The chaos in Nick’s life began one afternoon when he returned from the bar owned by his twin sister, Margo Dunne (Carrie Coon), only to find his house in disarray and his wife missing. A glass table in the house was shattered, as if a fight had just taken place. Despite searching the entire house, Nick could not find his wife. The reason Nick came home that night was to discuss his plans to divorce Amy. When he realized his wife was missing, Nick felt a mix of confusion, worry, and relief. Nevertheless, he eventually sought help from the police to find his wife. The police, led by Detective Rhonda Boney (Kim Dickens), arrived and immediately began an investigation of Nick’s house, uncovering several oddities.
Since his house was designated as a crime scene (CSI) that night, Nick was asked to temporarily stay elsewhere. He decided to stay at his twin sister’s house. However, before being allowed to leave the police station, Nick had to answer several questions about Amy, which, oddly, he could not answer. Questions such as Amy’s daily activities, her friends, and her blood type left Nick puzzled, realizing how little he knew about his wife’s life. Hours after Amy was reported missing, a neighbor named Noelle Hawthorne (Casey Wilson) visited Detective Boney at the crime scene. Noelle claimed to be Amy’s friend and shared some information about her whereabouts.
Clues about Amy’s disappearance were eventually found in Nick’s house after blood stains and dried blood patches were discovered in the kitchen. This discovery made the situation even more suspicious, especially after Boney conducted an interview with Noelle, asking about Amy’s condition. Noelle revealed that Amy was pregnant and often spoke about her husband’s abusive behavior. Boney then found the first clue—a sealed envelope containing a paper labeled “Clue One” inside Amy’s closet. The next day, Amy’s parents arrived at the police station after being informed by Nick that their daughter was missing. They hoped to enlist public help in finding Amy.
Unfortunately, Amy’s parents’ arrival didn’t contribute much to the investigation. They only mentioned two of Amy’s former boyfriends who were still obsessed with her: Desi Collings (Neil Patrick Harris) and Tommy O’Hara (Scoot McNairy). Detective Boney felt the case was becoming increasingly complex and baffling. She then informed Nick about the clue found in the envelope, to which Nick admitted it was part of a game he and Amy often played to celebrate their wedding anniversary. Nick and Boney searched every corner of the house again, and Nick discovered a third envelope, which he kept to himself. This envelope, unknown to Boney, contained a paper with some perplexing sentences written on it.
Nick felt confused and began reflecting on his marriage with Amy, which had recently deteriorated due to both of them losing their jobs. At the same time, Nick’s mother fell ill, forcing them to move back to Nick’s hometown. From then on, their marriage grew increasingly strained. Two days after Amy disappeared, Boney intensified her efforts to locate her. Unfortunately, Nick’s strange behavior and repeated mistakes during the investigation only worsened the situation. He increasingly became the subject of suspicion among those around him. Rumors accusing him of being responsible for Amy’s disappearance began to circulate.
The accusations escalated to the point where people labeled Nick as his wife’s killer. He felt overwhelmed and stressed by the confusing circumstances surrounding him. He swore he had no idea about Amy’s whereabouts or what had happened to her. Nick only knew that Amy went missing while he was at the beach and bar. Numerous pieces of information created a cloud of doubt in the public’s perception of him. The media exacerbated the situation by spreading gossip and unverified stories. Meanwhile, Boney continued her investigation to uncover Amy’s location. She received information from a drug dealer named Jason, who claimed that Amy had approached him before her disappearance to purchase a small gun, appearing anxious and frightened.
Three days after Amy’s disappearance, Nick’s affair with a college student named Andie Fitzgerald (Emily Ratajkowski) was shockingly uncovered by Margo. Margo was furious and deeply disappointed in Nick for betraying Amy. However, this revelation brought an unexpected silver lining. After his affair was exposed, Nick became more honest with his twin sister. He opened up about everything that had been happening in his marriage, including the fact that his relationship with Amy was genuinely terrible. Nick admitted that he had been having an affair with Andie for a year and had been planning to divorce Amy because he could no longer tolerate her difficult behavior.
Things grew even worse for Nick as the gossip and rumors blaming him spiraled out of control. Everyone’s eyes were on him, judging him as if he were responsible for Amy’s disappearance. Only Boney refrained from jumping to conclusions, sensing that Amy’s disappearance was riddled with oddities. Boney prioritized logic in solving the puzzle of Amy’s case. She was indifferent to the rumors and gossip surrounding Nick, focusing solely on the evidence she uncovered. The case became increasingly complex for Boney, especially as new complications arose during her investigation, such as Noelle suddenly showing up one night and shouting to the crowd that Amy was pregnant.
People immediately swarmed Nick, demanding an explanation about Amy’s pregnancy. Boney took Nick to his home for safety and questioned him about some new findings. The first was the unusual transaction history of luxury item purchases made with Amy’s credit card. The second was the increased value of Amy’s life insurance, signed off by Nick. Nick swore he had never purchased any of the items listed in the transaction history. Regarding the life insurance, Nick insisted it was Amy’s idea, and she had asked him to sign it. Upon learning that Amy was pregnant, Nick grew suspicious because Amy had always been adamant about not wanting children. He confided to Margo that he had been the one eager to have a child.
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As Nick began to realize something was off, he refused to speak with Boney without a lawyer present. Determined to resolve his predicament, Nick worked tirelessly to find a solution. Meanwhile, Boney continued to uncover suspicious elements related to Amy. She discovered Amy’s diary, partially burned in the fireplace of Nick’s father’s house. Remarkably, the diary’s contents were still legible. Simultaneously, Nick found Amy’s final clue—luxury items purchased using her credit card. These items were located in a wooden shed owned by Margo. It was at this moment that the shocking truth was revealed: Amy was neither dead, murdered, nor kidnapped. She was merely hiding from everyone.
Amy had orchestrated her disappearance as an act of revenge for Nick’s affair with Andie, which she had discovered. She wanted Nick to suffer, facing false accusations over her disappearance. Amy devised an elaborate plan designed to entangle Nick in legal troubles, make him the subject of public scorn, and ultimately have him imprisoned for her alleged murder. Amy’s ultimate goal was to have Nick sentenced to death for a crime he didn’t commit. Before that, she aimed to make Nick suffer both mentally and physically. Her plan was meticulous and well-executed. She cultivated a positive image, garnered sympathy, and exploited Nick’s neglectful nature to perfect her scheme.
What Amy did was a crime and a masterclass in manipulation, effectively destroying Nick’s life. She knew her carefully crafted narrative would cause immense trouble for her husband. Like an author weaving a novel, Amy blended fabricated stories with real events from her life with Nick, creating a narrative that anyone would believe and sympathize with. Amy expertly made Nick appear utterly guilty while she roamed free, in hiding and disguised, waiting for the right moment to execute her final act: suicide. She was convinced that her death would solidify the belief that Nick had murdered her. However, her plan didn’t unfold as smoothly as Amy had anticipated.
Nick has now discovered the sinister plan devised by Amy: his wife was not missing but merely in hiding. After informing Margo, she advised Nick to hire renowned attorney Tanner Bolt (Tyler Perry) to help him avoid Amy’s traps. Nick decided to meet Tanner, who then became his lawyer. Tanner suggested that Nick reach out to Tommy and Desi to gain support and expose the deceit Amy had orchestrated in the past. When Nick met Tommy, he learned that Amy was highly skilled at manipulating stories and seeking revenge. Tommy had previously been accused of raping Amy, a charge that nearly sent him to prison and left him struggling to find work due to his criminal record.
Nick became increasingly convinced that Amy’s actions were an act of revenge for his affair. In other words, his wife had known about his infidelity all along. Amy’s revenge was extraordinary, involving the entire nation in hating Nick. The situation worsened as the media continued to spread gossip that painted Nick in a negative light on television. Amy kept a close watch on the progress of her case on TV, feeling immense satisfaction whenever events unfolded according to her plan. Meanwhile, Nick worked tirelessly to restore his reputation and uncover his wife’s lies. He even sought out Desi to inquire about his past with Amy. Unlike Tommy, Desi did not appear to have issues with Amy and openly admitted that he was still in love with her.
At the police station, Detective Boney still doubted that Nick was guilty of murdering his own wife. She needed clear evidence to confirm that Nick was indeed the murderer. Nick’s case eventually went to court, and Tanner had already prepared his defense materials. Tanner advised Nick to come clean to the public about his affair and about the items Amy had purchased that were found in Margo’s storage unit. Tanner also had another plan: to have Nick appear on a reality show to build public sympathy for him. At the same time, Amy was robbed while in hiding. She lost all her money to two individuals she had met at a motel, leaving her in desperate need of assistance.
Having no money left, Amy immediately contacted Desi, her ex-boyfriend who remained obsessed with her. Desi, still in love with Amy, eagerly agreed to help. He took her to his private lake house, a secluded and secure location. Meanwhile, Nick appeared on a reality show as a guest discussing Amy’s disappearance. Unexpectedly, Andy, Nick’s mistress, appeared on television and revealed their affair. Despite this, Nick proceeded with his appearance on the show. He strategically wore a tie and watch Amy had given him, intending to play on her emotions and manipulate her into falling for him again. Nick believed this gesture could rekindle Amy’s feelings for him.
Amy, after watching Nick’s confession on the show, appeared to have a change of heart. She abandoned her plan to commit suicide and frame Nick for her death, which would have led to his execution. Instead, she devised an escape plan from Desi. At the same time, Margo and Nick were briefly arrested after a tip-off about items found in Margo’s storage unit. Fortunately, they were quickly released thanks to Tanner’s intervention. Amy then executed her escape from Desi by creating a scenario in which she appeared to be a victim held captive by him for nearly a month. She used this setup to justify killing Desi in what she claimed was self-defense during an attempted rape. After 30 days of being “missing,” Amy returned home covered in Desi’s blood, having brutally murdered him.
The FBI took over Amy’s case, even as Nick and Detective Boney had gathered significant evidence to expose her schemes. However, Amy’s performance as Desi’s kidnapped victim was so convincing that she garnered widespread sympathy. The situation worsened for Nick when Amy indirectly admitted she had orchestrated Desi’s death. Recognizing Amy’s manipulative and dangerous nature, Nick desperately searched for a way to escape his marriage. Yet, Amy continually managed to trap Nick with her deceptions. She ultimately revealed that she was pregnant and claimed the child was Nick’s, making it even more difficult for him to file for divorce. In the end, Nick was forced to continue his marriage, despite knowing it was built on lies and manipulation.
