“What Lies Beneath” takes center stage for providing its protagonists with unparalleled growth, especially that of Alice Quintana-Miller, who first emerged as a person plagued by her anxieties and then strongly evolved into a fearless woman driven by triumphing over her tragedies and shortcomings.
Alice accuses Scott of abusing her
Fourteen years after leaving Amurao and building a future abroad as a skilled accountant, Alice’s backstory becomes entangled in mystery, as she is seen speculating about her husband’s infidelity. Scott (Mark Neumann) gets startled over Alice’s allegations but still decides to ease her worries by promising to fix their marriage.
Even so, as Scott tries to embrace Alice, she lashes out at him, leaving Scott with no choice but to firmly remind Alice to not take their son, Seth (Rhys Stevens), igniting their custody battle.
Alice breaks down during Edong’s ambush
During Edong’s (Jake Cuenca) early attempts at taking revenge against Alice and her friends, he first infiltrates Alice’s home in Amurao, breaking open their glass door but only frightening them before he leaves the crime scene.
Alarmed, Beth (Charlie Dizon) runs inside with the police and spots Alice crouched in the bathroom’s corner, clutching an unconscious Seth, while she repeatedly whispers her panic about Seth being taken away from her.
Alice wails in agony over Edong’s threat
Without warning, Alice, Erica (Kaila Estrada), Beth (Charlie Dizon), and Mel (Sue Ramirez) simultaneously receive Edong’s first gruesome threat. Each of the girls mourns at the thought of Edong destroying their lives and at the same time grappling with their personal battles.
Alice quickly looks over a slumbering Seth and suppresses her cries. She then shakily heads over to the hotel’s balcony and lets out an agonizing wail.
Alice grieves about her resurfacing traumas
Even though her fears would get the best of her, Alice bravely takes on the challenge of recounting the piercing pieces of her trauma when she got lost at just five years old. In the process of doing so, she inadvertently and tearfully replays the memories of the car crash that killed her father, Louisa’s (Mutya Orquia) tragic death, Celestino’s (Bart Guingona) threats that pinned Edong as Louisa’s murderer, and Erica’s heartbreaking departure from Amurao.
Alice blames herself for her father’s death
Seeing every distressing incident popping up at once, Alice confides in Edward (Joel Molina) about her regrets with her father’s death. She then went on to claim responsibility for the tragedy that killed her father.
Edward refused to acknowledge Alice’s statements while comforting her with the truth of how her father loves her immensely beyond this life.
Alice intensifies her allegations against Scott
The rift between Alice and Scott’s marriage grows severe when Scott heads to the Philippines to check on her and Seth. Throughout Mel seeking refuge within Alice’s home from Anton’s (Jameson Blake) abuse, she becomes an eyewitness to the dispute between the two and stays with Seth during an argument that nearly shocked him.
As Seth is taken to his room by Mel, Alice pours all her frustrations out at Scott, stressing that her vague and haunting memories, as well as her sleepwalking, remain a testament to the aftereffects of his assault. Speechless, Scott defends himself from Alice’s relentless allegations, but Mel steps in, pushing him away.
Alice slowly pieces together the parts of her trauma
Throughout Alice’s ongoing sessions with her psychologist, she eventually gets a clearer picture of herself being blindfolded and bound while sensing another person outside the room she was trapped in. Alice awakens from her trance and postpones learning the truth as she feels the immense weight of the memory.
Alice criticizes Beth’s pride
Along with her newfound dedication to uncovering the entirety of her trauma, Alice also desperately wants to figure out the real murderer of Louisa. For this reason, she personally visits the elusive Beth and tries to persuade her to cooperate.
Displeased, Beth remains stubborn, even though Alice points out that their lives are in line as well as condemning Beth’s seemingly unbreakable pride, which prevents her from acknowledging Erica’s efforts to save them and finally clear Edong’s name.
Alice is reminded of her past as she searches for Seth
At the height of Edong’s escalated schemes, he sneaks into Edward’s home, attacks Althea (Andi Abaya), and abducts Seth. As she frantically searches for Seth, the forgotten details of her disappearance years ago come in overwhelming flashes, draining her strength.
Alice resents Edward’s true identity
The greatest mystery of the series is finally revealed through the devastating identity of Edward as her captor and Louisa’s murderer. Alice figures this out through Christina’s (Emma Viri) repetitive gestures towards Edward’s hidden room, where she reunites with her lost hair clip.
Alice’s heartbreak worsens the moment she realizes that before her father passed away from their car crash, he was actually planning to ask her about the day she disappeared, already aware that Edward abducted her.
Catch the remaining episodes of “What Lies Beneath,” Mondays to Fridays, 8:45 PM, on ABS-CBN sa ALLTV2. Viewers can also watch it on A2Z, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), and iWant.