Logline: A seemingly upstanding husband enthralled in a nasty divorce is challenged when his secret indiscretions are brought to light by a mysterious hacker forcing him into public humility through a series of terroristic threats
.COLD OPEN
INT. PARK, RIDDELL AND RAKOWSKY LAW FIRM. MID-MORNING
MICHELLE WILSON is sitting on one side of a polished cherry-wood conference table between two high-powered attorneys both dressed in tailored black suits with solid black ties. On the other side of the table sits ROBERT WILSON alone wearing a dress shirt and black slacks.
ROBERT
(exhaustive)
What are these guys here for? I told you that I’m not fighting you on this. You want a divorce; I’ll give you a divorce. You can have the house. I just want to be able to see Kristina.
MICHELLE
NO! You don’t get to get off that easy. How dare you think you can make it so simple after you’ve hurt our family?
ROBERT
(apologetic)
Michelle, I know I messed up and I’ve lied about a lot of things and I am so sorry for hurting you.
(exhaustive)
What are these guys here for? I told you that I’m not fighting you on this. You want a divorce; I’ll give you a divorce. You can have the house. I just want to be able to see Kristina.
MICHELLE
NO! You don’t get to get off that easy. How dare you think you can make it so simple after you’ve hurt our family?
ROBERT
(apologetic)
Michelle, I know I messed up and I’ve lied about a lot of things and I am so sorry for hurting you.
MICHELLE AND HER ATTORNEYS STAND UP WITH THEIR BRIEFCASES AND SHE SLIDES A DOCUMENT ACROSS THE TABLE TO ROBERT
MICHELLE
(with tears)
You’re sorry for hurting me? Don’t worry, you will be.
MICHELLE AND HER ATTORNEYS LEAVE THE ROOM AND ONE HOLDS THE DOOR FOR HER AND SHE STOPS FOR A MOMENT AND STARES AT ROBERT FOR A COUPLE OF SECONDS. SHE THEN CONTINUES HER EXIT. CAMERA GETS A TIGHT OF THE DOCUMENT AS ROBERT PUTS IT TO HIS FACE TO READ.
FADE OUT:
OPENING CREDITS WITH SUSPENSFUL MUSIC
ACT 1
INT. ROBERTS OFFICE. DAY
Robert is sitting at his desk and his co-worker and best friend Kevin is sitting on the corner of the desk asking him about the meeting.
KEVIN
So, how was the meeting? You’re here and not in jail so it couldn’t have been too bad.
ROBERT
It…(sigh)..it went. I’m just ready for this to all be over.
KEVIN
What did she say? What’s she asking for?
ROBERT
Well, I don’t want anything and I told her that. She can have the house, the cars, the furniture. I just want to be able to see Kristina. That’s it….that’s it.
ROBERT HAS HIS PEN IN HIS HAND AND SHAKES IT AS HE’S SPEAKING
ROBERT (con’t)
She came into the room with two of her lawyer colleagues and starts talking about making me pay for lying and hurting our family.
KEVIN
What do you think she means by that?
ROBERT
I’m giving up everything! So, that I do not know.
KEVIN
Well, I’m hoping for the best and you know I’m here if you need me. Are you ready to go into this meeting?
ROBERT
Yea, I totally forgot about it. I’ll meet you in there.
KEVIN GOES TO THE MEETING AND WHILE ROBERT IS GRABBING HIS NOTEPAD AND BEGINS TO WALK TOWARDS THE MEETING ROOM, A TEXT COMES THROUGH ON HIS PHONE. BECAUSE HE IS IN A HURRY, HE GLANCES AT THE MESSAGE AS HE SCURRIES OFF TO THE MEETING.
ROBERT
(while looking at the text)
I have no idea who this is.
INT. CONFERENCE ROOM
WHILE STANDING AROUND THE WALL DUE TO HOW FULL THE ROOM IS, ROBERTS MANAGER IS LEADING THE MEETING. ROBERT BEGINS TO TUNE HIM OUT AS HIS PHONE CONTINUES TO RECEIVE TEXT ALERTS BACK-TO-BACK. THE CAMERA GETS A TIGHT SHOT OF ONE OF THE MESSAGES AND IT READS “YOU’RE A COWARD, YOU’RE NOT GOING TO FIGHT FOR YOUR FAMILY?”
ROBERT
(under his breath)
Who the heck is this?
ROBERTS MANAGER MIKE
This is very important is everyone paying attention and taking notes?
ROBERTS MANAGER LOOKS OVER AT ROBERT AND TILTS HIS HEAD TOWARDS HIM LETTING HIM KNOW THAT HE IS SPECIFICALLY REFERRING TO HIM.
ROBERT
I’m sorry Mike, I gotta go, I have an emergency.
ROBERT NAVIGATES THROUGHT THE CROWD AND EXITS THE CONFERENCE ROOM.
INT. ROBERT’S DESK
ROBERT SITS DOWN AND LOOKS AT THE MESSAGES AGAIN AND HE NOTICES THAT THEY ALL SAY THE SAME THING. HE SENDS A REPLY BUT THE REPLY COMES RIGHT BACK TO HIM BECAUSE THE TEXTS ARE COMING FROM HIS OWN NUMBER. ASSUMING THAT IT COULDN’T BE ANYONE BUT HIS SOON-TO-BE-EX, ROBERT THEN CALLS MICHELLE.
ROBERT
(on phone, leaving voicemail)
What are you doing? You are the one that filed for divorce, not me. Why are you sending me back to back text messages while I’m at work. Call me as soon as you get this message.
AS ROBERT IS HEADED OUT TO LEAVE, HIS BUDDY KEVIN MEETS HIM IN THE HALL.
KEVIN
Robert, what’s going on, are you ok?
ROBERT
Michelle keeps sending me these weird messages. I gotta get out here and go handle this.
KEVIN
What do they say?
ROBERT RUSHES DOWN THE HALL TO EXIT
ROBERT
I’ll talk to you about it later, I gotta get out of here. Let Mike know that I had to head out because of an emergency.
INT. MICHELLE’S LAW FIRM
ROBERT GETS OFF THE ELEVATOR ON THE 13TH FLOOR, WALKS PAST THE RECEPTIONIST AND NOTICES MICHELLE IN THE CONFERENCE WITH CLIENTS. HE BURST THROUGH THE DOOR AND ADDRESSES MICHELLE.
ROBERT
Michelle, why the hell are you doing this?
MICHELLE
(to her clients confused and embarrassed)
Could you please give me a moment, I am so sorry.
MICHELLE USHERS HER CLIENTS OUT OF THE ROOM AND ENSURES THAT THE DOOR IS CLOSED AND LOCKED. SHE THEN DIRECTS HER ATTENTION BACK TO ROBERT.
MICHELLE (con’t)
What are you talking about and why are you coming on my job causing a scene? Are you trying to get me fired?
ROBERT
(showing his phone to Michelle)
This is what I’m talking about! These “anonymous” text messages you are sending me.
MICHELLE
(while scrolling through the messages and then handing the phone back)
Robert, I didn’t send you this. I’ve been with clients since you left and my phone is in my office. You might want to ask one of your little girlfriends.
MICHELLE OPENS THE DOOR FOR ROBERT TO LEAVE
MICHELLE (con’t)
Now, I’m going to ask nicely and them I’m going to call security. Please leave, I have to get back to making a living to take care of our daughter.
ROBERT GIVES MENACING STARE AND EXITS THE ROOM. THEN THEY BOTH STARE EACH OTHER DOWN AS HE WALKS PAST THE WINDOW OF THE CONFERENCE ROOM AND MICHELLE GIVES A SMALL SMIRK.
EXT. PARK, RIDDELL AND RAKOWSKY LAW FIRM. AFTERNOON
Robert gets outside and his phone begins to alert that he has text messages. He unlocks his phone to read the messages. The message Reads: Haven’t you put your family through enough? You’re a cheater and a liar. You are a horrible person Robert. You just keep hurting the ones that love you.
Robert looks around and the camera gets a tight on a couple of suspicious faces walking down the street making Robert paranoid. Another text message comes through that Reads: I know all about you Robert. You’ve been able to fool everyone at your job, in your family and at your church where you call yourself “counseling” people that look to you for spiritual guidance.
Nervously, Robert begins a text, then hesitates and after looking around, he quickly texts a question asking who is this. He immediately gets a response as though he texted himself. Shortly after he receives a text, just like all the others, from his own number and it reads: I’m like God, I see and hear everything that you do.
Robert looks around with a frightened facial expression and camera fades to black.
INT. SOUTHSIDE BAR. NIGHT
Robert and his best friend Kevin are sitting at the bar as a gorgeous blonde-haired bartender named Lauren approaches Robert to take his drink order.
LAUREN
(in a flirtatious fashion to Robert)
What can I get you handsome?
ROBERT LOOKS OVER AT KEVIN AND SMIRKS
ROBERT
I’ll just take a scotch neat.
LAUREN
Scotch eh?