For years, since the wedding and marriage, Beth Williamson (Donna Mills) tolerated the abusive behavior of her husband, Tim (Corbin Bernsen). She refuses to disclose the battering to her family or friends, and manages to keep her bruises hidden from her young daughter, Laurie (Alexandra Purvis). One day Beth has had enough and decides she can no longer live her life as a recipient of Tim's rage, so she and Laurie move into the home of her parents. While at her parents' home, Beth, along with her sister Terri (Allison Hossack), is helping out with her dad Andrew (Ken Pogue) and step-mother Alice (Anna Ferguson), but a phone call comes from Tim, who tells Beth to come home, but Beth tells him that she is not finished fixing Alice's hair. Beth hangs up on Tim. Later that night, Beth and Laurie return home, and Tim apologizes to Beth and pleases her.