The Parent Plot

The Parent Plot is the 67th novel from the Sweet Valley High Book series and final arc in the Separation series.

Plot
Jessica tries to keep her parents separated so they will divorce and she can play matchmaker by setting them up with different people. Elizabeth, Steven and Cara counters by trying to get Ned and Alice back together. In the end, Jessica's cruelty comes back to haunt her when her parents find out what she has done and confronts her.

Sypnosis
Ned runs for mayor, while Elizabeth, Cara and Steven scheme to get their parents back together. Jessica doesn't want to see this happen and counter-schemes to keep them apart in the hopes of being a matchmaker and have her parents date other people.

She's also trying to keep her own hopes alive in being the daughter of the mayor to brag to her classmates. Even Lila, who was infuriated by Jessica's egotistical actions, warns her that her cruelty will catch up to her in the end. Jessica casually dismisses Lila and her warning and continues on her destructive path to split apart her family.

Still furious that Jessica harmed Liz in the vicious manner she had, Steven revealed Jessica's completely unabashed cruelty towards her to Alice and she is furious. Although she was furious that Jessica had treated her own family with such disregard, Alice was even more angrier that her heartless antics nearly shattered her older twin daughter's feelings. Elizabeth's sensitive nature was something that Alice understood and she was very protective of her due to that. Steven, despite his equal treatment of his twin sisters, had also always been more attuned to and very protective of Elizabeth, due to her very sensitive nature.

Alice and Ned do get back together, realizing how much they truly loved each other. She tells him everything Jessica has done to them and Elizabeth from Steven. Ned is very furious that she had harmed their family in such a disregard and selfish nature. After he and Alice get their relationship back on track, they immediately confront Jessica for publicly humiliating them in front of their peers. She tries to defend herself, but neither parent wants to hear any of her excuses. Ned points out that it was Jessica's fault for how she treated their family and Liz with such a selfish disregard. How she separated them, nearly sank their marriage and nearly destroyed Liz's emotional health irreparably in the hopes of getting only what she wanted by being known as the mayor's daughter. Jessica tries to explain herself again and claiming all this was for the family's own good. Ned furiously interrupts her and tells her to shut up. He mentions that they already know what Jessica did to them and Liz from Steven and Cara. Alice also tells her that she will pay for her actions towards them and her sister, and sends her off to her room. Humiliated, Jessica leaves to her room crying her eyes out having now realized her selfish plans had backfired on her.

Later on, Alice and Ned help a nearly shattered Elizabeth realize that their separation wasn't her fault and that she was loved and cared about. Their separation were the result of Jessica and her manipulations and nothing else. They told her that she wasn't responsible for any of the damage that was done to them. That Jessica will be dealt with, being given the worst possible punishment for her blatant cruelty she wrought upon their family. Liz is still unsure, but Cara and Steven gently reassures that she would be severely punished for her behavior. This helped mend Elizabeth's grieving heart and emotions. This tragic situation helped bond her and Cara as close friends. In that moment, Elizabeth tells Ned about the corrupt politicians in his campaign whom were helping sabotage both his and Maria's father's campaign. When he asks her what happened, Steven explains that they secretly spied on his campaign manager helping Jessica in her attempt to get what she wanted. Ned withdraws from the mayoral race and fires his campaign manager along with his corrupt party.

The next day, Jessica is publicly humiliated by everyone for what she had done, especially to Liz, and was grounded for a long time by Ned and Alice due to her sheer maliciousness. Instead of being known as the mayor's daughter (The new mayor would be Maria Santelli's father), she became known as the self-entitled brat who blatantly tried to destroy her parents marriage and cruelly blamed and emotionally maltreated Liz.

Trivia

 * Alice and Ned would later suffer from marital problems again in SVH 102: Almost Married
 * Unlike in the three part Separation series, Jessica learns her lesson from last time. She willingly helps Liz and Bruce keep Alice with Ned and Hank with Marie.