Episode 2 of Black Cake curtain lifts, unveiling a contemporary backdrop. Mitch, Benny, and Byron sit in a tense silence, each immersed in their own troubled thoughts. Byron struggles to digest the recent revelations, while Benny radiates an odd sense of joy. Paradoxically, her joy stems from the realization that her mother, Eleanor, was not the flawless icon she once idolized, but a flawed human, perhaps as flawed as Benny herself. This revelation brings a spark of liberation to Benny's step.
However, her brother, Byron, does not echo her newfound optimism. He withdraws into a solitary world, leaving Mitch and Benny alone in the house. As the silence between them stretches, Benny indulges in reminiscing about her hobbies and the time she spent apart from the family. She opens up about her dream of making her family proud by opening a café and pursuing her musical passions, only to find those aspirations left unfulfilled. Mitch then reveals that Eleanor had eagerly awaited the chance to hear Benny's music online, encouraging her to pick up her instrument once again. As Mitch leaves, he assures Benny to call whenever Byron is ready.
Alone in the house, Benny wanders aimlessly, browsing through Eleanor's belongings. She repeatedly listens to Eleanor's final audio message, a pleading call for her to return home. As she realizes the missed opportunity for a reunion with her mother, tears begin to stream down her cheeks.
Meanwhile, Byron grapples with career disappointment. He had been a contender for the directorship of his institute, but the position was snatched away by his colleague, Marc. Upon returning home, Byron chooses to keep his disappointment to himself, refusing to burden Benny with his woes.
Mitch's return heralds another session of tape listening. The narrative shifts to the early days of Covey's life in London, where she embarked on her journey as a nanny. She was determined to shroud her true identity, giving this episode its apt title, "Coventina." This moniker encapsulates the fact that Covey had to adopt a new identity by concealing parts of herself. Even though her job as a nanny was less demanding than Eleanor's nursing training, Covey still struggled to adapt to her new life. The veil of anonymity and invisibility had stripped her of all joy, leaving her a mere shell of her former self. Even her attempt to whip up a fish soup for the children she cared for ended in heartbreak as they turned away from the dish with disgust.
That fateful night, Covey lay in her bed, tears streaming uncontrollably down her cheeks. Eleanor, who typically only visited after Covey had fallen asleep, found her wide-eyed and awake. Their shared misery drew them closer, and Eleanor confessed her dream of studying geology and making it her career. Covey, in turn, spoke of her aspirations to compete in swimming, while Eleanor offered solace to the homesick Covey. It was then that Eleanor revealed her orphanage origins, resonating deeply with Covey's feeling of loneliness in a new place.
At a social event, Covey narrowly escaped a moment of truth when her lie about being from the mountains was almost exposed. Realizing she couldn't rely on luck forever, she was determined to find an escape. Eleanor mentioned a geology school in Scotland, and Covey proposed a daring plan: moving there together. With enough savings, the decision was made, and soon the pair left the boarding house.
During the journey, Covey finally confessed the truth about her past to Eleanor, who accepted it with an open heart, unchanged in her opinion of her friend. But fate intervened brutally as the train encountered a devastating accident. Eleanor perished, while Covey was critically injured and taken to a hospital.
Amidst the confusion, the authorities and nurses misidentified Covey as Eleanor, and news spread that "Eleanor" had perished in the crash. For Covey, it was a stroke of luck. She seized the opportunity to embrace her anonymity and assumed the identity of Eleanor. News of her "death" reached her hometown, and Bunny, devastated by the loss of her best friend, struggled to cope. Her father, Leonard, tried to console her and even suggested a reunion with her childhood friend, Pat, hoping to give her a new sense of purpose.
Meanwhile, the Henry brothers took over the shop, ousting Lin and forcing him to recall the turbulent past of his family. Persecuted by the locals, Lin had once found solace in cockfighting, but his luck eventually ran out. His overconfidence led to the ruin of his family, and he lost the support of his parents when he married Matilda against their wishes. As his gambling debts mounted, he also lost Matilda's support.
In a flashback, Lin claimed to have seen Gibbs at the after-party following Clarence's death, fueling speculation that he may have saved Covey's life by poisoning the thug. However, this remains a mystery as the episode concludes with Lin attempting suicide, his life seemingly devoid of hope.
