For Better or Worse (1995) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Reggie leaves Valerie with Michael under the pretense of needing to handle some business, but his real intention is to keep her occupied while he carries out his plan to rob the credit union where his mother works. He pays Michael to look after her and gets her drunk before leaving her unconscious at Michael's apartment so she won't interfere with his criminal scheme.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes establish Reggie as a schemer, hinting at his willingness to use people close to him for his own gain.

• reggie makeshift
• valerie carboni
• michael makeshift
• why left alone
• credit union robbery

The security codes are the access codes needed to rob the credit union where Reggie's mother works. Reggie hid them in Valerie's suitcase without her knowledge, planning to retrieve them when he needed them for the heist. The henchmen force Reggie to admit this when his robbery plan starts falling apart.

Foreshadowing: The timeline hints that Valerie is unknowingly important to the robbery when the henchmen pressure Reggie about her.

• security codes
• suitcase
• credit union
• heist
• reggie plan

Michael helps Valerie escape because he has genuinely fallen in love with her during their time together. After she wakes up confused at his apartment, he treats her with kindness and respect, and unlike Reggie, he genuinely protects her rather than using her for criminal purposes. He can't stand by and let her be dragged into the robbery.

Foreshadowing: Michael's attendance at support groups and his loneliness establish his emotional need for genuine connection, which Valerie fulfills.

• michael helps valerie
• escape
• falling in love
• why help

The henchmen track them down to Michael's father's closed hardware store, likely through following Reggie or piecing together his connections. Since Michael is Reggie's brother, the criminals have a network to follow. They discover the hideout and force Valerie and Reggie to proceed with the planned robbery despite the complications.

Foreshadowing: The tension builds as Reggie's criminal associates become more desperate and assertive about completing the heist.

• hardware store
• henchmen
• found
• location
• reggie criminals

Valerie chooses Michael because she realizes Reggie has been using her as an unknowing pawn in his criminal operation. She never knew about the security codes hidden in her suitcase. Meanwhile, Michael showed her genuine care and protection throughout the ordeal, and she develops real feelings for him. When the truth emerges, she makes it clear she never intended to stay with Reggie and instead wants to be with Michael.

Foreshadowing: Their growing closeness during the escape scenes builds toward this romantic resolution.

• valerie chooses michael
• love triangle
• reggie dumped
• choice

Reggie is arrested along with his henchmen when the robbery goes wrong. However, he is later released, likely because he was coerced into participating by his own criminals or cooperated with authorities. The film doesn't focus on his punishment, instead emphasizing the positive outcome for Michael and Valerie.

Foreshadowing: The heist unravels as the criminals' poorly planned operation falls apart.

• reggie arrested
• reggie outcome
• crime consequences

Michael attends various support groups because he is lonely and struggling to get over his breakup with his fiancée. He hopes these groups will help him meet people and find genuine human connection to fill the emotional void in his life. This backstory explains his willingness to help his brother and his capacity for genuine compassion toward Valerie.

Foreshadowing: Michael's emotional vulnerability makes his eventual bond with Valerie feel earned and believable.

• support groups
• michael lonely
• breakup
• fiancée

Reggie devised a plan to rob the credit union where his mother works, using her position to gain inside access. He hidden the security codes in Valerie's suitcase without her knowledge and intended to use them during the heist. When his henchmen mutiny and discover Valerie doesn't know about the codes, the plan collapses and forces more desperate measures.

Foreshadowing: The timeline reveals Reggie's criminal ambitions early, creating tension around how the scheme will unravel.

• credit union robbery
• heist plan
• security codes
• reggie criminal

Valerie wakes up at Michael's apartment because Reggie got her drunk before leaving her there. He deliberately made her unconscious so she wouldn't ask questions or interfere with his plans to start the robbery. She wakes up disoriented and confused about why she's in a stranger's apartment.

Foreshadowing: Reggie's deceptive behavior toward his new wife hints at his manipulative nature from the start.

• valerie wakes up
• drunk
• reggie left her
• confused

After the henchmen are arrested and the immediate danger passes, Michael and Valerie confess their love for each other and share a kiss. This marks the beginning of their new relationship, with the film implying they will start a fresh, hopeful life together away from Reggie and the criminal elements.

Foreshadowing: Their partnership during the escape and the growing attraction throughout the film builds naturally toward this romantic conclusion.

• michael valerie kiss
• ending
• love
• new chapter
• happily ever after