The moment of truth has arrived at the Auguste Armand Institute. In this explosive episode of Here It All Begins , airing Wednesday, November 12, 2025, secrets buried for three decades resurface and threaten to destroy everything. Clotilde, cornered by events and consumed by guilt, finally admits the unthinkable: she is responsible for the accident that shattered Hector’s life. Around her, tensions explode, alliances waver, and hearts break. The Institute has never seemed so fragile.
It all begins with a heavy atmosphere. Since the return of Hector, Clotilde’s former love, everything has fallen apart. His presence awakens ghosts from the past and jeopardizes the already fragile equilibrium of Chief Armand. Despite Rose and Joachim’s efforts to support her, Clotilde is losing her grip. The memories of that dramatic night when everything changed haunt her. She feels trapped between the weight of her conscience and the fear of seeing her world collapse if the truth comes out.
Hector, for his part, seeks to understand what really happened thirty years earlier. Scarred by years of suffering and injustice, he can no longer bear the unspoken truths. He senses that Clotilde is hiding something serious from him. Her cold and distant demeanor, her silences, everything seems to betray a dark secret. The deeper he digs, the more inconsistencies he uncovers in the official version of the accident. His determination becomes obsessive: he wants to know who stole his youth.
Meanwhile, Teyssier, ever astute and cynical, senses that something is afoot. While busy preparing for the official opening of the Institute’s hotel, he overhears a conversation between Clotilde and Rose. The tone, the tension, the half-spoken words pique his curiosity. True to form, he wastes no time digging and piecing together the puzzle. What he discovers threatens to shake the school to its core. But Teyssier, far from feeling sorry for himself, sees it primarily as an opportunity: if the truth comes out, he might very well be the one to profit.
The students sense the unease in the air without understanding why. Between shifts, they exchange rumors. Some claim a scandal is brewing. Others simply notice that Clotilde seems at her wit’s end. Mehdi and Hortense, worried, try to approach her kindly, but she remains defensive. Her authority is faltering, and the exemplary image she has cultivated for years threatens to crumble.
The turning point comes during a tense confrontation between Clotilde and Hector. Alone in the deserted kitchens of the Institute, their true colors fall away. Hector pushes her to the limit, demanding answers. Chef Armand finally breaks. In a trembling voice, she blurts out what she has repressed for decades: yes, she caused the accident. That night, gripped by panic and overwhelmed by a jumble of emotions, she lost control of the car. Hector, a passenger at the time, paid the ultimate price for her mistake. Since then, she has lived with this burden on her conscience, trapped by a lie she has tried to bury.
Hector is devastated. His eyes cloud over with anger and despair. The woman he thought he had always loved turns out to be the cause of his torment. He blames her for her silence, her years of lies, her hypocrisy. Clotilde, crushed, no longer tries to defend herself. She begs his forgiveness, but Hector is not ready. He leaves the room, leaving behind a broken Clotilde, aware that nothing will ever be the same again.
Teyssier, an indirect witness to the scene thanks to a security camera he had installed, immediately grasps the devastating potential of this revelation. In his Machiavellian mind, everything falls into place: this secret could ruin the Armands’ reputation, weaken Clotilde, and give him absolute power over the Institute. But for once, he hesitates. Behind his cynicism, he senses his colleague’s genuine distress. The opportunity is too good to pass up, but the situation too human. Will he betray or protect?
Rose, informed by her sister, reacts with disarming emotion. She doesn’t judge her, aware that the tragedy has already devastated their family enough. Yet, she also knows that the truth won’t remain hidden for long. If Hector decides to speak, the press will seize upon it, and the entire Institute will suffer. Torn between family loyalty and moral duty, Rose finds herself facing an impossible dilemma.
As the day progresses, the consequences of this confession begin to take their toll. Overwhelmed by shame, Clotilde even considers resigning from her position. She fears losing the trust of her students, her colleagues, and the entire teaching staff. Joachim tries to reason with her, reminding her of all she has accomplished and the strength she has always drawn from adversity. But this time, Clotilde no longer has the strength to fight. The past has caught up with her.
The episode ends on a poignant note. Clotilde, alone in her office, looks at an old photograph of herself and Hector, taken before the tragedy. Tears stream silently down her cheeks. In a final symbolic gesture, she places the photo in a drawer and locks it, as if to bury this part of herself forever. But a shadow still looms: Teyssier, in the hallway, holds the key to a future he can alter with a single word. The truth has come out, but the consequences are only just beginning.
