The Last Mrs. Parrish

Jackson sends a dozen rose bouquets to Daphne’s office. Daphne confesses to her secretary, Fiona, who they are from, and Fiona warns that Jackson will not be easily dissuaded. Their morning is interrupted when Daphne gets news that her father has had a heart attack.

Daphne calls Jackson, who arranges the use of his private plane. In New Hampshire, Jackson has Daphne’s father transferred to a better hospital, paying for a heart doctor to meet them there. The doctor re-diagnoses her father with an aortic dissection and operates. Jackson takes care of Daphne’s family’s bed and breakfast, endearing himself to the whole family.

Daphne’s father recovers, and they spend Christmas together in New Hampshire. Jackson buys exorbitant gifts for the family and asks Daphne to marry him. Daphne agrees and her father gives his blessing, though Daphne doubts his sincerity. When Jackson attempts to pay for a new roof for the inn, her father rejects the offer. Her mother then accepts it after Jackson is upset by the rejection.

Jackson and Daphne get married two months later to make sure that her father is alive to walk her down the aisle as he has not fully recovered from his procedure. Jackson surprises Daphne by taking her to Bora Bora for their honeymoon. Daphne is occasionally upset by how Jackson seems to know everything, but they have an enjoyable time together.

Several months later, getting ready for a weekend trip, Jackson degrades Daphne for the outfits she has packed. She drinks whiskey and reflects on the ways that he has changed, including his unexpected irritation at small mistakes. He apologizes, and they leave for their trip. There, Daphne lies and claims that she has been to the area before. Jackson tells her that when a college friend lied to him about plans and instead spent the weekend with a girlfriend, Jackson slept with the girlfriend and then left them both. He warns Daphne about how much he hates liars, and she apologizes. Several days later, Daphne receives a call that her father has died, and they return to New Hampshire for the funeral.

Jackson convinces Daphne to begin trying to get pregnant. Daphne becomes pregnant quickly and has anxieties about the baby’s health. Jackson berates her and refuses to discuss her worries without degrading her. Jackson says that the baby will be a boy and, if not, they will try again.

Tallulah is born and Daphne spends so much time with her that she focuses less on Jackson. He forces her to keep a diet journal, claiming she is no longer attractive with her baby weight. He tells her to stop breastfeeding. That morning, she eats pancakes despite his diet demands.

Three weeks later, Jackson cancels a trip with Daphne’s mother, lying that Daphne is ill in revenge for her having eaten pancakes. Jackson says she wishes her mother had also died and Daphne hits him, drawing blood. He takes a photo to use as blackmail. Daphne goes to a guest room. When checking on Tallulah, she finds Jackson holding a stuffed animal above her. He threatens Tallulah and then sexually assaults Daphne.

Daphne flees the house with Tallulah, ignoring Jackson’s text messages and calls. She is pulled over by a police officer, who says she is a danger to her child and arrests her. Daphne is taken to a hospital and learns that Jackson has signed statements from physicians she has never met claiming she has severe postpartum depression. She is institutionalized, and a week later Jackson visits her. On a walk, he threatens her with permanent hospitalization. She agrees to do whatever he says, and he has her remain in the hospital for one month while working with a therapist who is his friend.

One month later, Daphne doesn’t recognize the nurse taking care of Tallulah. Jackson lectures her on the need for their children to be educated to his standard, then the two have dinner. Afterward, Jackson tries to force her into bondage gear, which she refuses. Later, he wakes her with a gun in her mouth and forces her into the outfit, tying her hands and putting a gag in her mouth. He sexually assaults her, then forces her to remain kneeling while he goes to bed.

Daphne learns to navigate Jackson’s abuse and moods. After his abuse, he always gives her an expensive gift and is kind, but the cycle returns to cruelty. He throws away her diaphragm, deciding they need another baby. After nine months of trying, Daphne gets pregnant with a girl, infuriating Jackson. He tells her that for their third child, they will abort the fetus if it is a girl and keep trying for a boy. Daphne resolves to never get pregnant again.

Time passes. Jackson enrolls Daphne in classes, trying to “polish” her. Daphne skips a week of French classes and, as punishment, Jackson changes her phone number. This causes her to miss an early pickup day for her children. Jackson lies to the girls and tells them Daphne has a drinking problem, then asks their nanny to take over pickup duties.

The Parrish house fills with decorative turtles, which Daphne hates due to a traumatic childhood incident. Jackson claims she is being dramatic when she confronts him about it, referencing her false post-partum depression every time she brings it up.

Daphne begins to secretly take psychology courses, pretending she is studying art. She believes Jackson is a sociopath and reads case studies. She also travels to a different town and gets an IUD implanted to prevent future pregnancies. Jackson, not knowing about the IUD, degrades Daphne for being old and claiming that she has a fertility problem. Daphne recommends they see a fertility doctor because Jackson’s sperm count is low. While he rejects this idea, he also does not bring up fertility again.

Daphne recounts the distance between herself and her mother, the result of Jackson’s machinations and frequently canceled trips. Daphne’s mother, however, believes their lack of closeness is her daughter’s fault, and Daphne can do nothing to correct her. Daphne invites Amber to a party, flattering Jackson so he will allow her presence. She reflects that Amber is the only one who can relate to the loss of her sister and is her closest friend. At the party, Bella’s tantrum causes an argument between Daphne and her mother. Daphne grapples with Bella’s behavior, as well as her suspicion that Bella has dyslexia due to her difficulty learning to read. She cannot get Bella formally diagnosed because of Jackson’s insistence that she be accepted into an elite private school. One night, after a meltdown, Bella asks Daphne if she is stupid, and Daphne tries to reassure her. Daphne discovers some of the things Jackson has been saying to Bella and is distraught.

Jackson, as another form of abuse, hides Daphne’s belongings. He hides her keys the morning of a foundation investment meeting, causing her to be late and frazzled. That night, as she is decorating cupcakes for Bella’s school, he notices that the fruit juices are not in alphabetical order. Daphne laughs at the absurdity of his problem. He pours juice over her head, then flings things out of the fridge both onto the floor and at her. He then urinates on the cupcakes she was decorating and demands she clean up the mess. After she cleans and showers, he forces her to initiate intercourse.

Daphne skips Pilates to go to the spa. When Jackson gets home, he poses a hypothetical question about a man who lied to him at work, asking Daphne what to do. When she doesn’t give him an answer, he blows up, shouting at her for lying to him. He storms upstairs, and she reflects that he must have people watching her. She thinks about all the work she has done in the last five years to slowly build up a $30,000 emergency fund to one day escape with.