Charity and Brett take the bus to visit Charity’s sister in Stratford, Connecticut. Charity reflects on Brett and his life’s current trajectory. She considers divorcing Joe so that his brutish, judgmental ideas don’t influence Brett. Meanwhile, Vic is on the plane with Roger, traveling to meet with Sharp Cereals. Like Charity, Vic contemplates the state of his marriage.

Joe Camber discovers that Cujo made a mess in the garage, which is uncharacteristic of the dog. Joe thinks back to the day he received Cujo from a customer and about how Cujo has been the perfect dog ever since. He tries to find Cujo but can’t.

That morning, Tad plays in his room. He mulls over his parents’ relationship and grows anxious, convinced that something is wrong. He looks out the window and sees his mother crying to herself. Tad’s anxiety spikes, and he takes the Monster Words off the wall and puts the piece of paper in his pocket for protection from bad things.

Joe Camber goes to visit Gary Pervier and finds a catastrophic, bloody scene. Initially, Joe thinks it could be a home invasion. As he inspects Gary’s house, he finds his friend dead on the floor and sees that Gary’s “throat had been opened.