Together with the past comes the well-known melody of “Sabay Sabay Tayo,” which accompanies another nostalgic memory of the younger Erica (Krystal Mejes), Beth (Allyson McBride), Alice (Eliza Borromeo), Mel (Reich Alim), and Louisa (Mutya Orquia).
The girls, all huddled in the park, have the bright idea to give themselves a group name like that of the “Spice Girls.” Enthusiastic over the idea, Alice brainstorms until she comes up with “MABEL” (pronounced “May-bell”).
As she consults them on the chosen name, both Louisa and Beth give skeptical yet playful remarks. Mel and Erica agree with Alice’s idea, write it down on Beth’s reviewer, and the five of them run around happily—a stark contrast to their present relationship.
Erica hesitates to contact MABEL, recalling past conflicts
Marco (Race Matias) calls Erica (Kaila Estrada) regarding the credibility of Celestino’s (Bart Guingona) torture before his death, said to have been caused by a gang leader the police once incarcerated. Aware of the potential involvement of Edong (Jake Cuenca) and Lucas (JM de Guzman), she gives Marco instructions to closely monitor the Santiago brothers.
Erica feels an urge to inform Mel (Sue Ramirez), Beth (Charlie Dizon), and Alice (Janella Salvador) of the matter but hesitates, suddenly recalling their bitter confrontation in the past over Edong’s imprisonment and her loyalty as a friend to Louisa.
A few moments after speaking with her legal clients and being reminded of an appointment with Mr. Ledesma the next day, she searches for Lucas on social media and comes across his post about opening a Fitness Plus branch in Amurao.
Anton berates a tense Mel on her way to the Fitness Plus opening
Despite the recent social media backlash over her “abusive wife” image and Anton’s (Jameson Blake) recent beating of her, Mel still drives to the opening of Lucas’ Fitness Plus in Amurao.
She receives a call and an unsettling text from Anton, reminding her to stay at home while he’s out for a show taping.
Mrs. Quintana informs Scott of Alice’s sudden return to the Philippines
Proving to be a bundle of nerves, Alice stays firm in keeping everything in her house under high security before she goes to the Fitness Plus opening with Mel and Beth.
She receives a concerned call from her mother, Mrs. Quintana (Carlene Aguilar), who explains that she has already told Scott (Mark Neumann) about Alice’s arrival in the Philippines with Seth (Rhys Stevens).
Scott already knows that their house in the US was empty, leaving Mrs. Quintana no choice but to tell the truth. She reminds Alice that this might be their last chance to fix their marriage, for the sake of Seth, their son.
Beth’s daughter Chloe exposes Amurao High’s cover-up of Councilor Alvarez’s harassment
Beth is called to Principal Liwanag’s office over Chloe’s (Jewel Milag) social media post exposing Amurao National High School for turning a blind eye to Councilor Alvarez’s sexual harassment of a fellow student.
Chloe explains that she posted the video because of the censorship imposed on the school paper, while Principal Liwanag reminds her not to join the discourse, as it is meant to maintain the school’s image.
Beth smiles subtly, a hint of pride in her expression, as she listens to Chloe’s tenacious defense of the victim and her critique of the notion that those in positions of authority are not held accountable.
Both Beth and Chloe receive a final warning from Principal Liwanag. The mother and daughter walk the school halls, with Beth admitting that she is proud of Chloe but not forgetting to remind her to be careful.
Teacher Liezel (Mary Joy Apostol) approaches Beth to inform her of Celestino’s death. Beth is surprised but comments that the deceased police officer deserved his fate.
Chloe and Joshua find the news of Louisa’s death from years ago
Chloe’s close friend, Joshua, brings a moment of levity to the series when he appears to be lovestruck by Alice’s arrival at Amurao High. After joining in on Chloe’s jokes about Joshua, Beth tells them to head home.
The two friends stop at a shop to drink milk tea. A curious Chloe notices a picture of a young Erica in her mother’s old school yearbook. She tells Joshua that not much has been told to her about Erica, as well as Louisa, who were both her mother’s close friends in the past.
Chloe searches for details about Louisa’s death online and is shaken by how brutally her life was taken.
Amurao’s mayor meets with a thriving Lucas and Atty. Erica
Lucas gives the mayor a tour as part of his business opening. He reveals that his older brother, Edong, was the one who encouraged him to launch a Fitness Plus branch in Amurao.
The mayor expresses admiration for how Lucas was unashamed of his brother’s dark past. He adds that he is prouder than ever, highlighting Edong’s sobriety from alcohol and drugs, as well as his efforts to rebuild a good character.
In the middle of Lucas and the mayor’s conversation, Erica shows up, questioning Lucas’ claims about Edong. Having worked with the mayor’s sister, Senator De Leon, Erica is greeted by the mayor.
Erica cut straight to the chase with her suspicions of the Santiago brothers
Lucas’ mood turns sour with Erica’s arrival.
She lists the current events connected to Louisa’s case: the disappearance of the witness Esther Castro (Malou Crisologo) and the death of police officer Rodrigo Celestino.
Lucas catches on to what Erica implies- that he and Edong might be responsible for the incidents. Despite Lucas’ reminder of Edong’s current imprisonment, Erica suggests that someone could be doing the dirty work on Edong’s behalf.
As Lucas denies Erica’s suspicions, Mel, Beth, and Alice arrive, setting the stage for a dreadful reunion.
Don’t miss an episode of “What Lies Beneath,” weeknights on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), A2Z, TV5, and iWant.