Tom Kirkman and Beth Brookes' affair is uncovered in episode five of ITV's six-part drama Adultery, when Tom's daughter Jess discovers incriminating photographs on her father's tablet and identifies Beth as the mystery woman.
The revelation comes while Tom and Jess are giving Beth, her son Ollie and her husband Neil a lift home following Beth's car accident. Jess sends Beth a confrontational text message from the back seat, and after exiting the vehicle, the two have a conversation outside where Jess makes her feelings about Beth abundantly clear, warning her that she will expose the truth to Beth's family.
Jess's Pregnancy Revelation
Jess is devastated because she loves Ollie and wants to spend her life with him, and tells Beth she is willing to keep her father's affair a secret provided they agree to end it. However, in a shocking twist, upon returning home to Tom, Jess reveals that she is pregnant.
The pair travel back to the lakes to discuss the situation with her mother and Tom's wife Hannah, and it soon becomes clear that Jess is using the pregnancy as a means to try to bring her family back together.
The Fallout and Confrontation
Ollie subsequently discusses Jess' pregnancy with his parents, and when Tom and Beth meet later, Beth confides in Tom that she suspects Jess is fabricating the pregnancy as a result of their affair. Beth informs Tom that she intends to tell Neil about their affair, urging Tom to come clean to Hannah if he is genuinely serious about the two of them being together.
Tom resolves to tell Hannah when he arrives home but has a change of heart, instead admitting to her that he feels he has not been an attentive father. Later, during a family dinner with Ollie present, Tom receives a text from Beth confirming she has told Neil. Moments later, Neil comes storming through Tom and Hannah's front door, intent on confronting Tom.
Truth and New Beginnings
Neil reveals to Hannah that Tom and Beth's affair has been ongoing for months and that the pair are in love. Outside, Ollie challenges Jess over the fact that she was already aware of the affair. Jess admits that there is no pregnancy and she lied about it in a bid to force their parents to stop their affair, and Ollie ends things with Jess.
Tom is ordered by Hannah to leave and Beth feels empowered to finally confront Neil about the lack of attention and care she's been paid in their relationship, especially in the aftermath of her best friend's death. Beth seeks refuge at her sister's home, only to be turned away and told to return to her family and make amends. With nowhere else to turn and feeling rejected by their respective families, Beth and Tom meet and conclude that being together is worth the upheaval.
While Tom floats the idea of renting a place together on a short-term lease, Beth argues it would be wiser for them each to secure their own properties so their children have a stable base. Audiences witness both Tom and Beth grappling with the fallout of their decisions, as Tom makes a late-night visit to his family home and upon returning to Beth, confesses he feels disorientated by how rapidly everything is unfolding.
Tom acknowledges that while he may love Beth, he hadn't anticipated feeling quite so isolated, to which Beth responds that they are now facing the reality of their situation. A montage subsequently reveals the fallout from the bombshell, depicting Tom spending evenings with his two younger daughters and dropping them home, Beth navigating difficult conversations with her own children, and Jess and Ollie finally crossing paths again at a party.
With the question of whether Tom and Beth choose to give their relationship another shot left unresolved, viewers watch as Beth gets ready for a date, and upon entering the restaurant, is greeted by Tom. It is their second official date, and it is evident that the pair are restarting their relationship on their own terms, with the series drawing to a close as they resolve to pursue things together.
All episodes of Adultery are available to watch on ITVX.
