Fireworks crack and thunder through the night sky, their brilliant bursts masking the chaos unfolding below. Somewhere in the shadows, Todd is running—fleeing from a confrontation he never wanted, from truths too devastating to face. A voice cuts through the explosions, desperate and calling after him: “Todd, come back! I only want to talk to you.”

But Todd keeps running.

The air is thick with smoke and tension. Words hang there, sharp as broken glass. Someone speaks of mercy—mercy shown to something innocent. “It was never a human being to you. It was just evidence. I took mercy on it.” A bitter accusation, leveled with venom. And then, the cruelest cut: “No child should ever have to have a grandmother like you.”

Maggie protests. “Just think about what you’re doing. You can’t do this.”

“Oh, but I can,” comes the chilling reply, “because I’ve done it before.”

A shout rips through the night. “Stop! No… Leave her alone.”

But it’s too late. The damage is done.

The fireworks continue their relentless assault on the sky as someone wanders through the crowd, searching. “Excuse me, love, have you seen a lad running? Todd? Todd! Come on, Toddington, I just want to talk.”

And then the stage shifts. Someone is cornered, forced into a conversation they desperately want to escape. “I’m glad you’re here. Tell him what you told me.”

“I’ve got no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Fine. I’ll tell him, then.”

The bomb drops, and it changes everything.

“The baby—it wasn’t a miscarriage. She aborted it. And I know you know it wasn’t Daniel’s.”

The words land like a punch to the gut. A secret, buried deep, now clawing its way into the light. A pregnancy that wasn’t what it seemed. A child that never was. And a father who might not have been who everyone thought.

“Listen to me, kiddo. One day, you’ll understand.”

But understanding is a luxury not everyone can afford. “I understand now!” The voice cracks with fury and heartbreak. “You’re running away, and you’re leaving me.”

“This is grown-up stuff, Lils.”

“I’m not wanted here.”

A pause. Then, softer: “But… I’ll miss you. I promise I’ll come back for you one day.”

“Miss you too. Come here.”

A hug. A goodbye. A family splintering apart.

Orders are given—leave Shona out of this, don’t take it out on her. A deep, shuddering breath. “Now, go on. Go. For me.”

The search continues. “Hey, love, have you seen Todd?”

“No. Even if I had, I wouldn’t tell you.”

“Why? Is he OK?”

“Oh, why’s everyone so fussed about Todd?”

And then the question, direct and devastating: “You had an abortion?”

Defensiveness rises like a shield. “Not that it’s anyone’s business, but who are you going to believe, eh? Me or this psychopath? You know what? I think I’m just going to leave you two to it. Goodbye, Will. I hope you see what she’s doing to you.”

But Will isn’t buying it. The pieces are falling into place, whether he wants them to or not. “I’m right, aren’t I? It was yours.”

Denial. Quick and hollow. “No.”

Muffled dance music pulses in the background, a grotesque soundtrack to this implosion of lives. An officer steps forward. “Look, I know you’re only doing your job, but if you knew anything about the woman making these accusations…”

“You can tell us all about it at the station. ‘Ere, give us a hand here, will you?”

Through the chaos, a voice rises again, sharp with recognition. “I saw your face! You can’t hide it!”

“I was trying to figure out why you’d make up a lie like that.”

“Oh, nonsense! You were hurt. And you had every right to be.”

The manipulation runs deep—strands of control woven through years of pain. “That woman has manipulated you time and time again.”

“Look, you don’t get it, all right? You don’t understand. She’s hurt you in ways YOU don’t understand.”

“But lying to you about miscarrying your child? That must be a knife in your heart.”

The denial is desperate now. “Look, it was Daniel’s baby, not mine. Speak to him.”

But the truth has its own momentum. “Oh, fine, deny it.”

And somewhere