EPISODE 372
Written by: Bre L Drew
December 16, 2025
Last Time on Town and Country
-
Steven and Courtney’s marital problems continue as he warns Jacques not to take advantage of her during their work trip to Miami.
-
Jacques and Aaliyah kiss, while Jacques and Emma finally have sex after months of marital discord.
-
Wade remains adamant about wanting Jolene to come back to him, vowing it will be “till they part.”
HOPE COTTAGE
Another morning settles into Radcliffe, and Evan Sullivan is seated at the kitchen table of the residential cottage he shares with his father and stepmother, after choosing not to move to Boston with his mother and new stepfather. The high schooler is dressed for the day in a dark gray pullover hoodie with slightly baggy blue jeans, eating cereal while music plays from his AirPods.
Seconds later, Steven Sullivan descends downstairs, freshly showered and dressed in a black long-sleeve polo shirt and cargo pants. He realizes that the cottage isn’t decorated for Christmas, even though it’s not far off. He isn’t sure why, but maybe neither of them is feeling the holiday spirit—something he decides to change this weekend when his schedule is free.
He notices his only son at the table as he heads over to make coffee.
“Morning,” he greets him.
The teenager removes the pods from his ears to hear betterr. “Oh, hey, Dad. How was Martha’s thing?”
The other night, Martha performed at The Chateau, though Steven instantly recalls the heated discussion he had with Jacques about Steven's intentions toward Courtney, knowing they were heading out of town for work.
“Martha brought the house down,” he tells him.
Though it is obvious he isn’t exactly in the best of moods.
“You letting Courtney sleep in before she leaves for her trip?” Evan asks, having not seen his stepmother this morning.
The noise of the coffee machine fills the room as Steven exhales. “Uh, she left about an hour ago.”
The awkwardness in his tone makes Evan aware that something is going on between the two of them as he scoops more of his breakfast into his mouth.
Steven quickly changes the subject while retrieving a mug from the cabinet. “So how is school going?”
“So far, not so bad. I mean, Radcliffe High is a lot smaller than my old school down in Orlando, but at least I’ve made some friends.”
“That’s good,” Steven says as he pours himself a cup and settles across from his son. “So, any girls you like?” he teases.
Evan cocks his eyebrow confidently at the statement, then smirks. “A few, but I don’t want to narrow my options just yet.”
Steven takes a sip of his coffee before responding. “It’s no problem having options but never be cruel in narrowing them down.”
“That sounds like experience talking,” Evan replies.
“In life, you’ll learn those kinds of things,” Steven says, smiling faintly. “Hey, how about I, uh, drop you off at school on my way to the clinic?”
Still, as he takes a hearty gulp of his heated beverage, his wife remains on his mind.
COVINGTON JET
Meanwhile, at 30,000 feet, Courtney Covington Sullivan is among those en route to Miami aboard her family’s private jet—a perk that comes with being head of the Covington Group. At the moment, however, the accommodation holds little value as she remains wrapped in her own thoughts, half-listening to Jacques Laurent and Aaliyah Gupta go over the itinerary for their 24-hour business trip. The company’s land deal is finally set to become official, though they want to take an actual look at the expansive property Jacques acquired courtesy of her younger brother’s tip. The trip itself continues to cause tension between Courtney and her husband, something she can’t help but reflect on.
“Courtney,” Jacques calls out softly in his trademark French accent.
The businesswoman jolts out of her thoughts. “I apologize. I didn’t mean to drift off.”
“It’s all right,” Aaliyah says. If she weren’t on board with her boss, she might joke, but she decides against it as she sits closer to the executive she works under.
Courtney pivots her head toward the window, gazing out into the sky to steady her thoughts. Jacques notices, briefly wanting to reach out to her, but decides against it—for now.
“So,” he says, turning to his assistant with a charismatic smile, “how are you enjoying your first time aboard a private jet?”
Despite her mother’s successful career as an in-demand architect, Aaliyah has never flown anywhere beyond business class on a commercial airline—until today.
“I must say, I’m really impressed,” she admits, scanning the lavishly equipped aircraft, which includes a minibar, flatscreen television, and plush seating, and wondering if she sounds like a silly schoolgirl rather than a career woman speaking to the older, handsome married businessman.
Jacques reaches over to the bar and pours two flutes of champagne from the bottle. He passes one to Aaliyah, who licks her lips, reminded of their initial interaction over sparkling wine that led to a kiss.
“To many firsts,” she finds herself saying.
With that, the two clink their glasses as they glance at one another, each taking a purposeful sip of the beverage.
WHEELER BUILDING: APT # 424
Fear trembles within Jolene Wood as she makes her way toward her husband’s motel room. Despite playing the scenario in her head several times, she knows he is always unpredictable in attitude but predictable in how he handles his anger, which is usually at her expense. Although she knows something has to be done, that is what brings her here.
She rhythmically knocks on the door, scanning the narrow hallway that has seen better days. When she hears the door unlatch, she swivels her head to find Wade standing there, a smug smirk forming across his face.
“I knew you’d see the light,” the silver-haired construction worker says matter-of-factly.
“Can I come in?” she asks.
Wade shrugs as she steps inside the modest-looking room.
“Wade,” she begins, staring at him. But before she can take in anything else around her, he strikes her hard across the face, sending her crashing to the floor. She slowly raises a hand to her cheek, feeling the heat flourish beneath her skin.
Her estranged husband looms over her, his face turning beet red—an expression eerily familiar from all the other times he has struck her, a sign that something she has done has angered him enough to justify it in his mind.
“See what you made me do,” he says lowly.
“Wade, no,” she pleads, her thoughts scattered.
But he is about to attack again…
She wakes up, gasping for air.
Her heart pounds as Jolene blinks in the dim light of the spare bedroom she has been sleeping in at her daughter Tricia’s apartment. Sweat clings to her skin. She runs trembling hands through her hair, then exhales shakily.
She knows she can’t keep living like this—though she is still trying to convince herself of what the next step should be.
RADCLIFFE ANIMAL CLINIC AND SHELTER
In between a Great Dane’s annual physical and a house call to a horse ranch in town, Steven retreats to his office at the animal clinic and shelter he essentially runs as the veterinarian. Work is the last thing on his mind as he presses his iPhone to his ear.
By the umpteenth ring, he knows he won’t be speaking to the other party directly.
Hearing his wife’s voice on the outgoing voicemail makes him close his eyes, preparing to speak; however, something comes over him, and he ends the call, slipping the smartphone into his pants pocket.
Steven’s gaze lingers on a framed photo on his desk—a snapshot of him and Courtney when they were newly engaged on Oahu all those years ago, when they were there for Sean and Tricia’s destination wedding.
“You wimp,” he mutters to himself for not leaving a message, though he figures she’s busy with work—along with Jacques—which he wishes wasn’t the case, but knows is the reality.
​
MIAMI, FLORIDA
The Covington jet traveled roughly hundreds of miles from Radcliffe, Kentucky, to Miami, Florida. After landing, the trio agrees to head straight to the development site before checking in at their hotel.
Their car winds through the outskirts of the hustle and bustle of Miami. They eventually pull off onto a narrow, unpaved road. When the driver stops, Courtney, Jacques, and Aaliyah step out of the vehicle, only to be greeted by an expanse of soggy, uneven ground on a mostly sunny weekday.
The so-called “prime real estate” they witness is anything but. The land is flooded in several areas, the soil thick with mud and standing water. Tall reeds and cattails are already starting to fill the property, and a faint odor of decay lingers in the air.
Jacques shakes his head, disbelief flickering in his eyes. “This cannot be right,” he mutters, scanning the stretch of wetland.
Aaliyah looks equally shocked as she lifts her sunglasses onto her forehead, her earlier anticipation fading fast. “Are we even in the right place?”
Courtney stands silent, her expression tight with unease. She knows immediately—this deal is a disaster, and something about it doesn’t add up, which she is already determined to get to the bottom of how the company secured an off-market purchase of a swamp.
RADCLIFFE POLICE DEPARTMENT
The pace throughout the Radcliffe Police Department carries its usual calm, steady flow, with a few uniformed officers populating different areas of the rural station while detectives occupy their bullpen, handling various tasks. Inside his office, Ernest McKnight sits at his desk, sipping his second cup of coffee from his blue RPD mug as he reviews a case file with a casual but keen eye.
Soon, a light tap on the door catches his attention as one of his male officers peeks his head in.“Chief, there’s someone here to see you.”
“Let ’em in,” Ernest replies.
He sets down his cup and rises to his full height—then looks up to see Jolene walking into his office, which takes him by surprise. The officer quietly steps out, closing the door behind him.
Ernest softens his tone. “Jolene… how are you?”
The two had an unfortunate run-in with Wade the other night at the café, along with Tricia.
She exhales, her voice low and uncertain. “I don’t know… but I can’t keep living like this.”
After a pause, she gathers her courage. “I want to press charges against my husband,” she says firmly, meeting his eyes.
HOTEL CLIFFE: ROOM 202
As the morning draws on, Wade Wood whistles a made-up tune in his motel room, which has become a permanent home of sorts despite the quaint, affordable setting. He came out here from California to convince Jolene to come back home with him, though neither his wife nor her daughter has made it easy. He dwells on those failed interactions; the latest one having taken place only the other night.
Still, he remains determined to get what he wants.
At the moment, while whistling, he packs his belongings into a suitcase that has seen better days.
With every item he places inside, he realizes he is one step closer to leaving this country-ass town, which is almost within reach.
A few moments later, there’s a knock at the door—one he has been expecting. As he strolls over and opens it, he sees a short white man in a fake leather coat and a beret, greasy brown hair sticking out beneath it, polarized sunglasses perched on his face as he tries not to look shifty, despite his appearance.
“Here,” the man says, glancing around before reaching into his inner jacket pocket. He pulls out an item wrapped in a brown paper bag, which Wade takes.
Satisfied, the construction worker pulls a small wad of hundred-dollar bills from his pants pocket and hands it over.
It doesn’t take long for the man to count the money—he’s clearly done this sort of thing before.
​
“Pleasure doin’ business with ya,” the guy says.
“Just so you know, our business is done,” Wade replies.
The man gives him a look that suggests he’ll be around if Wade changes his mind, as if he’s heard the same line from plenty of customers before.
With nothing else to say, Wade shuts the door behind him. He unwraps the bag, revealing a nine-millimeter handgun. A dark smirk crosses his face as he murmurs, “I’ll show you how serious I am about that ‘till death’ part, Jolene.”
He slips the weapon into the back of his pants, gives the room one last look, and heads for the door—ready to make good on his promise.
​
END OF EPISODE
​
ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF TOWN AND COUNTRY
​
Tommy feels uneasy.
Louise demands the truth.
Peril arises.
​
Leave your thoughts here on the T&C forum
​
​
​