Episode 8 of One Day kicks off with a bombshell revelation: Emma, the protagonist, engaging in a steamy encounter with Phil, her school's esteemed headmaster. This unexpected turn of events comes as a stark contrast to the previous episode, where Emma was romantically involved with Ian, a comedian. It's evident that Emma and Ian have parted ways, likely no longer sharing the same roof.
Furthermore, we discover that Phil is a married man, yet he's eager to offer Emma a permanent position at the school once it reopens after a six-week holiday break. This begs the question: Could Emma's intimate relationship with Phil be a strategic move to secure her permanent employment? To maintain their secretive communication during the break, Phil gifts Emma a cellphone.
Upon returning home, Emma is startled to find Ian has forcibly entered her house using his spare keys. It becomes clear that despite their breakup, Ian hasn't moved on. Worse still, he's rummaged through Emma's personal belongings and vandalized most of them. Desperate to reconcile, Ian pesters Emma with questions about her new romantic interests.
In a moment of candor, Emma confesses to Ian that she's been carrying on an affair with Phil for the past six months, hoping to turn her temporary job into a permanent one. However, Ian remains skeptical and accuses Emma of leaving him for Dexter. The situation quickly escalates, and Emma sternly warns Ian that she'll report him to the police if he dares to trespass on her property again.
Since their breakup, Ian has been a complete mess. His once-promising comedy career has taken a backseat, and he's at a loss as to what to do with his life. Emma was the only stable and significant presence in his world, and now that's gone too. Desperately, Ian approaches Emma and asks if she still loves Dexter, to which she replies that it's all water under the bridge now.
After an hour-long, heartfelt conversation and a few comforting cups of coffee, Ian offers a sincere apology for his past behavior and departs, leaving the door open for Emma to return whenever she's ready. As the night falls, Emma reaches out to Tilly on her brand-new mobile phone, sharing plans for a potential six-week vacation to visit her in the future.
As the episode draws to a close, Emma dusts off her computer screen, hinting that she's made a decision to pick up her writing again. It's something she'd abandoned after the hurtful words Dex had spoken to her that fateful night, but now it seems she's ready to take on the challenge once more.
