The Girl on the Train

Friday, July 12, 2013. Megan is pregnant. Though she believed that if she ever got pregnant again she’d want to get rid of the child, she is shocked to find that the wants to keep this baby and love it. She is scared of the baby, but she wants it all the same—even though she’s frightened that Scott will guess that the child isn’t his. Megan is standing in the kitchen with Kamal, the only person she’s told about the pregnancy. She confides that she is afraid something will go wrong again and that she’ll end up on her own. Kamal, however, insists that Megan is strong enough to handle whatever comes her way.

Megan goes outside to the terrace, and Kamal brings her a coffee and kisses her as a train rumbles up to the signal. Megan asks if they can run away together, but Kamal laughs and says that Megan doesn’t need him—she and her baby will be fine with or without Scott, whatever Megan decides to do.

Saturday, July 13, 2013. Megan knows that she must tell Scott the truth. This time, she thinks, she wants to do everything right. When she does so, however, Scott reacts violently, pushing her against the wall and crushing her throat with his forearm. As Megan begins to cry, Scott lets her go. Megan can see shame and pain on his face. He begins apologizing profusely. Megan springs into action and packs a bag to leave. Scott sobs at the door, begging Megan to forgive him. Instead, Megan pulls out an old mobile phone and switches it on, determined to get in touch with Tom, the father of her child. She sends him a text—the first communication she’s had with him since April. Several minutes go by without an answer. Megan leaves a voicemail threatening to come over if he doesn’t call her.

Megan pushes her way out of the bedroom and hurries downstairs to the front door. Scott begs Megan to stay, but she warns him that if he tries to follow her, she will never come home. Megan walks down to number 23, but at the front door, she loses her nerve. She walks to a nearby park and sends a text to Tom to tell him that she is waiting for him. She feels deeply depressed: she thought telling the truth would be the right thing to do, but now she has done irreparable damage to her marriage.

Feeling restless, Megan gets up and walks toward the Witney station. As she approaches the underpass, she sees Tom emerging from it. He has rage on his face, but he calls out for Megan. He urges her to come toward his car—he tells her they can’t talk here. As Megan gets into the car and glances over her shoulder, she senses someone watching her from the dark underpass.