The fifth episode of “What Lies Beneath” effortlessly consumes the screen with intrigue. Two garbage collectors encounter a fly-infested corpse among the stacks of trash, perhaps an ominous foreshadowing of more dark truths that are about to resurface.
Amid controversy, Chloe defends her Tita Mel
Chloe Mora (Jewel Milag), and her classmates browse an old yearbook, they’re stunned to see pictures of now-celebrity Mel Montenegro (Sue Ramirez). They can hardly believe that Mel is not only best friends with Chloe’s mother, Beth (Charlie Dizon), but was also one of their school’s alumni.
Apart from Mel’s birthday and Christmas presents, Chloe revealed that they only got to meet five times, and she was not permitted to feature the public figure on a vlog.
Mel’s reputation as a husband-beater is brought up by another classmate, who interrupted the group to explain how people like Mel keep on undermining progressive women’s rights movements, such as the MeToo Movement. The classmate persisted in being critical, pointing out that Chloe doesn’t really know Mel because of their limited interactions.
Putting on a brave front, Chloe defended Mel, trusting her mother’s judgment when it came to choosing friends.
Beth stands firm: her friends are hiding secrets
In the room with her fellow teachers, Beth is seen selling skincare products. They addressed her momentary TV fame, especially her friendship with celebrity Mel and their home renovation.
Vivian, another teacher, drew attention to Beth’s speculated “freebie” selling and debt issues. Beth clarified that it was her husband, Ryan (Yves Flores), who owed something to Vivian’s brother, and she rebutted the claim by pointing out Vivian’s three-year debt to another teacher, Liezel (Majoy Apostol).
Embarrassed, Vivian walked out, leaving both teachers, Liezel and Beth, to talk. Beth assured her that she paid her debts monthly, adding that she doesn’t hide anything, unlike her friends. She is reminded of her friends possibly keeping secrets and recalls Alice’s (Janella Salvador) CCTV purchases and Mel’s unanswered phone call with her husband.
She soon found an anxious Alice entering an ammo shop.
Mel’s mother-in-law speaks out about Mel being a husband-beater
Mel’s PR team staged a family-style lunch for her, her husband Anton (Jameson Blake), and her mother-in-law in an attempt to defuse the controversy about her being a husband-beater.
Unable to bear the forced cordiality between them, Mel’s mother-in-law confronted the issue. She criticized Anton’s martyr complex, noting that he kept smiling despite the physical abuse inflicted on him. She pointed out that Mel had been merely a struggling stylist until she married Anton and suggested that her problematic nature must have been the reason why Mel’s parents, Margie and Cedric, had given up on her.
Mel denied that Anton’s reputation had made her famous and added that her mother-in-law did not know the whole story, although it was clear as day that the abuse was occurring.
As comments continued to fly, it was revealed that Mel’s father had called to apologize while in Europe, with Mel noting that he seemed to trust gossip over his own daughter.
The retirement home feature was criticized as a smokescreen for the controversy, along with her refusal to have a child with Anton. Her mother-in-law eventually declared that she could return Anton to their family.
After a tense few minutes, Anton came to Mel’s defense, explaining that the issue was a misunderstanding and affirming that Mel is a good wife.
Erica’s aid for Edong to get justice is denied once more
Lucas (JM de Guzman) visited Erica (Kaila Estrada) at her law firm. Without any intention of a light-hearted “long time no see,” he threatened her with a complaint if she ever went to Edong’s (Jake Cuenca) confinement again.
She clarified that Edong’s sudden call had prompted her to visit and talk to him. Lucas emphasized that she was of no use to his brother anymore, despite her intentions to reinvestigate Louisa’s (Mutya Orquia) murder case, since she had refused to talk 14 years ago when she was needed the most.
Another flashback revealed more of Edong’s (Renshi de Guzman) suffering in prison. He was beaten every night, burned with cigarettes, and even urinated on. During one video call, Lucas (Andrez del Rosario) saw the aftermath of the abuse, yet Edong remained positive and determined to endure.
The brothers’ conversation led to the problem of their aunt taking control of their house, which had belonged to their late father. Both brothers were now completely alienated from their remaining relatives.
From that point on, Lucas narrated how Edong had worked hard to change himself and his life inside the cell, which could earn him an approved commutation of his sentence. He emphasized that his brother’s hard work would not be in vain, offering one last warning to Erica.
Has Edong truly let go of the past?
During a Bible study session held inside the prison, Edong talked about how his experience had changed his emotions. He explained how he was initially filled with rage but later realized that it was blinding.
He stated that he had been enlightened and wanted more than ever to make amends—not without delivering an ‘eye for an eye’ speech, a mischievous smile playing on his face.
As Edong continued his speech, the scene cut to Celestino as the rotting boy the garbage collectors had discovered.
Don’t miss an episode of “What Lies Beneath,” weeknights on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), A2Z, TV5, and iWant.