THE DOCUMENTS LARRY WOULDN’T LET BETHANY OPEN

INT. LARRY’S HOUSE – LIVING ROOM – AFTERNOON

The house is unusually quiet.

Soft sunlight falls through the curtains.

Bethany sits on the couch, scrolling through her phone. Larry is nowhere around. The only sound is the ticking of the clock on the wall.

Suddenly—

DING-DONG!

The doorbell rings.

Bethany looks up.

She frowns.

Another ring.

DING-DONG!

Bethany puts her phone down and slowly gets up.

She walks toward the front door.

BETHANY

Who could that be?

She opens the door.

A delivery driver stands outside holding a large envelope.

Bethany looks at the envelope.

Her expression changes when she notices Larry’s name printed clearly across it.

DELIVERY DRIVER

This is for Larry.

Bethany nods.

BETHANY

He isn’t home right now. I can take it for him.

The driver hands her the envelope.

Bethany signs for the delivery.

She closes the door.

For a moment, she simply stares at the package.

There is something official about it.

The envelope looks important.

Bethany turns it over.

She notices the name of a law firm printed in the corner.

Her curiosity grows.

She walks back into the living room.

Bethany places the envelope on the table.

She sits down.

She stares at it.

BETHANY

What kind of papers are these?

She picks up the envelope.

She examines it carefully.

There is no explanation on the outside.

Bethany becomes even more curious.

She reaches for her phone.

She knows she should probably wait for Larry.

But she also knows Larry has been dealing with serious matters lately.

Bethany decides to call him.

INT. LARRY’S CAR – AFTERNOON

Larry is driving.

His phone rings.

He glances at the screen.

BETHANY.

Larry answers through the car’s hands-free system.

LARRY

Hey, Bethany. What’s going on?

INTERCUT – LIVING ROOM / LARRY’S CAR

Bethany looks at the envelope.

BETHANY

Larry, some papers came for you.

Larry’s expression immediately becomes serious.

LARRY

What papers?

BETHANY

I don’t know. They came from a law office.

Larry grips the steering wheel tighter.

LARRY

A law office?

BETHANY

Yeah. Your name is on the envelope.

Larry pauses.

He realizes exactly what she may be holding.

LARRY

Bethany, listen to me.

Bethany looks at the envelope.

BETHANY

What?

Larry’s voice becomes firm.

LARRY

Did you open it?

Bethany hesitates.

BETHANY

No.

Larry breathes out.

But Bethany’s next words make him nervous.

BETHANY

I was about to.

Larry’s eyes widen.

LARRY

Don’t!

Bethany freezes.

She has never heard Larry sound so serious.

LARRY

Bethany, do not open those papers.

BETHANY

Why? What are they?

Larry looks straight ahead.

His jaw tightens.

LARRY

I don’t want you opening anything that comes from my lawyer.

Bethany looks confused.

BETHANY

But I was only going to see what it was.

LARRY

No. Don’t touch it.

A long silence follows.

Bethany slowly puts the envelope back on the table.

BETHANY

Okay.

Larry takes a deep breath.

LARRY

I’m coming home.

Bethany looks toward the front door.

BETHANY

Right now?

LARRY

Yes. Stay there. Don’t open the envelope.

The call ends.

INT. LARRY’S HOUSE – LIVING ROOM – LATER

Bethany sits quietly on the couch.

The envelope remains untouched on the table.

She keeps looking at it.

Her curiosity is eating at her.

She picks it up again.

She looks at Larry’s name.

BETHANY

What could be so important?

She puts it down again.

A few minutes later—

The sound of a car pulling into the driveway.

Bethany looks toward the window.

Larry has arrived.

The front door opens.

Larry walks inside quickly.

His face is tense.

LARRY

Where is it?

Bethany points toward the table.

BETHANY

Right there.

Larry walks straight toward the envelope.

He picks it up.

He checks it carefully.

Bethany watches him.

BETHANY

Larry, what is going on?

Larry doesn’t answer immediately.

He looks at her.

LARRY

I told you not to open it.

BETHANY

And I didn’t.

Larry nods.

His expression softens slightly.

LARRY

Thank you.

Bethany stands.

BETHANY

But you still haven’t told me what it is.

Larry holds the envelope tightly.

LARRY

It’s something I need to handle myself.

Bethany crosses her arms.

BETHANY

You made it sound like it was some kind of emergency.

Larry looks down at the documents.

LARRY

It could become one.

Bethany’s face changes.

BETHANY

Is somebody suing you?

Larry remains silent.

That silence tells Bethany enough.

BETHANY

Larry…

Larry shakes his head.

LARRY

I don’t want to talk about it until I know exactly what’s inside.

Bethany steps closer.

BETHANY

Then why couldn’t I even look at it?

Larry looks directly into her eyes.

LARRY

Because these are my legal documents.

His voice is calm now, but firm.

LARRY

And whatever is written in there could affect my family.

Bethany becomes concerned.

BETHANY

Is this going to affect us?

Larry pauses.

LARRY

I don’t know yet.

He looks at the envelope again.

LARRY

That’s why I need to read it first.

Bethany nods slowly.

She understands.

BETHANY

Okay. I won’t ask anymore.

Larry gives her a grateful look.

LARRY

I appreciate that.

He starts walking away.

Bethany watches him.

But before Larry can leave the room—

BETHANY

Larry?

He stops.

LARRY

Yeah?

BETHANY

Whatever those papers say… you don’t have to deal with it alone.

Larry looks back at her.

For the first time since arriving home, his expression softens.

LARRY

I know.

A quiet moment passes between them.

Larry turns and walks toward the hallway.

He holds the envelope close to his chest.

Bethany remains in the living room.

She watches him disappear.

INT. LARRY’S OFFICE – MOMENTS LATER

Larry closes the door behind him.

He places the envelope on his desk.

He sits down.

For several seconds, he simply stares at it.

His fingers slowly move toward the seal.

He stops.

Larry takes a deep breath.

Whatever is inside could change everything.

He finally opens the envelope.

He pulls out the first document.

His eyes move across the page.

His expression slowly changes.

Shock.

Concern.

Then anger.

Larry lowers the document.

LARRY

This can’t be happening.

He looks back at the papers.

Outside the office, Bethany walks past the door.

She stops when she hears his voice.

She doesn’t enter.

She simply stands there, worried.

Inside the office, Larry continues reading.

Every page seems to make the situation worse.

He grabs his phone.

He scrolls through his contacts.

His finger stops on his lawyer’s name.

Larry hesitates.

Then he presses CALL.

LARRY

We need to talk.

Larry looks down at the documents again.

His face is tense.

LARRY

I just received the papers.

He listens.

His expression becomes even more serious.

LARRY

No. I haven’t told Bethany anything.

A pause.

Larry looks toward the closed door.

LARRY

But she almost opened them.

He shakes his head.

LARRY

I stopped her before she could.

Another pause.

Larry listens carefully.

His eyes remain fixed on the documents.

LARRY

Alright.

He leans back in his chair.

LARRY

I’ll be ready.

Larry ends the call.

He sits silently.

Outside, Bethany slowly walks away from the office.

She knows Larry is dealing with something serious.

But she also knows he made one thing very clear—

Those documents were never meant for her to open.

And whatever was inside them…

Larry was determined to handle it himself.