On July 18, 1999, Episode 3 of Season 2 of "Cruel Summer" unfolds with Megan attempting to persuade Isabella to cancel their planned trip with their friend. Isabella, however, asserts her independence and continues with her preparations to embark on the adventure with Luke and their male friends. The duo eventually joins the guys at a lush forest campsite.
Megan finds herself stuck with the mundane task of managing luggage while Isabella and Luke share tender moments, making Megan feel like an unwanted observer. As the group settles into Luke's family cabin nestled in the woods, Brent unexpectedly arrives to deliver firewood, warning them that their father is concerned about potential encounters with their eccentric neighbor, Ned, who has a history with firearms. Luke attempts to usher Brent away, but the latter stubbornly insists on staying and even brings along his girlfriend, Parker.
The boys engage in target practice with firearms, with Luke offering to assist Megan in learning how to shoot. She cracks a joke, suggesting that as a foreigner with diplomatic immunity, she could theoretically shoot everyone and escape unscathed. Isabella briefly joins them, prompting Megan to seize the opportunity to take Luke's gun and demonstrate her surprising accuracy in hitting bottles, outperforming Isabella. Amidst their shooting spree, Megan inquisitively asks Luke about his relationship status with Isabella, but their conversation is abruptly interrupted.
Inside the cabin, Brent and Megan share a private conversation, where he facetiously offers to eliminate Isabella if it would make Megan happy. Later, the entire group gathers around a crackling campfire, and Isabella suggests a game of "Two Truths and a Lie," eager to uncover some secrets about her companions. Slowly but surely, a bond begins to form between Isabella and Megan.
As the evening progresses and rain begins to pour, the group hastily seeks shelter inside the cabin. Megan and Isabella, seeking some solitude, venture out into the rain. The girls eventually decide to abandon the cabin and head back home, continuing their heartfelt chat in the car during the drive.
Upon returning to the house, Megan is startled to discover her father kissing Debbie. She dashes to Isabella's van, with Isabella quickly following suit. Megan unburdens her heart to Isabella, revealing that her parents divorced years ago because her father, a musician, abruptly vanished after Debbie became pregnant with her younger sister. Megan harbors resentment towards her mother, but Isabella urges her to calm down and address her issues with Debbie directly. Comforted by Isabella's words of wisdom, Megan inquisitively asks about Isabella's father, who she describes as a distant, older man who provided her with financial support but little affection. Isabella reveals that she hasn't seen her parents in five years and considers herself fortunate to have at least maintained some communication with Debbie, unlike her own strained relationship with her own family.
On December 18, 1999, Megan was struck with astonishment as she learned that Isabella had revealed to her mother that the individual featured in the sex tape was, in fact, Megan. Megan accused Isabella of breaking her promise and potentially derailing her future. Isabella countered, insisting that she didn't want Debbie to believe she was betraying Megan. Isabella further accused Megan of being unkind and suggested that Megan would never extend such generosity if their roles were reversed.
As the girls stood by the beach, Megan declared to Isabella that she would have done the same for her. Understanding finally dawned on Megan, and she apologized for misjudging her friend.
Sheriff Meyer attempted to lift Luke's spirits following the incident at the party. Some time later, a mysterious box arrived at the sheriff's station, addressed to Meyer. Meanwhile, Luke visited the cafe where Megan was working and informed her that he had disposed of the sex tape. Separately, Steve escorted Brent to the police station to surrender all six tapes he had recorded.
Steve hinted that Sheriff Meyer might sweep the matter under the rug due to his significant financial contributions to the police department. He begged Meyer to destroy the tapes and spare Brent. In the car, Steve choked Brent for filming numerous underage girls, stressing that he had almost allowed Brent to face the consequences.
Steve revealed Brent's misdeeds to Luke but insisted that Brent would never disgrace the family as he had. Luke expressed his desire for Brent to be punished, but Steve argued that such matters should be handled privately. Jeff caused a commotion at the cafe where Megan worked, insisting that dating Luke was a mistake and accusing her of being the one on the tape.
Megan tried to deny it, but Jeff was convinced it was her. That night, Brent ridiculed Luke for going to Sheriff Meyer and betraying him. He falsely claimed that Steve was indifferent to his actions.
Later that evening, Megan and Isabella confronted Jeff. Megan threatened to expose Jeff's secret if he disclosed that she, not Isabella, was on the tape.
On July 18, 2000, Sheriff Meyer visited the Landry residence and informed Debbie that the gun used to shoot Luke contained Megan, Isabella, and Luke's fingerprints. While working on her laptop at the bar, Megan saw news reports claiming that Luke had narcotics in his system when he was murdered.
In the cozy confines of the cafe, Jenna, a woman familiar with the intricacies of journalism, approached Megan with an intent to unveil her version of the tale to the media. Her background as a reporter made her well-acquainted with the case's nuances. However, Megan's reaction was anything but receptionary; she splashed her coffee across Jenna's meal and stormed out of the establishment.
Elsewhere, Isabella's kin had enlisted the expertise of Rebecca, a seasoned family lawyer, to navigate the tangled web Isabella had found herself ensnared in. Isabella revealed that both she and Megan had handled the gun during a summer of 1999 target practice session, accounting for their fingerprints on the weapon. She further confessed to taking the blame for Megan and falsely claiming it was her on the incriminating sex tape. Rebecca argued that even if the tape featured Megan, the townsfolk would more likely scapegoat an outsider. She also cautioned that the authorities might accuse both Megan and Isabella of Luke's murder, though Isabella insisted she hadn't spoken to Megan in months. Rebecca strictly advised Isabella to avoid any contact with Megan or her mother, emphasizing that Isabella's diplomatic immunity couldn't shield her from past misdemeanors' repercussions.
Steve, grappling with the aftermath of Luke's demise, visited the Landry residence seeking solace with Debbie. He shared his emotional turmoil and vowed to uncover Luke's killer. Convinced of the girls' innocence, he pondered over who had tidied up the cabin. Megan, eavesdropping from an upstairs room, heard every word.
Later, Isabella confronted Debbie and Megan, urging Debbie to secure legal representation for Megan. Megan accused Isabella of criminal sophistry, prompting the lawyer Debbie had retained for Megan, Tom, to interrogate her. Megan suggested Isabella had stronger motives to kill Luke, branding her a jilted lover and the last seen with him. As Tom stepped away to attend a call, Debbie confessed to Megan that she borrowed money from Luke to hire a lawyer to save her, earning Megan's wrath.
Determined, Megan vowed to reimburse Steve for his lawyer's fees. When Megan, Debbie, and Tom arrived at the courthouse for their preliminary hearing, Megan spotted Isabella. Sheriff Meyer conducted separate interrogations of Megan and Isabella, with their lawyers diligently shielding them from probing personal questions about their relationships with Luke.
When asked about her last encounter with Luke, Megan stated they left the Y2K party together shortly after midnight and she dropped him off at his place. However, Meyer pointed out that CCTV footage from Luke's driveway lacked any record of Megan's car throughout the night. Tom swiftly halted the interrogation. Meanwhile, Meyer accused Isabella of deception, noting her bag, found in the cabin with a stack of cash, contradicted her claim of not seeing Luke.
