’Til Death Do Us Part

During their first wedding anniversary, Madison tells Michael she wants to start a family. He reacts with irritation, signaling the strain beneath their glossy facade. The couple's bond begins to unravel as conflicting desires surface at home.

Michael visits his mother's grave and speaks to her headstone, revealing hidden burdens from his past. It is disclosed that his mother and father died in the same year in a murder-suicide, a secret that shadows his behavior. The graveyard scene adds a chilling context to his later controlling actions.

Michael expresses pleasure when Madison quits her job to become a full-time wife. He treats it as validation of his control, while Madison undertakes a quieter, constrained life. The shift marks a change in their dynamic and heightens his dominance.

Madison discovers a vial of testosterone Michael has been taking to avoid pregnancy. They argue, and he slaps her, knocking her to the ground as the tension between them escalates. The incident marks a clear act of violence early in their marriage.

At an office party, Michael grows irrationally jealous and accuses Madison of flirting with a colleague. In a violent outburst, he forces himself on her, revealing the brutal reach of his control. The assault becomes a turning point in Madison's awareness of the danger she faces.

Madison excitedly shows Chelsea a positive pregnancy test, hoping for a future with her baby. The moment heightens the stakes and foreshadows the challenges ahead if she stays with Michael. Chelsea’s reaction hints at her role in helping Madison escape.

Four months pass, and Madison quietly begins working with Chelsea while confiding that Michael has questioned the baby's paternity and continued to abuse her. They discuss safety options and secretly plot a path to independence. This partnership offers Madison a glimmer of agency.

During a dinner drive, Michael complains that Madison won't talk and pulls over. He forces her back into the car, insisting he won't live without her. The scene intensifies the sense of danger surrounding her situation.

Chelsea helps Madison plan an escape as the abuse escalates. Now six months pregnant, Madison packs a bag and attacks Michael with a vase to break free, then flees and wrecks the vehicle. A fake doctor later informs Michael that Madison died during surgery and the baby was lost.

A flashback reveals Chelsea helped stage Madison's apparent death, paying a doctor to play along with the ruse. Madison adopts the alias Kate Smith and relocates to start a new life, with Chelsea named as the beneficiary on a life insurance policy. The deception provides the means for Madison to escape Michael's reach.

Madison, under her alias, takes a waitressing job and meets Alex Stone, a widower with a young daughter. They grow closer as he helps her prepare for the birth of her son. Alex's instincts begin to suspect that something is not quite right about her past.

Michael learns Madison is alive when a paycheck notice at her new job goes missing and there is no record of her death. He suspects Chelsea's involvement and begins to chase the leads, tightening the hunt. The pursuit sets the stage for a dangerous confrontation.

Madison gives birth to her son, whom she names Peace, symbolizing a fragile new hope for safety and a fresh start. The hospital birth marks a milestone in her reinvention and marks the end of the most brutal period of abuse. She starts to plan a safer life for herself and her child.

Chelsea leaves the hospital, and Michael forces her to drive to Madison's house at gunpoint. Alex arrives to help, and a violent confrontation unfolds. In self-defense, Madison stabs Michael and, after acquiring a handgun, kills him to protect herself and Peace.