Just when Mel (Sue Ramirez) thinks she can finally step outside, she is met by multiple guards who deny her exit, following Anton’s (Jameson Blake) orders. As expected, Anton appears, unfazed from his daily run, reminding Mel that the guards are merely doing their job to protect her.
Re-entering the mansion in frustration, Mel reiterates to Anton her upcoming interview with Christi Yu, who is flying in from Singapore to feature her in Women of Asia magazine. Anton reveals that he had already called Tim (Dingdong Bahan), even after Mel had asked him to rescind the schedule changes imposed by the controlling Anton.
To no avail, Mel’s chances of working beyond her abusive home are dashed, as the magazine staff are already aware of her health situation, and more of her meetings are rescheduled—prompting Anton to smirk maliciously and insist that she stay inside, enjoying his time off and wishing to relive the moments they spent together during the pandemic.
Horrified, Mel recalls the past, particularly during the enhanced community quarantine, when Anton repeatedly abused her—especially after he was denied permission to fly outside the Philippines to visit his sister in the ICU in the U.S., believing that Mel was indifferent to her condition.
At the time, despite the visible bruise on her cheek, Mel fought back, refusing to hand Anton the phone he had thrown in irritation and reprimanding him, reminding him that he was not the only one affected by the pandemic’s consequences.
Back in the present, Mel pushes Anton when he tries to grab her, finally unleashing her anger at how day in and day out he does nothing but hurt her. As she curses at him, Anton grabs her by the hair and inflicts grievous, potentially fatal wounds. Her screams are heard by the guards outside, but as she is dragged upstairs, they can only listen as the head guard forbids them from intervening.
Don’t miss an episode of “What Lies Beneath,” weeknights on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), A2Z, TV5, and iWant.