Episode 4 of Imperfect Women begins with a fleeting glimpse into the teenage years of Nancy. Growing up, she had an abusive family and didn't get along well with her mother. She always had a dream of flying away and escaping to a new world. Thankfully, Nancy managed to marry her way to success and fame. For 18 years, she had refined her New Year parties into something that resembled perfection... but it wasn't enough for her.
To understand the final fight she and Robert had on New Year's, we need to delve into the full context of their relationship, which means jumping back 17 years ago. Back then, the pair were deeply in love and consumed by lust. It was their first party as a married couple, and Robert was confident that everything would be just perfect.
Nancy felt protected by him then, but as the years went by, that initial love eroded into something closer to loving indifference. It's here where Nancy strikes up a conversation with a bartender setting up for her New Year's party. And his name? David.
Mary soon shows up with the kids, allowing Nancy to vent about Robert. In return, Mary is exasperated at Howard's high standards regarding their children. For Nancy, though, she always looked at Mary as the mother she never had. Of course, there's a bit of envy there too, given that she struggles to handle Cora.
Nancy is so wrapped up in her own life and worries about the party and how others perceive her that she's forgotten to care for her own daughter. Nancy has imposter syndrome, believing she's just playing dress-up and is still that same "white trash" child.
Robert shields Nancy from his current financial issues and woes regarding their spending habits. Because of this stress, Nancy decides to try and help relieve it sexually, but Robert struggles to "rise to the occasion."
As the party commences, Nancy extends a warm welcome to Ellie, who has just arrived fresh from her flight, where she also encounters David. Despite the seemingly joyous atmosphere, brimming with socializing and negotiations, Nancy senses impending turmoil. From a distance, she observes Robert engaged in a pointed conversation with his parents, signaling something serious is afoot. Robert keeps a cautious distance from Nancy when she attempts to inquire, so she turns to Harlan, the family's liaison, seeking insight into the New York meeting. However, her efforts yield no results. The house is abuzz with curious glances, and Kit, Robert's mother, soon approaches Nancy privately, inquiring about her probing into Harlan and the family's affairs. Kit warns her to stay out of it and implies that Nancy's life is built on transactions, suggesting that Robert is "only now beginning to awaken to it."
Determined to uncover what Robert is concealing from her, Nancy stumbles upon divorce proceedings on his laptop. Suspicions arise, and as she descends the stairs, she notices Cora dressing up in "white trash" attire with her friends. Enraged, Nancy and Cora engage in an argument that culminates with Nancy slapping her daughter across the face. The incident prompts Ellie and Mary to follow and reassure her as Nancy succumbs to a panic attack.
It transpires that her mother nearly caused a fatal car crash in the past due to her sleazy boyfriend Scott's reckless behavior. Realizing that Cora refuses to speak to her after the incident, Robert demands that Nancy give them space. She rushes outside to catch her breath and declines David's advances as a bartender. However, there's a curious moment later with Howard where their conversation intensifies. As they speak, Nancy mistakenly calls him David, fueling the suspicion of whether this is the man she's having an affair with.
