One day while cleaning a hotel room, Veronica finds a magazine with Ashley on the front cover, and is annoyed that her old college friend is now successful. Veronica clashes with Donna over their opinions about the war, and she is forced to move in with her mentally unstable Aunt Charlie. Before leaving New York, Veronica finds a video recording left to her by Kip, who reveals he left art school to join the army because he believed it would make Veronica proud. Veronica breaks down in tears. Later, a drunk Veronica goes to the opening of Ashley's new gallery. When she sees a painting depicting her own bloodied face, Veronica suddenly remembers their fight and realizes Ashley is the reason she lost everything. Veronica goes into a rage and begins destroying the paintings, and Ashley is shocked to see her when she tries to stop her. Veronica punches Ashley and runs off with the painting of her face. Ashley runs after her into a construction site, where the two begin brutally beating each other with various tools. Veronica manages to overpower Ashley and hits her over the head several times with a wrench. Satisfied with her revenge, Veronica stumbles away. Ashley attempts to stand up, but a cinder block falls and hits her in the head, and she falls into a coma. Two more years pass. Ashley awakens in the hospital and discovers that she lost her baby during the coma, Lisa has left her to begin a family with a man, and she is completely broke after all of her paintings were sold to pay her hospital bills. The United States has won the war on terror and completely westernized the Middle East, meaning that her dark art style has suddenly lost all popularity. Sally, meanwhile, has become immensely famous and wealthy after her comics about happy blue bunnies became popular after the end of the war. Ashley is now forced to work for her former assistant and attempts to begin painting again, only to find she is physically unable to do so because of her injuries, meaning her art career is ruined forever. Ashley has lost everything - just as Veronica did. One night, Ashley asks Sally why she is being nice to her, and Sally unapologetically admits that she enjoys seeing Ashley so miserable because of the cruel treatment she received while working for her. Enraged, Ashley begins destroying the few possessions she has left, only to discover a bus ticket to Pennsylvania. Ashley realizes that the bus ticket belongs to Veronica. During the last two years, Veronica has been caring for her Aunt Charlie out in the middle of the woods, and has come to enjoy living away from the rest of the world.