Opening image: Pearl performs on stage with her fantastical lies and broken promises, we're introduced to her 'Henry Situation' with a few flashbacks to Henry no. 1 and her struggle with piano, we see her getting wasted after being in scary situations, how much discord is in their band group, her work at the restaurant etc
Theme stated: A customer at the job tells her that, 'you look like you have a lot on your mind.' Pearl just replies saying that she's 'always got a lot on her mind, she's a creative person!' and the stranger says 'Ma'am, you look like you need therapy' and Pearl laughs, brushes it off and says that 'I can express my feelings through songwriting, that's therapy enough for me'. 'Whatever floats your boat, crazy lady'
Setup: Pearl feels like her songs have been lacking something lately and stays up late trying to write a good one. We see her apartment, Carmen visits and acts like a mother and gets her outta the house, talks about the wedding, there's more lying, hard working, unkeepable promises. She drinks more coffee to keep her awake and notices the bags under her eyes but covers it all up, saying that 'it's like an armor and I feel safe in it'. She constantly avoids calls from her mother, father and sister. Carmen's wedding, the bandies bond a little.
Catalyst: Henry no. 2 appears and they get into a life-or-death situation (aka he strangles her), causing Pearl to have to go to hospital and stuff. She wakes up later on realizing that she's completely lost her voice. DEVASTATION. She even has the scars on her neck. She can't sing any more. She can't talk.
Debate: She is discharged from the hospital and has to live with Jane for a bit (Rubia lives with her family and Carmen has William so she can't stay with anyone else) which turns out to be not too bad. They keep themselves to themselves, not much interaction unless Jane woke up and made Pearl breakfast or smth. She keeps asking herself, 'What do I do now? I can't sing any more.'
ACT 2
Break into 2: Pearl has to constantly carry a notebook and pen around, or makes simple hand gestures. The whole situation has been told to the fans (who are out for Henry's blood), and they have to scout for a new lead singer while Pearl has to play a different instrument if she wants to stay in the group but she refuses to touch the piano, and learns a different instrument instead (not after lying to management and saying that she already knows how to play it). She continues trying to write songs, now while going to music lessons. She continues working at the restaurant (they know of her condition), she becomes labelled as 'mute', still telling worried people that she's fine even though it feels like the world is in almost-grayscale.
B story: She meets a really cute guy at the restaurant who is super nice to her, being patient with her answers, talking to her, making her feel like a person. He is vibrant colours in her black and white world. He appears every Friday and those are the days at work she looks forward to the most. Always has a shift those days, she makes sure of it.
Some fun and games: Things seem to be getting easier for her. She is doing really well at her music lessons, communication - no news from Henry, and cute guy (Benji) invites her out on a date (which she happily accepts). Carmen is having a great time with William, Jane isn't so annoying and they even bond a little, and we discover dramatically that all the time Rubia used to be using to practice guitar was never to practice guitar... with the manager... her family reaches out to her and ask her to stay the weekend with them, which she dreads - but she finds out a lot has gotten better. She takes Benji to meet them and it goes great. On one of her live shows Henry appears, apologizing, but she's too scared to hear him out. The next day, she is awoken by Jane for the news - Henry has been murdered.
