Laverne kicks out James, and he goes to stay with Raleigh, calling constantly. Chaurisse is “cold” when she answers and isn’t even friendly to Raleigh. Chaurisse lets Laverne sulk for a few weeks and then encourages her to be angry rather than sad. At night, Laverne drinks and then climb into bed with Chaurisse, worrying over how much she will lose in the divorce and how much Gwen and Dana will gain. She asks if Chaurisse thinks James cheated on her because Gwen is prettier. Chaurisse grows frustrated with Laverne and tells her to be more like Mary—to “fight back.” Laverne says Chaurisse doesn’t know what she is saying and explains that Mary did not just burn Al Green and move on, she burned him and then killed herself.

Laverne leaves Chaurisse’s bedroom and stays up cooking until Chaurisse gets her and brings her back to bed. The next morning Chaurisse lets her mother sleep and cancels all her appointments. She calls out of school and leaves a message for her father saying that she “hated” him. When Laverne wakes up, she checks the mail and finds a postcard threatening to have James charged with bigamy. This makes Laverne feel relieved, as she realizes James is not staying with Gwen.