Samantha frames Pirriwee as a community where tradies, alternative types, and wealthy executives all share one primary school. The mixture of class, money, and lifestyle creates awkward social collisions at school events, which she suggests helps explain the later chaos.

After the athletics carnival, Celeste White returns to her large home while the cleaners work upstairs. Their laughter makes Celeste feel oddly jealous and excluded, and her tea stings her sore lip, pulling her back into thoughts of Perry’s violence and her own upbringing, where hitting back was normalized.

Celeste dwells on her wealth, her guilt, and her dependence on Perry’s money. She sponsors more children through World Vision, then rapidly donates tens of thousands of dollars to charities, but the giving brings no relief. Instead, Celeste sees the donations as another expression of shame, self-punishment, and possibly a provocation within the abusive pattern of her marriage.

Celeste reflects on how money, beauty, marriage, and motherhood have changed her sense of self. She remembers feeling resented for her looks when she was younger and recognizes that she now uses Perry’s money cautiously, as if it is not truly hers, despite their shared life.

A deliveryman brings a large bouquet from Perry with an apology note. The flowers make Celeste think of the practical burden of arranging them and the emptiness of Perry’s repeated apologies. Remembering the confident, independent woman she was before meeting Perry, Celeste first considers searching for a marriage counselor, then rejects that as inadequate and instead searches for domestic violence.