Bet meets Richard Willmore, the brewery tied-trade director. She asks if she could stay at the Rovers as manager. Bet talks Willmore into letting her stay on. He puts her on a six-month probation. Alec is stunned when Bet tells him that she's going to stay at the Rovers as manager and not go to Southampton. She tells him that she can't leave. He refuses to listen to her and tells her they are leaving. Alec accuses Bet of trying to blackmail him into staying. He can't believe that she'll let him go alone. Martin gets trainee nurse Carmel Finnan to babysit. Bet tells Alec she doesn't want their marriage to end as she wants to salvage something from it. He tells her that he married her in order to share his life with her and he's given her everything, but now it's his turn and he wants the new job. He tells her that if she doesn't go to Southampton she'll be finishing their marriage. The residents gather at the Rovers to see the Gilroys off. Alec walks through them all and leaves, Bet begs him to stay but he tells her that she's killed their marriage. He drives off.