The Last Mrs. Parrish

At work on Christmas Eve, Jenna gifts Amber some Christmas cookies. The next day, Amber goes to the Parrish home to celebrate, giving gifts to everyone. The extravagance makes Amber’s jealousy grow as she thinks about her many childhood Christmases in poverty. Daphne gives Amber a pearl necklace, the first genuine jewelry she has ever owned. Amber gifts Jackson a book about cave paintings and re-gifts Jenna’s cookies, claiming she made them. This cements her bond with Bella.

Amber calls Daphne and asks to come to her house. There, Amber lies and says that her boss has been sexually harassing her. Daphne encourages her to report it, but Amber claims she cannot because she kissed a different real estate agent in the past. Amber also says that she must send money home to help pay outstanding hospital bills, which is why she cannot report him: he has agreed to give her two months’ pay in exchange for her silence. Daphne offers to find her a job with Jackson’s company, and Amber agrees. Then Daphne insists on taking her shopping for new clothes.

Amber gets dressed for the benefit, attempting to be subtly attractive. Jackson and Daphne give her a ride, during which Amber is frustrated that Jackson seems completely enthralled with his wife. As the evening wears on, Amber continues to feel out of place among the rich and powerful. She hides from a photographer, then dances with Jackson. As she goes to help the bidders at the auction, Meredith attempts again to interrogate her. Daphne and Jackson drive Amber home, giving her yet another view of their seemingly perfect love.

Amber attends Tallulah’s birthday party and plans how to lead Jackson away from Daphne physically and emotionally. Amber also meets Daphne’s mother, Ruth, who seemingly disapproves of Bella’s spoiled behavior and the lifestyle her daughter leads. After she overhears an argument between the two women, Amber comforts Daphne, assuring her that she is a good mother. As Amber leaves at the party’s conclusion, Jackson bids her goodnight, claiming he will see her at work in the morning.

Amber wakes up early to go into Parrish International, where she will serve as the assistant to Mrs. Battley, Jackson’s assistant. Mrs. Battley is displeased to have Amber as her assistant, which Amber seeks to resolve by quickly establishing herself as a hard worker. She stays late and compliments Mrs. Battley by implying that Jackson respects her opinion. Over the next few weeks, Amber begins getting Mrs. Battley her coffee and spiking it with Elavil, an anti-anxiety medication that causes memory loss and confusion. Mrs. Battley begins losing items, and Amber propels her confusion by moving things, deleting documents, and inserting pages of nonsense into official reports.

Mrs. Battley resigns, leaving Amber to fill the role of Jackson’s assistant while he looks for a new hire. Amber does online research to find out about his clients, impressing him with a report and by making dinner reservations catering to the client’s preferences. She makes plans with Daphne, intending to get more information about Jackson.

Daphne sends a car to take Amber to the restaurant, giving Amber time to order an expensive bottle of wine. When Daphne arrives, she is flustered. Amber questions her about her marriage but changes the subject when Daphne is uncomfortable. Amber makes up an ex-boyfriend who could not achieve an erection and blamed her for it. Daphne shares that Jackson and she started dating before her father became ill, and Jackson swept her off her feet. Daphne implies that her marriage is imperfect and describes how out of place she felt early on. Daphne gets a message about Bella and ends the night early. Amber plots how to use this new information to become Jackson’s perfect woman.

Amber and Daphne kayak during a weekend with the Parrish girls, as Jackson is away on business. Daphne invites Amber to go on their boat when it is ready for sailing. When they arrive back at the house, Jackson is there, surprising them both. The five of them eat lunch by the pool, and Amber reflects on the luxurious life the Parrishes live. It is a stark contrast to her childhood.

Several weeks later, Amber goes to Daphne’s for a movie night and reflects on all the things she has done when unsupervised in the house, like trying on Daphne’s underwear. They are interrupted by Meredith, who has run a background check on Amber and found that she is using the identity of a missing person. Amber claims that her father started raping her at the age of ten and, after her sister died, stole a missing girl’s identity to escape his abuse. Daphne expresses her sympathy, but Meredith doesn’t believe her. Meredith argues with Daphne before leaving.

Amber spends the Fourth of July on the Parrish yacht, having gone shopping for clothes that show off her body to entice Jackson. Jackson gives her lessons on steering the boat, and she uses the moment to speak poorly of Daphne and her opinions. Later, the family watches fireworks, then the adults stay awake drinking. Daphne excuses herself and Amber flirts with Jackson, trying to present herself as the preferable partner.

Jackson promotes Amber to his full-time assistant after Amber has some minor cosmetic procedures done. One day, he gives her bills to calculate, and she uses the opportunity to reference The Odyssey to appear sophisticated. As she checks receipts and bills, she gets insight into the Parrish finances and is jealous all over again, determined to make it hers.