Richard is a rich, fifty-something year-old man, divorced from his ex-wife, Pam, and distant from his son, Rowan. He's having an affair with Ana, a thirty-year-old married real-estate agent. He tends to seek out married women, though he doesn't know why.

One weekend, Ana's husband is out of town and she'll be spending the night with him for the first time. She asks him a lot about his son and performs domestic tasks and seems to want to talk to him about their lives; these things make him uncomfortable and bitter, worried she is taking their relationship too seriously.

That night, he gets a call from Pam, who tells him that Rowan has gotten in trouble at his boarding school and one of them has to go--she can't until Monday. He agrees and leaves on the Northeast regional train. Ana is clearly disappointed. On the train, he keeps checking for a text from Ana, who still hasn't replied to him. He takes a pill.

When he gets to the school, he doesn't recognize his son at first. He's with a girl who he introduces as Livia, his girlfriend, who Richard knew nothing about. Richard makes Livia leave and asks Rowan if he has anything to say about whatever happened. Rowan says it wasn't a big deal. Rowan smokes a cigarette in front of his father.

In the meeting, the headmaster tells Richard Rowan won't be able to stay at the school. It seems Rowan and some other kids beat up a boy, who is seriously injured. The headmaster says it could be worse--they won't be expelled but rather allowed to transfer to finish the semester, and the incident won't be reported to colleges. Rowan has gotten into a college better than Richard expected.

Richard takes Rowan and Livia to dinner. Livia was crying earlier, after Rowan evidently told her he had to leave the school. Ana still hasn't texted Richard. He excuses himself from the table to call her. When it goes to voicemail he leaves a one-word message: "Cunt." At dinner, Richard drinks even knowing the alcohol won't mix well with his medication. Livia orders the most expensive thing on the menu then pushes it around on her plate, not eating it, giving some to Rowan. Richard tells her he won't let her starve, that she has to eat, and they aren't leaving until she does. Livia cries and makes herself eat. Rowan grabs her wrist and tells her to stop, telling Richard he's a "prick." Her fork falls. The waitress, who has seen everything, gets her a new one. It occurs to Richard that she "must have thought he was the bad guy in all this."