The Ex

Tom is a cook in Manhattan who struggles to hold a steady job. His wife Sofia is an attorney, and they decide that with their first child she will stay home while he works toward a promotion.

Tom defends his friend Paco in a workplace incident and is fired as a result. The firing upends their financial stability and the plan for Sofia to stay home.

Tom takes a job in Ohio at the ad agency where Sofia's father is the assistant director. He is assigned to report to Chip, Sofia's ex-boyfriend from high school, who is strict and hard-working despite being paraplegic.

Chip is obsessed with Sofia and uses his position to undermine Tom's work life, hoping to drive a wedge between Tom and his wife. His manipulations set the stage for a tense, competitive dynamic.

Tom grows suspicious that Chip isn't really handicapped and searches his desk. He finds a photo of Chip playing tennis, then rushes to his in-laws' house to show Sofia the evidence.

Tom drags Chip up a flight of stairs and tries to force him to stand, but Chip remains seated, humiliating Tom in front of Sofia's family. The ruse is exposed to everyone.

Chip explains that he can walk but cannot fight outside his chair, and then brutally beats Tom while taunting him about Sofia. He reveals that he intends to have Sofia again.

Chip receives a call from a Barcelona ad agency boss offering him a move to Spain as creative director, and he asks Sofia to come with him. Sofia refuses the idea, staying with Tom.

Chip angrily tells Sofia that he will only need one ticket and hints Paco is the other end of the call, revealing the boss is connected to Paco. He also claims he 'faked his orgasm' before storming out.

Continuing to mock the couple, Chip is hit by a bus, a turning point that halts his machinations. The incident marks a shift in the power balance between Chip and Tom.

Tom and Sofia move away from Ohio; Tom becomes a stay-at-home dad while Sofia returns to full-time law practice. Their father (Sofia's father) helps them start their own ad business.

During the credits, Chip is shown in Barcelona in a wheelchair with two broken legs, still trying to work, but he's tossed out of the Barcelona ad company. A friend of Tom even sees him on TV during the running of the bulls.