Lucy didn’t just walk away from an abusive relationship—she ran from it, carrying the weight of emotional damage that made her question her sanity. Hoping to start on a clean slate, she and her closest friend Megan, who’s also a chef, take over an old three-star restaurant and breathe new life into it.
Their opening night draws a solid crowd, and things seem promising until Lucy receives a disturbing package—her mother’s watch and some personal photos left behind by an unknown man. By the next day, Lucy encounters a stranger in the dog park who starts up a strange conversation with her.
Opening night success is shadowed by a creeping presence (Photo: A Chef’s Deadly Revenge/Johnson Production Group)This makes her extremely uneasy. The man, Frank, begins haunting her space, appearing at her home uninvited in the middle of the night. Tired of constantly looking over her shoulder, Lucy decides it’s time to take matters into her own hands.
She’s had enough of being targeted by controlling men and starts turning the tables on Frank.
Why does Lucy befriend Frank’s wife?
Lucy doesn’t just sit back and wait—she installs security cameras at the restaurant and begins tracking Frank’s movements. Anytime he notices her tailing him, he tries to lose her. During one of these episodes, Lucy discovers his wife, Emily, through social media.
Megan continues to warn Lucy not to get involved further and to keep her head in the kitchen, but Lucy has other plans. Determined to expose Frank’s twisted mind, she visits Emily’s antique shop under a fake name—Leah—and pretends to be a food critic in town.
Emily, unaware of the deceit, welcomes Lucy warmly and begins to talk about her husband. She shares how Frank once owned the very building Lucy now operates from. Frank’s grandfather built it, and Frank only lost it after he couldn’t keep up with the rent.
Though he believes he can get it back, Emily admits the reality—he can’t afford it. She even invites Lucy to join her small book club. Lucy plays along and accepts the invitation, but soon after, she leaves a dead fish on Frank’s doorstep with a note saying she isn’t going anywhere.
The following morning, Lucy finds a horrifying doll stuffed with worms and a goat skull while sorting through vegetables.
What happens when Frank sees Lucy in his house?
Now part of Emily’s book club, Lucy starts attending their small gatherings, which are usually just a few middle-aged women enjoying tea and snacks in Emily’s kitchen. One day, Frank walks into his home only to find Lucy laughing and bonding with his wife and her friends.
Emily introduces her as the visiting food critic, and Frank, not recognizing her, mentions the new restaurant on Water Street, which Lucy secretly owns. He talks about how badly they performed on their final day, even turning customers away due to a lack of food.
He then issues a warning about that particular restaurant, unaware that he’s speaking directly to the owner. Both of them continue their roles, but the tension between them is now razor-sharp as their feud reaches a boiling point.
What happens when Lucy reveals the truth to Emily?
Lucy gets to a point where she can’t carry the weight of Frank’s threats any longer and confesses everything to Emily—her real name, her identity as the restaurant owner, and how Frank has been following her since she arrived in town. At first, Emily doesn’t believe a word of it and angrily asks Lucy to leave.
But later, when she checks Frank’s phone, she sees all the photos he’s secretly taken of Lucy. Realizing the truth, Emily immediately ends things with Frank. Outside, Lucy is watching from her car and notices Emily leaving. Frank sees Lucy’s car and gives chase, but she drives away before he catches up.
The next day, Lucy was meant to accompany Megan to the hospital for her lumpectomy, but the exhaustion from her nighttime spying made her oversleep. She rushes over to Megan’s house to say sorry, but Megan expresses her disappointment and urges Lucy to get her priorities right.
Megan’s worried about the changes she’s noticed in Lucy. After this tense exchange, Lucy goes jogging, only for Frank to ambush her. He accuses her of being the reason his wife left him and chases her through the streets until she manages to reach safety.
Later that day, Lucy’s restaurant is hosting a major guest—Taylor Abott, a top food critic. Things appear to be going well until Lucy spots her ex, Ayden, at one of the tables. The sight of him brings back old trauma, and she lashes out at him in public. Ayden says he was invited like everyone else, but Lucy demands he leave.
This incident plays out in front of Taylor, which certainly isn’t the kind of attention Lucy wanted.
Who killed Ayden?
The next morning brings fresh trouble for Lucy. Megan leaves a panicked voice note, telling her to check a link. It’s a news report—Ayden was found stabbed to death the previous night, not long after Lucy’s public outburst.
Soon after, Detective Sharma calls Lucy to the station for questioning. She insists she was out driving and denies any involvement in the murder. But things get more troubling when Sharma shows her the murder weapon: one of Lucy’s special kitchen knives, marked with her name.
Lucy stops answering questions without a lawyer present. Deep down, she’s convinced Frank is framing her.
How does Lucy take her revenge?
After Frank physically attacks Megan at the restaurant, Lucy realises she’s reached her limit. She tells Megan the madness will be over soon, but Megan strongly disagrees with her methods and suggests involving the police. Still, Lucy is tired of men controlling her path and sets a trap.
Late-night visits and familiar threats push Lucy to fight back (Photo: A Chef’s Deadly Revenge/Johnson Production Group)She tempts Frank into chasing her and leads him straight back to the restaurant. Once there, he threatens that she won’t be able to hide anymore. Lucy keeps him talking long enough to get a confession. Frank’s plan has always been to put every crime on her and take back what he believes is his.
She even pretends to suggest going into business with him, but he refuses. When he fully admits to everything, including his intention to kill her, Lucy reveals that the restaurant is full of hidden cameras. Frank believes he’s outsmarted her, saying cameras don’t record audio.
But Lucy had already ensured the place was fitted with microphones too. She throws flour in his eyes, temporarily blinding him, then locks him inside the walk-in freezer. Detective Sharma arrives not long after to arrest Frank. With that, Lucy finally ends the terror.
As the film closes, the restaurant is thriving again. Megan introduces a new signature dish, and when Emily stops by to try it, she’s blown away by the taste. Lucy quietly acknowledges her gratitude.
