Send Me No Flowers

Judy learns from the milkman that the Bullards are getting a divorce and shares the news with George. The information unsettles her and raises questions about the stability of their marriage. The news foreshadows the emotional stakes that drive the story.

During a midday lunch, Winston Burr gleefully describes his method of courting divorced women by pretending to console them. George is appalled by the crude opportunism and the moral danger of such behavior. The scene plants seeds of George's later paranoia about romance and fidelity.

George experiences chest pains and visits his longtime doctor, Dr. Morrissey. He overhears the doctor talking about a patient with only a few weeks to live and assumes the prognosis is his own. The misinterpretation deepens his fear of imminent death.

On the train ride home, George tells his friend Arnold Nash that he will die soon and should not tell Judy. Arnold solemnly assures George that he will deliver the eulogy at his funeral. The conversation hardens George's plan to manipulate Judy.

That night, George visits Mr. Akins' funeral home to buy a burial plot for three people, including a prospective new husband for Judy. He writes a $1,000 check made out to 'Cash' to cover the arrangements, intending the money to look innocent while funding Judy's next life. The plan is a key piece of his scheme to influence Judy's future.

During a golf outing, Judy's cart malfunctions and Bert Power, her old college beau and a Texas oil baron, saves her. George, initially jealous, reluctantly agrees with Arnold that Bert would be a good match for Judy. The outing rekindles a potential match that George privately endorses.

In an evening out, George forces Judy to dance and talk with Bert. He then encounters Linda Bullard with Winston and warns Linda about Winston's intentions. Linda kisses George in gratitude, which Judy misreads as George orchestrating her interaction with Bert.

George tells Judy that he is dying, hoping to shock her into accepting his truth. She remains skeptical due to his hypochondria, so he suggests calling Dr. Morrissey for confirmation. The doctor then certifies that George is fine, and Judy is convinced of the lie, setting the stage for a cruel rift.

George spends the night at Arnold's house, where his quirks threaten to derail any eulogies. The next day, Arnold insists that George should pretend to confess to Judy that he has had an affair, then beg for forgiveness. The plan pushes George toward a dramatic confrontation.

Following Arnold's plan, George accompanies Judy to the train station as she heads toward Reno and fabricates an affair with a woman named Dolores Yellowstone. He even shows Judy the stub from the $1,000 check for 'Cash' to support the fiction. The ruse drives a deeper wedge between them.

Mr. Akins drops by with the burial contracts and reveals that George has bought a third plot for Judy's future husband. He also shows Judy the 'Cash' check and explains the Dolores Yellowstone tale. Judy realizes that George has lied to manipulate her feelings.

George returns home and Judy attempts to forgive him, but Winston arrives hoping to win Judy's affection. George knocks Winston out and then presents Judy with the flowers Winston was carrying, sealing a fragile moment of reconciliation amid lingering tension.