Episode: 2
Jim calls Helen at night to end their marriage. He tells her she can keep the alley and abruptly hangs up without explanation. Helen listens alone at the counter before heading upstairs. She pours spoiled milk down the sink and resolves to stand back up. Then, a court summons arrives. Jim and Christie filed a petition claiming mismanagement to seize her operating rights. Helen visits Vera Law Firm, where a lawyer finds her documentation strong.
Jim sits in his room at night and dials Helen. He bluntly informs her that they are not right for each other anymore. Jim adds that she can keep the bowling alley before disconnecting the call without any further explanation.
Helen answers Jim's sudden phone call while standing behind the counter at the bowling alley. After he abruptly hangs up on her, she puts the phone down. Helen looks out across the darkened, deserted lanes without shedding a single tear.
Upstairs in her kitchen, Helen spots an old reminder note Jim left on the refrigerator door. Her eyes tear up for a brief moment. She empties a carton of spoiled milk into the sink and firmly resolves to stand back up.
A formal court summons arrives for Helen at the bowling alley. Reading the legal papers, she discovers that Jim and Christie filed a joint petition against her. They accuse her of mismanaging the business in an attempt to strip her operating rights.
Helen brings the petition to Vera Law Firm to meet with a lawyer. The attorney looks over the vague allegations from Jim and Christie. The lawyer reassures Helen that her thorough business documentation provides a strong chance of winning in court.
“Helen we're just not right for each other. You can keep the alley.”
“You've got three years of business records, bank statements, and staff witness statements. You've got a strong chance of winning.”
“Helen we're just not right for each other. You can keep the alley.”
The episode ends in the office at Vera Law Firm as Helen's lawyer finishes reviewing the lawsuit. The attorney reassures Helen that three years of financial files and staff statements will help her defeat Jim and Christie's petition. Will Helen's thorough records be enough to keep control of Crown Bowling Alley when they face the judge in court?