Ebbie

Ebbie Scrooge runs Christmas Eve at her department store with harsh efficiency. She dismisses a perfume-promotion duo and gives Rita a meager bonus, while firing Luther for a minor lapse. Her callous attitude toward staff sets the tone for a night she believes she can endure without consequence.

That night, Jake Marley's ghost appears in Ebbie's apartment, bound by his own afterlife punishment. He warns that she will be visited by three appointments meant to change her ways. He explains the purpose is redemption, even as she dismisses the encounter as a dream.

The Ghosts of Christmas Past arrive as two former Dobson's employees and escort Ebbie through earlier Christmases. They reveal Francine's death and a near-miss in a sister's pregnancy, along with how Ebbie's pursuit of work strained relationships with Paul. The visions show the takeover of the company and Marley’s death, underscoring the cost of her greed.

The sequence deepens with more past memories: Paul ends things over Ebbie's career prioritization, and Marley and Ebbie take over Dobson's. The final glimpse is Marley's death, leaving Ebbie to confront the consequences of her choices. The visions end with Ebbie alone in the deserted store, puzzled and unsettled.

The Ghost of Christmas Present appears as Rita, wearing wrapping paper, and shows Roberta Cratchett and her family, including Tim. Ebbie also glimpses the annual party she refuses to attend and sees Paul with his new family. The visions remind her of the people still affected by her choices and the warmth she has neglected.

Back in the deserted Dobson's, the Ghost reveals Ignorance and Poverty embodied by feral children, challenging Ebbie with the harsh realities she ignores. Her harsh words are uncomfortably tossed back at her as the vision fades. The moment marks a moral test of her willingness to change.

The silent Ghost of Christmas Future appears, taking the form of Luther, and shows a bleak outcome. Tim dies, Dobson's shuts down, and Ebbie is struck by a car but is never visited in the hospital because of her rudeness. She dies flat broke, unremembered and unloved, a future she must avoid.

Convicted by the visions, Ebbie pleads to return to the present to change the grim fate. The trip ends, and she wakes up alive in her own apartment with a renewed sense of possibility. The dream-like tour convinces her that she can still choose differently.

Following the night, Ebbie starts the morning with unexpected warmth, greeting the doorman and embracing small acts of kindness. She takes steps toward generosity and reconnects with people she had neglected. The change marks a shift in her daily demeanor.

Ebbie donates money to impoverished children and orders a large turkey for the Cratchetts. She buys a coat for a homeless woman and offers a job, directly addressing the needs she once ignored. These gestures demonstrate tangible change in her heart.

She awards Rita a well-deserved raise, allowing her to cut back her second job, and promotes Roberta. Ebbie also rehired Luther, acknowledging his loyalty. The store responds to her new leadership with a brighter, more generous atmosphere.

Ebbie attends her niece's annual party and joins the Cratchetts for dinner, embracing the holiday spirit she once spurned. The day closes with a sense of belonging and renewed affection for those around her. The transformation completes as she builds a kinder, more inclusive lifestyle.