The episode begins in a gloomy, rain-drenched Georgia's National Forest where a woman's life is ebbing away as she lies atop a car. The scene cuts to Anna, a determined journalist, rushing home with a sense of urgency. Her place is cluttered, and her swollen face from an infected tooth reveals her distress. Anna's belief that there are always two sides to a story, with someone invariably lying, drives her actions.

Next, we meet Jack, a dedicated cop and devoted father to his child, Meg. They reside with his sister, Zoe. Jack and his partner, Priya, head to the woods as the discovery of the dead body is reported. He mentors Priya, emphasizing the importance of facts over hunches and encouraging her to focus solely on the truth. Upon finding the deceased woman, he declares that she was unfaithful due to her wedding ring and had been repeatedly stabbed. Jack's controlling nature is evident as he insists on being the one to inform her husband and kicks out anyone not needed at the crime scene. He also wants to be the first to examine her phone when it's found.
Back in Atlanta, Anna struggles with her tooth issue and is on medication. She returns to work after a year's absence and is dismayed to find that her TV anchoring role has been given to Lexy Jones, a pretty blonde white woman. Her boss, Jim, is sympathetic but insists that the change was unrelated to Anna's race. It seems that she disappeared for a year after losing her child.
Anna declares that she can reinvent herself and suggests covering the murder of a white woman in Dahlonega, a small Southern town. Jim is hesitant but agrees to one story. And to spite Lexy, Anna takes her husband, Richard Jones, as the cameraman. The episode sets the stage for a complex investigation and personal drama as Anna and Jack delve into the case and confront their own demons.
Anna arrives at the crime scene but remains at a distance, watching as the other reporters bombard Jack and Priya with questions. When Jack abruptly halts the chaos, Anna asks if he knew the victim. His surprise at seeing her causes him to abruptly flee, leaving Priya confused.
Richard and Anna return to their hotel, and he is curious about her question. She is evasive and instead engages in playful banter with him. She deduces that he is insecure in his celebrity marriage with Lexy. They flirt and laugh, all the while Jack watches from outside. Once they disappear, Jack sweet-talks the hotel manager, who knows him well, and obtains Anna's room number. He wants to speak with Anna and is upset to hear that she is having sex with Richard. He knocks on the door repeatedly before finally leaving.
Anna spots him anyway and grumbles about him stalking her. Richard wonders what's going on, and she reveals that Jack is her husband. As she drives off, Jack asks Priya to run a background check on Richard and goes after Anna. She's on a call with Jim, and she lies about her progress. She arrives at her family home and has a tearful reunion with her mother, Alice. Jack shows up, and Anna is annoyed with him. However, Jack has been taking care of Alice, who has memory problems. Anna is shocked and upset that her mother refuses to see a doctor.
In this story, the characters' emotions and interactions are brought to life through vivid descriptions and a clear progression of events. The dialogue and actions of the characters add depth to the narrative, making it more engaging and relatable for the reader.
Back to the elephant in the room, Jack requests Anna to drop the case. She latches onto his fear and gets him to reveal that the murdered woman is her friend, Rachel Hopkins. He begs her to keep it a secret, and she promises. We also learn that Jack lost his Atlanta job last year while trying to find Anna and he hates that he’s stuck in Dahlonega. She mocks him, and he retaliates by bringing up Richard, which has her storming off.
Jack leaves and checks in at the morgue. The autopsy shows that Rachel was stabbed 40 times with a small knife. Her red-painted nails have been destroyed. There are no defensive wounds, which means she knew the killer. A man also had sex with her. Dr. Turner believes the man is the killer.
As for Anna, she goes through her old belongings and finds a handicam. The tape inside shows her Sweet 16 birthday party. It features her, Rachel, Zoe, Helen, and Catherine. Rachel is painting Catherine’s nails red. Later, they go to some old ruins in the woods. Anna also finds a handmade friendship bracelet. At that moment, Dr. Turner finds a similar bracelet in Rachel’s mouth.
Jack and Priya go to the Hopkins’ to inform them. They find it odd that Mr. Hopkins hasn’t reported his wife missing. We see that he’s rich and lives in a huge house. No one answers the door, but someone watches the two detectives from the window.
Jack goes home and is upset to see that he missed his kid’s soccer practice. On top of that, the news shows Anna reporting that Rachel Hopkins has been murdered. Jack is furious while Anna looks smug.
There's a flashback to the beginning of the episode. Jack is having sex with Rachel in his car. Her car is just ahead of his. And Anna is watching them from afar.