Rosewood, Sunday
It had been another eventful week in Rosewood.
Hanna learned that her mother had been denied bail and was being transferred to the state prison. So not only was she not coming home, she was being moved even further away.
That's when she decided to take drastic measures. She begged her mom to plead guilty and claim self defense. If things were as dire as Spencer claimed, this would be the better option. Twenty years versus life? Or worse?
Ashley wasn't having any of it, though. She didn't do it, and she was not going to give up without a fight. She was not going to take the fall for a crime she did not commit.
That just led Hanna to formulate another of her stellar not plans. She was going to confess herself. She could claim self defense and maybe get less time in prison. This was her fault, after all. She was the reason Wilden was in their lives, and the reason the gun was even discovered.
She recruited Mona of all people to help her. This was going to be the biggest lie Hanna ever told. She'd told many lies in her life, but Mona actually lived one. Mona could help her learn to live one as well. That's what she did. She helped Hanna go over details the police would ask for, like how it felt to pull a trigger. She'd never used a gun in her life, but Mona helped her believe she had. It got to the point where Hanna could picture in her head how she killed Wilden. It was disturbing, but it was necessary for her to save her mother.
She was going to confess this morning. She had plans to waltz right into the station to take the fall. Caleb had other plans. He wasn't going to let Hanna do something so crazy. He'd gone to see her mother yesterday, and he promised her he wouldn't let Hanna do something drastic to protect her.
"You think she did it, don't you?" Hanna asked Caleb, a mix of sadness and anger in her tone.
"I did at first," Caleb admitted. "Until I talked to her. There's no way she killed anyone."
Hanna breathed a sigh of relief. Having Caleb on their side was important to her.
"I can't let you do this, Hanna," Caleb told her. "They aren't going to be lenient on you because of your age. You're 18 now."
She really had not thought of that. "I just...I can't imagine being without her. She's been there for me my whole life."
Caleb held her for a moment. "I know. But this is not the answer. We'll find another way to help your mom."
That's when Hanna received the most shocking text of her life. It was from Spencer. Apparently, Mona had the same plan as Hanna. She walked into the station and confessed herself. What?
She showed the text to Caleb. Is that why Mona made Hanna give details to her story of killing Wilden? So she could steal that story and use it herself? Hanna didn't believe Mona had wanted to make amends, even if Mona told her that was the case. Confessing to a murder to save her mother was a huge way to make amends.
When she and her friends arrived at the police station to check out this new commotion, they could see Mona in one of the rooms, ready to confess. Mona looked right at Hanna and smiled. It was as if she was telling Hanna everything would be okay. There was also a hint of smugness. That's all they would see of her before the blinds were drawn.
This changed everything, including Hanna's own relationship with Mona. Maybe she could even forgive her all the awful things she put her through. Hanna was too confused to think about any of that now.
[from 4x08 "The Guilty Girl's Handbook" with some additional dialog; warning for discussion of gun violence]
Hanna learned that her mother had been denied bail and was being transferred to the state prison. So not only was she not coming home, she was being moved even further away.
That's when she decided to take drastic measures. She begged her mom to plead guilty and claim self defense. If things were as dire as Spencer claimed, this would be the better option. Twenty years versus life? Or worse?
Ashley wasn't having any of it, though. She didn't do it, and she was not going to give up without a fight. She was not going to take the fall for a crime she did not commit.
That just led Hanna to formulate another of her stellar not plans. She was going to confess herself. She could claim self defense and maybe get less time in prison. This was her fault, after all. She was the reason Wilden was in their lives, and the reason the gun was even discovered.
She recruited Mona of all people to help her. This was going to be the biggest lie Hanna ever told. She'd told many lies in her life, but Mona actually lived one. Mona could help her learn to live one as well. That's what she did. She helped Hanna go over details the police would ask for, like how it felt to pull a trigger. She'd never used a gun in her life, but Mona helped her believe she had. It got to the point where Hanna could picture in her head how she killed Wilden. It was disturbing, but it was necessary for her to save her mother.
She was going to confess this morning. She had plans to waltz right into the station to take the fall. Caleb had other plans. He wasn't going to let Hanna do something so crazy. He'd gone to see her mother yesterday, and he promised her he wouldn't let Hanna do something drastic to protect her.
"You think she did it, don't you?" Hanna asked Caleb, a mix of sadness and anger in her tone.
"I did at first," Caleb admitted. "Until I talked to her. There's no way she killed anyone."
Hanna breathed a sigh of relief. Having Caleb on their side was important to her.
"I can't let you do this, Hanna," Caleb told her. "They aren't going to be lenient on you because of your age. You're 18 now."
She really had not thought of that. "I just...I can't imagine being without her. She's been there for me my whole life."
Caleb held her for a moment. "I know. But this is not the answer. We'll find another way to help your mom."
That's when Hanna received the most shocking text of her life. It was from Spencer. Apparently, Mona had the same plan as Hanna. She walked into the station and confessed herself. What?
She showed the text to Caleb. Is that why Mona made Hanna give details to her story of killing Wilden? So she could steal that story and use it herself? Hanna didn't believe Mona had wanted to make amends, even if Mona told her that was the case. Confessing to a murder to save her mother was a huge way to make amends.
When she and her friends arrived at the police station to check out this new commotion, they could see Mona in one of the rooms, ready to confess. Mona looked right at Hanna and smiled. It was as if she was telling Hanna everything would be okay. There was also a hint of smugness. That's all they would see of her before the blinds were drawn.
This changed everything, including Hanna's own relationship with Mona. Maybe she could even forgive her all the awful things she put her through. Hanna was too confused to think about any of that now.
[from 4x08 "The Guilty Girl's Handbook" with some additional dialog; warning for discussion of gun violence]