors.

But you should be worried about
what I have to say to you.

Nicole. Baby, please.

I don't know who you are.

♪ ♪

I was right about you all along?

[scoffs] A lot of good
that did my family,

since nobody believed me.

-They're nice.
-That's their downfall.

You never liked me.

And still don't.

What made you so suspicious?

[scoffs] You tried too hard,

did too much.

You disgust me, by the way.

I know.

I wish I'd done more
to stop them from tonight.

I wish you had, too.

You're not the man
that I married,

and I want him back.

Bring me the man
that I met in Hawaii.

The one that swore
to protect my heart,

swept me off my feet
and promised to love

only me forever.

I want his arms around me.

I need him right now,
because I do not know the man

that stands before me.

It's me, Nicole.

I'm the guy that you
made life with decades ago.

Every day of it was a lie.

You know that's not true.

What's real?

I don't know how we got here.

Standing in my home
with a shell of a man

who I thought that I knew.

Because you are somebody
I don't even recognize.

A stranger who has been
lying to me

with every breath

for over 20 years, Theodore.

I know it's not
making any sense.

You could still be lying.

You know everything.

Another daughter? My God.

I wasn't aware.

She weaponized that child
that you created

and came back to shatter
our lives.

You thought your indiscretion
left town

and took all of your problems
with her?

All you did was start
a ticking time b*mb,

and now here we stand

in the middle of the rubble.

You thought you were sparing me
heartache with your lies?

All you did was delay it.

Perhaps I should go.

No, we'll see to it
you leave in one piece.

We're well known
for our hospitality,

and it would be rude
for you to go

before explaining

why you think you have the right
to darken our doorway.

You can start by telling us what
you think you'll get from this.

Money?

Ten seconds of fame for being

a spiraling psycho
at a country club soiree?

[scoffs] You messed
with the wrong damn family,

and you better be smart
and walk out the way you came.

-I remember you.
-I'm hard to forget.

The lunches with my dad.
Just the two of us.

And the nice waitress
who would always take a break

and sit with us,
right next to him.

That's where I belonged.

You are a vile human being with
a gaping hole in your heart!

Is that any way to talk

-to your Auntie Leslie?
-You will never be anything

-but a viper.
-Martin.

Oh, little brownie man.

Choose silence.

Cool water.

Granddad, I'm okay,

Gran, if you'll excuse me,
I'm needed at home.

Of course, baby.

Do you need Titus,
or are you okay to drive?

MARTIN:
I'm fine.

Call when you get home.

We love you, Martin.

I love you, too.

-ANITA: All eyes on you.
-[door closes]

That's what you want, right?

It's nothing new.

I'm used to being
the center of attention.

Especially for Ted.

[laughs]:
That man.

Ooh, that man.

Mm. Where was I?

Without a leg to stand on
in a place you should not be.

What possessed you to drag
yourself into this community,

spewing this poison?

What corner of hell vomited you

-to the surface?
-ANITA: Ladies.

Manners.

I believe this is the step

where you try justifying
your presence here

with something akin
to righteous indignation.

-Maybe she wants forgiveness.
-[Leslie laughs]

That's too much to ask.

But what I was hoping for
is understanding.

I don't know
how I would have reacted

if you had told me
the truth back then.

It would have hurt
every bit as much,

but at least I would have known
the truth all of these years.

I wouldn't have been
sashaying around here,

wishing all of my friends
were as blissful as me,

had a man as loving
and dedicated as mine.

I wouldn't have been so smug
and condescending to my sister

when she was spinning out
over Bill and Hayley.

Nicole, I'm not gonna sit here
and try to excuse my actions.

Smartest choice you've made.

Nicole, we were struggling.

That excuses you?

"In sickness and in health."

My body was betraying me.

Oh, my God, and so were you.

Nicole, please.

I was desperate
to have another baby with you

because we were so good
together.

You said we were in it together.

Come to find out...

you were in another woman's bed.

-I wish I could
take it all back.
-Oh, I have a lot of wishes

in that area, too,
I wish to G... [sighs]

All we can deal with right now

are the facts that we know.

You knew that woman was in town,

knew she was a threat to us,
knew what she could do

and you never said a word.

I will regret that
till the day that I die.

You had us living a lie
for years.

None of it was real.

Except that another woman
loved you

and you got her pregnant

when your wife was doing
everything that I could

to give you more babies,
babies that I lost.

They were your babies, too,
damn it!

I...

I will never forget that.

Did you grieve them
when you were in her bed?

At that diner
where you took our son?

-Nicole....
-Couldn't get enough,

so you had to keep
going back for more?

You chose her.

Over and over.

-Nicole, I swear to you...
-You could have spared me

the humiliation of standing
in front of our friends

and our family
on our anniversary,

having some stranger telling me
that half of my life was a lie.

You took
the most disgusting thing

that you could do to me

and found a way
to make it worse.

You suggested
this anniversary party

for a couple you barely knew,

got them in the perfect place

for that demon mother of yours
to hurl her nonsense.

-Some of it was true.
-[scoffs]

Are you serious right now?

Ninety-eight percent of what
comes out of that woman's mouth

is pure cray-cray.

And there's a 99% degree
of certainty

that Ted Richardson
is my father.

[scoffs]

Proof.

You got a DNA test?

Got the sample from Ted while
I was at your parents' house.

Well, you must have loved
walking around

pretending like
you actually belonged,

plotting our destruction.

I tried to stop my mother.
You were there.

Two more minutes
and I would have gotten

your parents out of there
and away from her.

Are you asking me
to forgive you?

-No.
-Good.

Because what you did
was unforgivable.

But it tracks.

My father did something
reprehensible

with a-a ridiculous woman
and gave birth to this

curbside delivery daughter
with half a brain

that unleashed hell
on what was supposed to be

a beautiful memory
for my family.

Now it's unforgettable
for all the wrong reasons.

And you actually want
a gold star

for trying to derail your
master plan at the last minute?

I tried to stop my mother
because I love your parents.

You can't possibly know
what it means

to love or to have a family,

because I would move heaven
and earth for them right now

to make all of this go away.

I could have never done anything
to harm the people that I love.

We look out for each other.

But your choices prove exactly
what kind of person you are,

and what you are
is a toxic parasite

worthy of nothing
but our disgust and apathy.

You and your mother.

Kat.

There's more.

I apologized for my show
of anger before,

but if any family can understand
what I've faced...

You've made it your life's work

to fight for the underdog.

And you-- you carried the mantle

and kept it moving forward.

We didn't even get
an honorable mention.

But I deserve to be on the wall

with King, Fauntroy and Angelou

because I, too, have suffered.

-Oh, please.
-What Ted Richardson

did to me,
I wouldn't wish on a dog.

Do you have proof
of any of these claims?

Read it and weep.

DNA proof that my beautiful Eva

is a member
of Ted Richardson's family,

which makes her
a part of your heritage.

Page two,
Eva's birth certificate.

Carefully pay attention
to the birth date.

Kat and her half sister
are almost twins.

Those two Richardson
girls were born

within two weeks of each other.

It's like a-a baby-palooza
or something.

Except one daughter

had the world
right there at her feet,

while the other daughter
was kicked in the teeth by life.

What do you want?

For her to have a connection
with her other half.

For her daddy to treat her
like a princess.

Unless you think
that's too much to ask.

Do you think
it's too much to ask?

TED:
Yeah.

I confronted her.

She never told me about a baby.

I never knew anything about Eva.

She wanted money. I paid her.

I thought she would leave.

She played you
just like she played me.

[laughs]
Not exactly.

And please do not
make this about her.

You're the problem.

You fell in love
with another woman.

I never loved her.

-I...
-Uh, don't you dare say

it meant nothing when
it is destroying our lives.

You had another relationship.

You took our son--
my little boy--

to see the woman
that you were screwing.

I was wrong.

Wrong doesn't even begin
to scratch the surface

of all of the feckless,
heartless things

that you could do
to so many people.

Do you have any idea
the damage you have done?

And then the cherry on top--

when things went left
and you lost control,

and you had the audacity
to call Bill Hamilton

to come wave his magic wand
and fix it?

I was desperate, Nicole.

So you trusted
that bottom-feeder

more than you trusted your wife?

Gave him the decency

of the truth
that you refused to give to me?

I knew if I had told you,
I'd lose everything.

Don't you get it, Ted?

You had everything.

But it just wasn't
perfect enough, right?

So you had to go grab
at a piece of something else.

Who knows, maybe
it would have worked with her?

What was your endgame?

The two of you would have
run off together

if I lost another child?

You are my endgame.

You're the only woman I ever
wanted to have a baby with.

She never told me
about the ab*rtion.

And she lied about
everything else after.

So how do we know
that she's not lying now?

I asked myself
the same question about you.

When Leslie said
that little girl was yours,

you called her a liar,

when you knew damn well
it could be true.

This is the man that I married?

Doing everything
that he can to save himself

except tell the truth?

LESLIE:
Little brownie man.

♪ ♪

I'm hard to forget.

Little Mr. President.
[chuckles]

"For my son, Martin.

"Proud to be your father.

Dad."

Martin.

Martin, Look at me.

Okay? Talk to me.

Is this about
what happened tonight?

-That b*tch.
-The woman from the party?

She went
to my grandparents' home.

She screwed my dad
and devastated my mother.

I was just a little boy.

A little kid.

This hurts so much.

You grew up with two parents
who loved you no matter what.

Who put you first,
who gave you the world.

If you're trying to blame me
for the way I was raised...

I grew up thinking

my father hated me enough
to turn his back and walk away.

I just found out
a few minutes ago

-that he never even knew
I existed.
-Hmm.

Well, neither of us had
the dad we thought we did. Yay.

My mother put it in my head

over and over.

Stories about the monster
who stole her dreams

and left us penniless and alone.

How mean he was,
how much he despised us.

So when we came here,
yeah, I didn't care, you know?

Why should I?

This man never
gave a damn about me.

But he didn't know you.

When I met Ted,
I kept thinking to myself,

it had to be an act.

How can this man be so sweet?

[laughs softly, scoffs]

But Ted Richardson
wasn't a deadbeat.

He was funny and lovable

and a great father and husband.

"Was" is the correct tense.

Your appearance ruined
that Man of the Year act.

We had two different fathers.

Completely opposite,
but the same man.

And now they're switched.

You've decided he's a good guy,

and I just watched him
destroy my mother's heart

in front of everyone I know.

A reverse fairy tale,

where Prince Charming
is now an evil ogre.

And my life was a nightmare

where the beast
was a prince in disguise.

Look, I know you're mad
at Ted right now,

but the love you grew up in?

That was real.

God, you're so lucky, Kat.

Don't let what happened tonight

ruin what you and Ted have.

Because it is precious
beyond words.

All I care about is our family.

Were you thinking about us

when you made a child
with that woman?

Did you even use protection?

[laughs]
Oh, me at my annual exams,

assuring my doctor there's
no way I could have anything.

"No need for testing."

Mr. and Mrs. Monogamy.

Were there others? Don't.

Don't answer that, because how
could I even believe you?

Because I'm trying
to save our family.

Save us.

We are all that matters.

The last thing I expect
is to win anyone's sympathy.

Well, that isn't
even remotely possible.

Please don't see me
as some poor, misguided woman

who's crying out to be heard.

I'm a mother, too,
just like you.

And you.

Oh, I beg to differ.

You are nothing
like my mother and me.

You don't think
I love my daughter

just as much as you love yours?

Eva matters to me.

She is my prize. She is my gold.

And my baby is out there
somewhere right now,

needing her mama.

And as soon as I find her,

I'm gonna wrap my loving arms
all around her.

Like a boa constrictor.

Incredible.

What's the matter,
little Dani Oakley?

It's hard to believe?

I saw your Facebook page.

I'm sorry.

Emotions run high.

All I'm saying is that

I don't want you to hold
what I did against my daughter.

Eva is blameless.

Don't freeze her out
just because of the way

that she came into your lives.

She is half Ted's.

Like that'll win her any awards.

Go ahead, make jokes.

But whether you like it or not,
she is a part of this family.

And there are things like this
that I could never give her.

Big birthday parties,

family dinners
with all of her aunties

and her cousins and uncles
showing up just for her.

[scoffs]
Tradition, love,

acceptance from all of you.

You pride yourself
on being good people, right?

Then here is your chance

to show that that is the truth.

On that note,

I bid you a farewell.

Our unexpected,

uninvited guest

thinks she can have
the last word

and just sail out the door?

No, sweetheart.

I have home court advantage.

And since you're bold enough
to sneak into our community,

bold enough
to ring our doorbell,

I think you're bold enough
to answer a question or two.

ANITA:
Moving speech.

Really.
Almost Shakespearean, wasn't it?

-I was impressed.
-And she had, what,

decades to hone and refine it
till it sparkled

like a brand-new penny.

Bravo.

I was speaking from the heart.

Oh, she thinks she has a heart.

And didn't you like
the part where she...

swore that all
she cares about is Eva?

Mm.

"Forgive what I've done
and spare my child."

You put that girl through hell

just to serve
your own twisted agenda.

Now, eh, eh.

I've had enough
of what you had to say.

Be still.

You call yourself a parent,

but you're unlike any mother
I've ever known.

A real mother loves her child.

A real mother protects her child

and raises her up
to be a good person

with morals and standards

and boundaries she doesn't cross

when it comes to the people
who have been nothing

but kind to her, accepted her.

A real mother doesn't
ruin a blessing.

But you...

you filled Eva
with your insecurities

and paranoia,
your hate and venom,

and then wielded that child
like a weapon.

Shame on you!

And what on God's green earth

did you hope to achieve here?

Ted Richardson?
Well, good luck with that.

Or maybe it's about securing

a respectable place
for yourself.

After what you did,
you'd be lucky if anyone

gives you the time of day.

After what I did?

ANITA:
Oh, don't get this confused.

What happened
between you and Ted--

that happened in private.

What went down tonight

was done to us, our family.

And we don't forget.

This community doesn't forget.

So, where do you think
a woman like you

could possibly go from here?

I'll give you a hint.

It's not where you planned.

Where did this come from?

My father.

He has a lot to explain, yeah.

And you have a right
to be angry. But Martin... this?

How could he do this to us?

I don't know.

But whatever you need,
you are not alone.

This is not gonna be easy,
but I love you.

We go through
this world together.

And that is how
we're gonna get through this.

Yes. Together.

I know you didn't just accuse me

of not caring about this family.

I'm sorry.
I didn't mean it that way.

After all of the sacrifices,

all of the blood?

Who are you?

Because the Ted Richardson
that I loved

would never fix his lips

to utter those hateful words.

I am just a few hours removed
from finding out

how little you cared about us.

I thought you would leave me.

Oh, you're the one leaving.

For how long?

Day by day.

I know everything seems false,

but what's real is the love
that I have for you,

for us, for our family.

Does that include
both of your daughters?

So you're conflicted.

You met my father and realized
he's the dad

any abandoned child
would dream of having.

I wasn't abandoned.

I am trying really hard
right now,

but this is as polite as I get,

because I had a glimpse
of the real Eva Thomas.

Whoever you think you know--

Oh, I am happy to tell you.

When I planted that camera

and saw you creeping through
my mom's private files,

you didn't just erase
the proof before she saw it.

No, the look that you gave

when you realized my parents
were on your side

was nothing less than evil.

Almost daring me to try again.

You are so your mother's child.

Don't you dare say that.

See, that?

That moment--
that is exactly who you are.

A sinister creation
of a woman blinded by rage,

programmed to lash out,
to hurt people

before they hurt you.

No. I love Ted and Nicole.

You don't deserve
to speak their names.

You let your mother attack them

in the most disgusting ways.

You crept around their house,

pretending to be this miracle
that fell into their lap.

You could have
stopped this, Eva.

Told us who you really were.

You had plenty of time to
save them from this humiliation.

The opportunity and the means

to keep this
from happening, you--

You know what? We're done here.

You're dead to me.

[sobbing]

Oh, God...

[crying]:
Oh, my God.

Oh, my God.

Me staying here,
being next to you,

being where you are,

is our only hope for survival.

If I smell your cologne

or hear you walk through
that door,

-so help me...
-Please, Nicole--

it will be
the last thing you do.

If there's a way back
to your love,

I swear I'll find it.

Nobody can convince me that
you're not the love of my life.

I will never leave you.

Okay?

I'm gonna go to the hotel.

And I'll be hoping
that you're gonna call.

[sighs]

[sighs]

What can I do?

You're doing it.

But this room is gonna need
a lot of help before...

Oh, my God. The kids.

They're at a play downtown.
We got this.

But when we adopted those
little destroyers of our peace,

we made promises to them.

The same promises we made
to each other.

-Forever.
-And secure.

So we need to clean this up
before they get home.

-Smitty, I...
-I'm mad, too, okay?

This is my family, my world.

But in my world...

...we do everything together.

Okay?

Ralph Ellison,
The Invisible Man.

I see you.

And I love you.

And you and I--

we are stronger than anything

that has ever tried
to tear us down.

She's gone.
Has anyone heard from Nicole?

Maybe she and Ted are trying
to talk things through.

-And if I were him--
-This never would've happened.

And if I was Nicole...

Tonight was supposed to be
filled with happy memories.

A celebration of love.

She's always coming
to everyone's rescue.

We should go to her,
see if she's okay.

I still haven't heard from Kat.

Oh, my sweet baby.

And Martin.

Vernon?

We've raised strong children
during difficult times.

Walked through fire.
Been tested and tried.

And we're still here. Yes?

Yes, we are.

VERNON:
So we walk on,

with an audacious faith
in the future.

It won't be easy,

but good and important things
rarely are.

-But we have each other.
-Amen.

It's a long, dark night,
Duprees.

And we don't know how long
the darkness will last.

But the sun will rise.

Nicole and Kat and Martin

will survive this.

Because that's who we are.

Family.

Forever.

[playing piano]

♪ Amazing grace♪

♪ How sweet the sound♪

♪ That saved a wretch♪

♪ Like me♪

♪ I once was lost♪

♪ But now I'm found♪

♪ Was blind, but now♪

♪ I see♪

♪ 'Twas grace that taught♪

♪ My heart to feel♪

♪ And grace my fears♪

♪ Relieved♪

♪ How precious did♪

♪ That grace appear♪

♪ The hour♪

♪ I first believed♪

♪ Through many dangers♪

♪ Toils and snares♪

♪ I have♪

♪ Already come...♪

♪ 'Tis grace that brought♪

♪ Me safe thus far♪

♪ And grace will lead♪

♪ Me home♪

♪ The Lord♪

♪ Has promised♪

♪ Good to me♪

♪ His word♪

♪ My hope secures♪

♪ He will my shield♪

♪ And portion be♪

♪ As long♪

♪ As life endures♪

♪ Yea, when♪

♪ This flesh and heart♪

♪ Shall fail♪

♪ And mortal life...♪

Mama?

-Mama!
-♪ Shall cease♪

♪ I shall♪

♪ Possess♪

♪ Within♪

♪ That veil♪

♪ A life♪

♪ Of joy and peace♪

♪ The earth♪

♪ Shall soon♪

♪ Dissolve like snow♪

♪ The sun♪

♪ Forbear to shine♪

♪ But God♪

♪ Who called me here♪

♪ Below♪

♪ Will be forever♪

♪ Mine♪

♪ When we've been there♪

♪ 10,000 years♪

♪ Bright shining♪

♪ As the sun♪

♪ We've no less days♪

♪ To sing God's praise♪

♪ Than when♪

♪ We'd first♪

♪ Begun.♪