07/12/2017 EastEnders

Max, just calm down, all right? Let's talk about this.

I'm sure there's a solution.

Yeah? Yeah, what is that, then, Jack?

Well, tell me what exactly it is you've done.

Always the copper, ain't you? Always full of loads of questions.

I tell you what - why don't you just send me down,

shine a light in my eyes?

No... No, go on, better still, give me another slap.

Do me a favour...

You and me, we've been scrapping like that since we were kids.

That's my life. Contents of one black bin liner. It's pathetic.

Right, I'm going to pour us a drink.

And you're going to tell me what the hell's been going on.

Right, then, we can work out, together, what best to do next.

Lauren...

-What?

-You heard about Dad?

-Er, yeah!

I've been away, I didn't know.

I've only just come back and now people are pulling faces,

they're making digs. I have no idea what is going on.

Oh, nothing. Don't even worry about it.

What do you mean, nothing?

People are saying Dad and this Willmott-Brown bloke,

they've been cheating people, stealing their money.

-Yeah, it's not that simple.

-Yeah, that's what I said.

I mean, Dad's a lot of things but he's not a thief.

I'll sort it, OK? I'm going to go round there now.

-Go where?

-To Uncle Jack's.

-I'm going to go talk to Dad.

-OK. I'll come with you.

-No.

-Lauren...

No, absolutely not, all right? I don't want no big scene.

I just want to go there, I just want to hear the truth, from him,

and then I can decide what to do.

Decide what?

It doesn't matter.

I'm not a kid, Lauren. I'm 21. I'm grown-up. I deserve to know.

This isn't about you! It's about Dad and...

And you? His favourite?

Is that what you're trying to say to me?

I used to be the special one until you stole that from me.

-What is wrong with you?

-He's my dad too!

You don't get to cut me out, Lauren. Not this time.

That's exactly what I'm saying.

All right, we're going to go round to Mick and Linda and the others

and we're going to try and explain.

Yeah... What about Fi?

Forget Fi. She's been using you, just like he has.

You don't know that.

Mr Willmott-Brown is very persuasive.

He's got her wrapped around his finger.

Yeah, and she's got you wrapped round hers.

All right, you've been played.

Accept it. Move on.

The most important thing for you right now is to build bridges.

With who?

The community, your friends.

Look, Max, prison's a difficult time.

You know, coming out, people make mistakes, it happens.

It's that simple, is it?

What, everyone forgives me and I'll move on?

What do I move on to?

Nothing.

That job was my chance to build something, for me and the kids.

Max, you just cheated on all your neighbours, every single one of 'em.

Best thing for you to do right now is to accept it was a bad move.

All right? Start again. Clean slate.

-I ain't got a penny, have I?

-Yeah, well, sue him.

I ain't got a contract, have I? Luke... Luke burnt it.

Yeah, well forget about him, then, yeah?

Forget the money. Forget everything.

The most important thing for you right now is your friends,

your family. That's the only thing that counts.

DOORBELL RINGS

-Hello.

-Oh, mind your feet.

I just had a bit of an accident with the washing machine.

There's a sock stuck in the drawer or something.

But don't worry, I'll have this cleaned up any second.

You're soaking.

Don't worry about that. You go and put your feet up.

I'll make you a cup of tea, yeah? Did you get the pizzas?

Yeah.

-Give us 'em here. I'll chuck 'em in the oven.

-Yeah.

Your daddy is an idiot.

Thanks. I love you too!

Did you hear anything more about Max?

What about him?

I dunno, just this property scam and Willmott-Brown.

I don't know, Stace. Nothing that bloke does surprises me.

-All as bad as each other.

-Well, I hope he's all right.

Well, who cares, really?

It's the little people that are going to suffer, innit?

People like us. Always is.

Will you just take Hope for a minute?

Sort of got my hands full here, Stace.

Yeah, I know but I've forgotten something.

-What?

-Milk, we haven't got any milk.

Well, I'll go out later and get that.

No. I think it's going to rain later.

I'll go now. Here, you take her.

OK, come here, you. Come on...

-Shh....

-All right, I'll be back in a sec.

OK. Bye, Mummy. Bye.

Hitting the bottle already? Why am I not surprised?

Look, girls, now's not the best time, yeah?

Me and your dad, we're talking things through...

No, I want an explanation.

Yeah, but like I'm saying, I'll talk to him and then...

No. Now. No more delays.

I want to know what the hell you think you were doing.

I did it for you.

For me?

Yeah, for both of you.

Yeah, but what actually happened? Did he con you?

Because people are saying terrible things...

It's all true, innit!?

Not entirely.

I heard him in the Vic.

You were in it from the beginning, wheedling and conniving...

-Lauren!

-Just cause he stabbed you in the back an' all

don't make you any better, Dad.

Fine. I'm a wrong 'un. All your worst fears about me are confirmed.

Max...

-What?

-No smoking.

Oh, do me a favour...

Come on, then, Bring it on, girls. Let me hear your worst.

Look, we just want to know the truth. No more lies.

-Did you know what he was doing all along?

-Yeah.

So you knew he was conning people, taking their properties

-and their businesses?

-Well, that's what businessmen do, Lauren.

Outdo the competition, make money.

And you were in on it?

What did I just say to you? Yes, all right, yes.

I was in on it. I knew.

I done it for us, all right! For all of us. For family.

I mean, look at me, I'm in my forties.

I ain't got any money. Ain't got a house.

Look at you, you got a kid,

you ain't got a husband. Look at her, look.

All her dreams of being a vet all down the toilet.

Get sacked from the Vic.

You know, these people aren't our friends...

-Not our friends?

-No.

Well, if they're not, who are? We live here, Dad.

-These people are our neighbours.

-Well, so what? All right, so what!

What have they ever done for me, Lauren, apart from stand there

and watch my life falling apart!

It's every man for himself!

Yeah, well, that worked out really well for you, didn't it!

Seeing as Willmott-Brown cut you out and Fi's dumped you.

And your contract got burnt.

So what exactly have you got to show for yourself now?

He's got you, all right? The both of you. He's got me.

He's got this family and as long as we stick together,

we'll get through this.

Nah. No, he's a crook.

Look, He's had an 'ard time.

If this was ten years ago, you'd be putting him inside.

Yeah, well, I'm not like that any more, am I?

I put me family first now.

And sure, he's made a mistake, all right, but that's all it is.

A mistake.

I mean, he's not himself, is he? Look at him.

I'm fine.

Max, don't have another one.

You offered me a drink, so...

-Yeah, one. You need to keep a clear head.

-It's crystal. Thank you.

What about me? When you knew I was working for them.

Didn't you think to tell me?

How could I, Lauren? Cos the less you knew, the better.

-For who? Me or you?

-Listen to me, all right?

You weren't implicated. You're still not.

I've been working for a company that is ripping off the whole Square.

I had to go into work today and act like everything's OK.

I was scared. Scared because I've got a little boy to support.

Scared cos I thought I might lose my job. Get the sack.

I actually thought that I had a chance of a better life

and you know what - you've taken that away from me, Dad!

You can still work there, Lauren,

-cos I'm not going to stop you.

-No, I told 'em to stuff it.

I told 'em to stuff their job when they made me evict Ian.

Well, good. Maybe that's for the best.

-It's not going to go anywhere anyway, is it?

-Exactly, Dad!

That's why you should have told me from the off.

-It ain't all about you, Lauren.

-Shut up!

Abi, you don't know even know what you're talking about.

It's always the same. You make everything about you.

Dad knows that he's done wrong. OK. He was upset.

Weren't you, Dad? When he came out,

he didn't have a clue what to do. Ain't that right, Dad?

I don't believe you.

Oh, you think the whole world revolves around you.

You always have.

You make me sick.

I've got a little boy to support.

And d'you know what?

You're going to know all about that very soon. Aren't you?

Sooner than you think! Mm?

Eh? Why don't you tell him?

Tell Dad your happy news.

Go on! Like father, like daughter.

Both liars.

-Lauren!

-Go on. Tell Daddy.

Tell me what?

Silver lining. A little bit of happiness...

You're going to be a grandad again.

I am sorry. It's just, I was so...

Ashamed?

No. No...

I just, I didn't want you to be disappointed.

Yeah, but I'm not disappointed, Abi. It's fine.

Wait till you hear who the dad is.

Lauren, can you just leave it now, please!

What? Steven. Steven's the dad.

Cos she was having an affair with him behind my back.

See... Like father, like daughter - again.

Now she's up the duff.

He's dead, so she's all alone.

Which is why she's sniffing around you, all desperate.

Why she's willing to turn a blind eye on all your lies.

Why are you being so horrible to me?

Er...I wasn't the one that betrayed my sister. That was you!

You said you'd dealt with it. That you were OK.

-Yeah, well, maybe I'm not.

-Look, who cares? All right! Who cares?

I mean, bad things happen all the time, Lauren.

Yeah? Bad things happen in life!

She's having a baby. Who cares?

She can join a billion other people doing the same thing.

How are you doing health-wise?

Yeah. Fine. I've had a scan...

Yeah, and how's Tanya taken it?

Fine. Some... Some really good advice, you know...

You don't seem very surprised.

If Abi's happy, I'm happy.

You knew, didn't you?

-Didn't you?

-No.

-How?

-How could I know, Lauren?

I've just found out. You've just told me!

You honestly think I can't tell?

I know every single time you lied.

You honestly think I can't tell, Dad?

Did you know or did you not?

Dad?

Yeah, I had some idea...

-How?

-Ian. Ian told me. He came to me.

He was trying to do the right thing by you.

He thought I should know as your dad.

You knew and you didn't say?

Oh, Lauren, this is my baby, not yours.

Abs, I'm sorry.

I didn't want to embarrass you.

I thought if you wanted me to know, you would have told me.

Excuse me! I was with Steven! Didn't that bother you?

What was I supposed to do?

What? Supposed to tell you and wreck everything between you?

DOORBELL RINGS

I'll go and get rid of them.

You don't care about anything, do you?

I was trying to do the right thing.

Yeah, like you always do.

When I was 11 years old,

I found you in the house with that woman before we even came here.

That tape. You and Stacey.

Cheating on Mum over and over again.

Stacey. Bradley. Poor Bradley dead on the square.

Hold on, what about my best friend Lucy?

She was young enough to be your daughter, Dad!

You've always been so upstanding,

such a wonderful role model, ain't you?

Ain't you?!

You know, every single time I think - OK, you know what,

I'm going to take a risk here and I'm going to trust you -

I get disappointed.

So just for once, Dad, please,

please just tell me the truth, yeah?

Just tell me. You don't have to lie to us any more.

What's she doing here?

-Oh, sorry, is this a bad time?

-No.

No, it's perfect timing, actually

because we were just having a conversation about liars and cheats.

You know a thing or two about that, don't you?

Seeing as we wouldn't even be here if it weren't for you.

-What?

-You.

You, you are the reason we don't live in that house

any more with our mum and our little brother.

It's you!

You are the reason that Bradley is dead.

You are the cause of this whole mess.

This man used to be our dad.

We used to love him, we actually used to be happy.

-Enough! Enough now!

-Well, she's right. It's her fault.

-It is all her fault!

-Maybe you should go, Stace.

-Yeah, go on, get out.

-Stace.

-I'm sorry.

-Stace...

Well done, Lauren. Very nice.

Don't, don't, don't go after her, Dad!

-She's upset, ain't she?

-Don't, Dad!

Stace...

-I'm sorry about all that.

-Look, I shouldn't have come.

No, no, I'm glad you did.

It's just Lauren, she don't mean all that.

It's just tempers flying high, that's all.

Well, she's probably right, Max. About it all.

-In the end...

-No, she ain't.

Stace. I promise you she ain't...

I'd better go. I've got to sort the kids' tea out.

I just wanted to see if you were OK.

You ain't come with your pitchfork? Come to chase me out the village?

Do you know what I've done?

You're still my mate, Max. I still care.

Do you?

Course I do. You know I do.

I just wanted to see if you were OK.

Yeah, no, I'll be fine.

-Well, if you want to talk...

-Yeah, I know where you are.

Right, well, I'm still waiting for an answer, Dad.

Why don't you just look me in the eye and tell me the truth?

If you do, you might just get a little present.

Something that you really want.

The only thing you really want.

What is that?

Josh gave it to me.

It's their copy of the contract.

Your contract.

Both signatures.

Look.

Not until you tell me truth.

Why would Josh do that?

Because he cares about me.

Cos he wants to be with me.

Dad, you can have this, OK?

Or I can burn it. Right here, right now.

Do you know what that's worth, Lauren?

-It's worth a lot of money.

-Yes. I do.

It's worth a lot of money. It's enough for you, Abi, me.

It's enough for everyone, the whole family.

How did you know about Abi's baby?

-I already told you.

-Why didn't you tell me?

Well, cos of Abi.

Why didn't you tell Abi that you knew?

-Well, cos I didn't think it was my place to.

-You're her dad.

Well, if Abi would have wanted me to know Lauren, she would have told me.

OK. Why did you go into business with Willmott-Brown?

It's the money.

-Did you know that he'd raped Kathy?

-Course I didn't know.

How was I supposed to know that? I was only in prison with his son.

I weren't in a good place, Lauren... things had happened, bad things.

I got out. He wanted to help me. Introduced me to his dad.

But of course I didn't know about his past, did I?

What bad things happened in prison?

Nothing... it's just my head, I couldn't get it straight.

You never talk about it. Every time I ask, you just clam up...

No, cos I don't want to talk about it,

I don't want to go over it all over again!

Just trust me, all right - I'm being straight with you.

I've done all this to get money for us.

-For us? Or for yourself?

-Both.

That's it, yeah?

Yeah, that's it, Lauren. Business, just business.

Well, I don't believe you.

I don't believe anything that you are saying.

About the baby, the business...

No, there's something else, ain't there?

I know there's something else and I'm scared of what it is.

Look, why don't you just leave him alone?

Stop torturing him and give him the contract.

Give it to him, Lauren. That is money for all of us.

What, you would take it?

I got a baby on the way.

I've got no partner, no job. So yes, I would take it.

He didn't do any of this for you, Abi.

He did it for himself.

He is incapable of doing anything for anybody else but himself.

Yeah, well, that ain't true. That ain't true. Is it, Dad?

Come on, you love us. You love us both the same.

Tell me the truth, Dad.

Why don't you just give me the contract, Lauren...

Tell me the truth.

Go ahead...

Burn it.

Fine. Fine. Go on. There you go! Take it. Are you happy now?!

Look, you've got your money, you've got your share,

but you know what, Dad? You have not got me any more.

What is this? What is this? You think you can look down at me?

-Let go of her.

-You think you can look down at me, is that it?

You want to look down at me? You think it's all about the money?

-You think that's all I care about?

-What else is it about, then? Huh?

Exactly.

Look at you! You are embarrassing! You're half cut!

You're nothing but a grubby little money-grabbing man.

Congratulations, though.

You got your pay-off.

-Goodbye.

-Take it. Take it, Lauren, cos I don't care about the money.

Yeah, right.

I don't care about the money!

I'll bring you round some tape if you want.

You can put it back together again.

You want proof?

Is that what you want, Lauren?

Do you want to see the real me?

Is that what you want?

You want to know the truth, do you?

Is that what you want, Lauren?

-Dad!

-Max, what are you doing?

Max!

What are you doing?

It ain't about the money, Lauren.

It ain't about the money.

It's about revenge.

-On who?

-On everyone!

Everyone, everyone who framed me, Lauren.

Everyone who sat back

and watched as I was dragged off to prison for 20 years.

20 years! That's what they gave me.

I should still be in there now. Rotting away. Innocent!

What did anyone around here do to help me?

No, no-one helped me. No-one lifted a finger.

That's why they're all on my list!

Ian, top of my list!

Phil! Jane! What's worse, though,

you know what's worse is you...

and you...and YOU!

Family.

All betrayed me.

What are you taking about? We're here for you now, ain't we?

We're here.

What are you talking about? That's guilt, that is!

Where were you?

Where were you when it was all kicking off, Jack?

I'll tell you where you were. You were in Paris, mate!

You didn't bother coming back, did you?

-Didn't bother coming back to stick up for me!

-Dad...

Yeah, and you! Little Miss Goody Two Shoes.

Trying to stick Lucy on me!

-No, it weren't...

-Set me up to the police!

You accused me!

I looked in your eyes, Abi, and I swore to you.

I swore to you that I was innocent.

I swore to you that I was innocent and you still let me go down!

Believe that if you want if it makes it easier,

-but I came back, I came back!

-Yeah, you came back!

-What are you talking about?!

-I tried, I did my best, Dad!

Didn't try hard enough.

Story of my life, that is...

Family...turning on me.

Like when I was nine years old, Jack, do you remember?

I was locked in the cellar, do you remember that?

All alone, in the dark. I had to sit there and listen to you,

Mum and Dad, all the family.

Sitting upstairs, watching TV, having your dinner! Having a laugh!

I was locked up like an animal, for what?

I tell you for what.

Cos I answered Dad back cos he gave me a slap.

But he'd done worse.

Done a lot worse.

That's it, that's the story of my life, that is.

Abandoned.

That's why I done it, Lauren.

That's exactly why I done it!

That's exactly why everyone's got to pay!

That's why they've gotta pay!

-I don't ever want to see you again.

-This is about me. This is about me.

Cos I'm the wronged one!

Poor you.

Poor Max. You know what, you can stay here and wallow.

Cos you are not a father. You are pathetic!

-You want to say that again, do you?

-Oi... Oi...

What are you going to do, eh? What are you going to do?

You're going to hit me like your daddy did, are you?!

No, you see, Dad, I have heard that sob story one too many times.

No, Dad, don't have that, all right?

Why don't you just sit down and I'll get you some water?

She didn't mean what she said and you didn't mean what you said

and it will all be OK, I promise.

I just know it will be.

Look, do you remember when I was little and I used

to sneak into your room and we'd have our private little chats?

Me and you, we'd talk for hours and we ain't done that in years.

Why don't you get out of here, Abi...

-Dad?

-Just get out, yeah... You're not a little girl any more.

Just a slapper up the duff... Disgusting.

No, Dad, this is your grandchild. Look, you can...

Take that Beale brat - that thing in your stomach -

and get out of here!

GO!!

Abi... Abi!

Lauren!

What are you doin'?

I mean, what's happened to you?

That's your family, that's all you got left.

No...

That's my family, Jack.

Wrecked, torn apart.

There's nothing left, nothing.

Ah, you're back.

What took you so long?

Just got chatting...

Well, look, there's some pizza in the oven for you.

You forget the milk?

Ah - nice one.