“What’s wrong with admitting that you can’t handle it? So you want me to ignore the fact that you were traumatized? For me to forget that I saw you on that rooftop ready to jump? You’re not okay. You need help.”
Bea is having a snack when Pogs, seated at another bench, stares at her. Out of nowhere comes Brax who apologizes to her again and hands her a cheesecake as a peace offering. Once Brax is out of sight, Bea squeals with delight and has Pogs take photos of her while she excitedly poses with Brax’s gift.
The mean girls come to make mockery of her and Bea taunts them over their jealousy. Rica walks into Axel’s office and tries to return his jacket but ends up dropping it on the floor when he reaches for it. Axel picks it up as Rica apologizes.
As she turns to leave, Axel points out how she seems comfortable around Kyle. A series of flashbacks show how Rica had avoided physical contact with Axel on several occasions, and then there’s the instances she hadn’t reacted when Kyle touched her.
“You guys have a connection,” Axel says presently.
“I know you don’t like me…”
“What? Why’s everyone assuming that?”
Rica is undeterred. “And if you’re still thinking that I was just hired because of that so-called connection I have with Sir Kyle, and because of my situation, Chino’s overstated compliments, and Miss May’s…”
“I know,” Axel butts in. Because if it were up to you, you’d want them to stop doing that.”
“That’s exactly my point.”
Axel points out that the reason she had left the meeting earlier wasn’t because of Raven but because she was fed up with Kyle for being overprotective. Rica is stunned that Axel knows so much. Meanwhile, Kyle broods in his office and begins to wonder whether he’s been overdoing things like Axel had said. He then reflects on the incident at the bar when Rica had had the panic ãttaçk.
Kyle approaches Rica’s desk and handles her key chain, reflecting on his last encounter with her at the Constantine. He spots Rica laughing with Axel in his office and seems somewhat upset.
Back in Axel’s office, the senior architech urges the junior architech to tell their coworkers about how she’s not comfortable with their pompous attitudes toward her.
However, Rica is reluctant to do so since she fears that she might lose them in the process. Rica goes on about how Kyle had made her look incompetent during the meeting with Raven and Mr. Perez, and Axel promises to talk to him.
On their way home from school, Bea goes on gushing excitedly about the glutton-free, grain-free, low carb, sugar-free-vegan cheesecake Brax had given her. Pogs seems confused by all the terms.
With the awarding coming up, Mayor Troy charges his right-hand man to make sure the team doesn’t make Audrey look bad in whatever narrative they come up with. Jay asks whether they really have to push through with the divorce since the separation could ruin his career.
Nevertheless, Troy refuses to listen to reason. At the Sicats, Bea arrives home with Pogs while Karla and Nico are looking up Jigs’ friends on their social media accounts so they could figure out why Jigs isn’t on good terms with Archie.
Bea snatches her brother’s phone and stares at a particular photo. “Just look at them, living a luxurious life. Our big sister could have had their lifestyle.”
“Huh?” Nico says in disbelief as Karla observes silently.
“I’m telling the truth,” Bea argues.
Bea then begins blabbering about how their big sister would have also attended such extravagant parties if their mother and mayor Troy had gotten married. Nico points out that Rica wouldn’t be with them had it happened so.
“I understand,” Bea grumbles. “But the point is, Raven hit the jackpot and Rica was the unlucky one.”
Rica arrives home with Dan just then as Nico also argues that their eldest sister’s life is way better and happier. Karla then scolds Bea, saying that having wealth doesn’t mean happiness.
Stating that Jigs is also a Ramones, Karla asks if that’s the kind of life she wants for her eldest sister and Bea apologizes. Later that night, Rica has trouble sleeping.
Rica arrives at work the next day, only to receive an invitation to attend an ordinance hearing along with Axel. Kyle gets wind of it and declares that he would be the one to go in Rica’s place. Axel reveals to Rica that she would have to face Jigs since he’s the community chair.
Nevertheless, Rica pronounces that she’s willing to face him but Kyle won’t have any of it. An argument ensues at the boss’ office.
“I head this company,” Kyle reminds Rica. “It should be me and Axel. Why did the committee specifically request for you? Obviously, Jigs.”
Kyle points out how Rica had been panicking the last time he had seen her with Jigs. Rica unwisely says that she would make sure she’s ready this time, and Kyle calls her bluff.
“What’s wrong with admitting that you can’t handle it?”
After a little bit more of exchange of words, Rica storms out and Kyle goes after her. Rica states that her colleagues might start thinking that she’s a burden if he’s going to continue worrying about her feelings.
Kyle assures her that won’t happen. Rica then begins to lament over her ordeal and how she doesn’t want to be treated differently from the others.
“So you want me to ignore the fact that you were traumatized?” Kyle says, exasperated. “For me to forget that I saw you on that rooftop ready to jump? You almost collapsed on the dance floor. Rica, you’re not okay. You need help.”
Again, Rica turns away to leave and Kyle follows and strives to talk her into seeing a doctor. The boss’ words aren’t heeded though. Still, Kyle presses on.
“Don’t you have trouble sleeping? Don’t you have nightmares? Don’t you feel so much emotional distress that you can’t even breathe properly whenever you remember the incident?”
Rica sobs and when Kyle offers to recommend someone who could help her, she acts out and lashes out at him. More tears follow and a moment later when they’re both serene, Kyle recounts how he had gone through the same emotional distress when his father had killed himself in front of him.
He then goes on about how he had struggled to move on, ultimately stating that that’s why he understands her (Rica), as well as the things she doesn’t want to admit to herself.
Axel picks at his coworkers and chastises them on account of their over pompous attitudes towards Rica. He makes it crystal clear that what they’ve been doing has not been helping Rica feel normal at all.
A moment later, Kyle heads into his office, locks the door and turns down the shades. He then breaks down as he recalls his father’s death. Meanwhile, Raven rams into someone on the road, and Jigs soon shows up to save his cousin the trouble.
After sorting things out, Jigs resolves to search his cousin’s car to verify whether she’s been drinking or not. When he comes up with nothing, he threatens to rat her out to her father if he finds out that she’s been drinking.
Raven assures him that she’s not relapsed. Once Jigs leaves, she brings out a water bottle from her car’s trunk to drink. Water bottle that contains alcohol. Go figure.
Rica asks Axel about what had happened to Kyle’s dad and he reveals that the boss is over protective of her because he feels guilty for having failed to notice his father’s suiçidål tendencies. He brings up the incident at the rooftop, and Rica admits that Kyle didn’t deserve the bad things she had said to him.
Meanwhile, Mayor Troy and his wife are interviewed by a host, and the latter passes a comment that doesn’t seem to delight his wife.
Miss May, Chino and the other workers of Balai Arkitektura begin treating Rica with indifference on account of Axel’s reality check.
After portraying the picture of a perfect family on camera, Audrey confronts Troy over the question he had asked her about Europe. Troy asks if she’s ever wondered how their lives would have turned out if they hadn’t followed the wishes of their fathers.
“Why wonder about something you know you can’t change?” Audrey says in disbelief. And with that, she storms off, leaving Troy looking all dejected and pathetic. That gloomy signature expression the mayor has on his face doesn’t help matters. Man looks like he’s about to cry.
