Meanwhile, tensions between Nora and Rachel increase, especially after Nora finds a home movie she stole from David's house and realizes how obsessed she is with him. Later that night, she researches the illness Carol has (encephalitis) and bemoans the prospect of David having to watch her suffer and die.
She immediately earns the ire of Rachel when she calls her David's "secretary" (she prefers "executive assistant") and scolds Isabelle for eating her dinner in front of the TV (despite having gotten permission from David). During this meal, a friend of Carol's named Mary Beth arrives, having come to take care of Isabelle while Carol is hospitalized. That afternoon, Rachel encourages David to return home for a few hours so she can make dinner for him and Isabelle. She also gets angry when Judith asks her to pass an expected call from David to her.
At work, Rachel rebukes a date invitation from co-worker Wally, angered about having to keep her feelings for David a secret. The next morning, Rachel takes Isabelle to school and is pleased when a woman passing by mistakes her for Isabelle's mother. Afterwards, Rachel explores the house and watches some home movies of David, Isabelle, and his wife Carol. Rachel assures her that the doctors will take good care of her before leaving her to sleep. As Rachel is tucking Isabelle to bed, she asks Rachel if her mother is going to die. David thanks Rachel and she insists she take Isabelle home and get her ready for school the next morning, to which David agrees. Rachel then hurries upstairs to her third floor bedroom and, as she gets a coat, we see the wall of her closet is covered in pictures and articles of David.Īfter making a call to co-worker Judith Manon (whom she clearly has disdain for), she arrives at the hospital with a juice box for David's daughter Isabelle. She tells Nora she won't be able to go to the movie, much to her disappointment. Alarmed, Rachel assures David she will take care of things at the office. Just when they're about to leave, however, Rachel gets a call from her boss David Wescott, informing her that his wife is in the hospital after collapsing. The movie opens with Rachel and her cousin/roommate Nora preparing to leave for a movie, with Rachel growing impatient as Nora is taking so long to get ready. Rachel saying, "You're the only nice one!" during a breakdown also implies David wasn't the first object of Rachel's obsession. Rachel had been working for David Wescott for three years prior to the events of the movie and, in that time, mistook his friendly manner as a boss for romantic interest. She also grew to truly hate Nora, which only grew when the two began sharing an apartment. This was only enhanced by the fact that she went to live with her cousin Nora's family, where she didn't feel welcomed (the validity to this is debatable, though). This event clearly traumatized Rachel, leaving her with a feeling of loneliness and desperation to find love.
Rachel was young when her parents both died from unspecified causes. She is portrayed by Josie Davis, famous for playing unhinged villains in Lifetime movies. Rachel Partson is the villainess of the 2008 Lifetime Movie The Perfect Assistant.