Every Last Secret

by A.R. Torre

“Your life becomes about them, and they want to be in swimsuits, like normal kids.”

and we women had formed our own exclusive circle, one that centered around the Menlo country club and branched out.

Stepford wives

I moved toward the fallen item, checking on details as I went. Caviar buffet, stocked. The band was halfway through their set, the soft blues pairing well with the clink of champagne flutes and laughter. I was pleased to see that the great room wasn’t crowded, guests evenly dispersed between our home’s indoor and outdoor spaces.

So theu are wethy

dear. Men wouldn’t know where their shoes went if we weren’t there to point to their feet.”

placed a possessive kiss on William’s cheek as we walked away, my arm tucked into his.

ALdrwsdh assudin her husnand he is HERS

“I’m with the most beautiful woman in the world. Let me enjoy her for a moment.”

Awww theyare so in love

My crow’s-feet were deepening, despite the reassurances

My gd ness is evgeoneso vain here i kean mone

had been surprised by Cat’s small breasts—a lazy oversight in the maintenance category. In a few years, she’d probably ignore the slight bags that would appear under her eyes. The deepened wrinkles along her forehead. The sag of her skin beneath those underworked arms.

WOw this woman is callous and even like demeaning this oher women. Is this ti ma herself feel betterrr

sausage finger dipping

Phalix

me, I thought of William Winthorpe. There was something dark and delicious about him, a temptation that had existed as soon as he’d introduced himself at my interview. William. There had been a tug in his tone, a tightening of the cord between us. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Gruff and sexual. He was a walking chunk of masculinity and instantly more alluring than any of my prior affairs.

Oh myyyyyy does neena knoq og william prior yo JUST mrrting him or is she immediately infatuated

For months after the Bakers disappeared, I would duck between the line of bushes that separated our lots and roam their house. I pocketed a ring of keys that I found in their junk drawer and skipped over the window I had initially used, coming and going as I wished. I spent afternoons in the big leather chair behind John Baker’s desk, flipping through their files. I combed bank and credit card statements, fascinated by the personal glimpse into their life. I stood in Claudia’s bathroom, before her big, wide mirror, and carefully applied her lipstick and shadows.

Just as neena is obsessed with eilkaim caa isobsessed with this how but whyyyy

phallic-shaped

Typically, the brighter the mind, the more unattractive the appearance, but every once in a while, there was a unicorn like Allyson Cho, our stunningly beautiful lead researcher. Or Nicole Finnegan, our public relations powerhouse. Both Nicole and Allyson were arguably more attractive than this blonde director of motivation—and what a stupid title

Wyat ab inflamnatory stereotype

We’d paid for six rehab stints. Moved him three times. Paid off a gambling debt with some ugly Vegas characters. Pulled strings to get him jobs that he had tanked on. And now William wanted to bring him to Winthorpe Tech? A terrible idea, but I loved the fierce dedication he had to Mac, and I was desperate to grow his limited family to include children of our own.

Ahhh his brother was the runt

I once came home to find him in our master bedroom, naked and facedown on the bed, vomit spewed over the expensive duvet.

Traumatic

you had to act decisively and take the consequences. Grab life by the balls. My husband liked to tickle them with a feather and then wander away.

My mamm is a take action girlie

My mother had taught me that. She’d realized that a better life existed for her, and she’d put a plan into place and then taken it, leaving her alcoholic husband and daughter behind and driving three states over to live in a McMansion with an attorney she’d met through a classified ad.

I respnate

Quite frankly, she was prettier than I was. Younger. More delicate. But my body was better than hers. She had almost no muscle tone and probably skipped weight training altogether.

Tearing this woman apart to make hetself feel better

I’d upgrade from him at some point, but not yet.

Oh goodness

Coy

That was the secret to success in this town. Presenting a picture of effortless perfection with behind-the-scenes ruthless hard work. Everyone thought I woke up as Cat Winthorpe one day, but I had clawed and scraped for every piece of this life. Still did.

Never let them knoe your bect move

And Neena Ryder wanted this lifestyle. I had seen it in her eyes, had heard it in the offhand comments she threw out in an attempt to fit in. She wanted it—the only question was what she would do to attain it. I made a mental note to check with Human

Hmmmm if cat is aware if this shell prpbs wraonize thus against neeba but itlk likely backfire

Chess is easy if you think ahead, the further out the better. You have to weigh the strengths you have. Decide what pieces can be sacrificed. Choose what pieces need to be protected. But the key, Scott preached, if playing against any skilled opponent, was the fake. You had to convince them that you were moving down one path—maybe a dumb path, an innocent path—while you skillfully tiptoed through your true plan,

Hmmmmm caniving and cunning love i

The real William Winthorpe was an asshole, and I was fascinated by

My kind of guy unfortunately in high scjjol

You don’t bring problems to my husband. You bring a problem and a solution. Otherwise, you’re useless.

but I don’t want her screwing with William.” I spun the notebook in front of me around and tapped on a girl’s white tuxedo shirt with three-quarter-length sleeves. “This is cute.”

Or screwing william

But if I were you, I’d have Tom do some digging on Neena. She’s your next-door neighbor and your employee. You should find out more about who you’re bringing into your life.”

I agreee

Winthorpe on the middle of Matt’s desk and he’d still take me back. Beg me to stay. Bring me flowers and believe that I deserved them. With that sort of unwavering loyalty and security, why wouldn’t I stray?

Is she sane

My first affair was so innocent. Lust plus opportunity equals sex. It was quick, dirty, and pointless, the excitement fading as soon as the man returned to his twenty-two-year-old girlfriend.

Excuse me

Dark and tempting was intriguing, but light and happy paired with breathless admiration was the strong cocktail

If you tempt fate long enough, something will happen. It’s a biological fact that . . .”

And neena is fate that temptsssss others

Messy sheets. My perfume still in the air. A lacy bra hanging from the arm of the lounge. I reached for the bra and yanked it off as if I were embarrassed by it. “Sorry. I didn’t have a chance to straighten up.” “It’s fine.”

Shedid this purposely

It twittered.

This was interesting. Cat Winthorpe, the most confident woman in the world, was insecure. It was a power rush. Even if I hadn’t made much progress in breaking through William Winthorpe’s morals, I had nicked Cat’s world. And that was almost as sweet of a victory.

Neena us libunh this

The wives of this town were all identical. Cat Winthorpe, whether she liked it or not, would eventually lose this game.

The dealership, which hadn’t batted an eye when I told them I would be towing in my car for a full-service detail, had promised a twenty-four-hour turnaround time. I had pushed back, telling them to keep it until Friday, a directive they

Its ruse to make more time together

“Don’t worry. I’m watching out for you. I know how much you love Matt, and I know what this town is like. Rumors like that . . .” I winced. “They can kill someone’s reputation.”

Id this a threat frokm cat

Not you, me, Neena, and Matt. I swear to God, we need to bail on this friendship. They’re obsessed with us.”

He was growing more and more comfortable with her, and my nerves were fraying with every single ding of his phone.

You’ve got a box at the 49ers’ stadium? We loooovve football. Oh, how funny to run into you at the market. Join us for lunch! Sorry to pop in, but we accidentally bought extra wine that happens to be your favorite! We’re eating some nasty healthy crap for dinner. Why don’t you guys come over and pretend to like it?

Giving stalkwr vibes

That blonde bitch had backed me up against a wall, and I hated it.

Losing contfok

Why had I agreed to have him travel back home alone? It went against every foundation our relationship was built on. We did everything together, yet I’d

Especially with Neena right next door. Watching. Waiting. Did she already know he was home?

Ooof anxiety

I had to come back early. Don’t be alarmed if you see lights on over here.

Why did he tell neena thissss dokes he lowley knoe sges obsessed or is he naive

have to run into Palo Alto on an errand anyway. I’ll drop by a plate in a few hours, assuming it’s not a bother.

Shes so desperate

A flirtatious look countered with a small insult. A casual touch followed by a mention of my husband. Sometimes I wondered if he was doing the same thing with me. A compliment on my dress, a long kiss with his wife. Quick responses to my morning texts but nothing late at night. If it was a game, it was one he played

So dpes he like neena

Smear enough of them together, and you could change the color of everything. His marriage. My life. Everything.

Both terrible partners

This was an odd part to play—the emotional almost-widow. I tried to think of a take that would endear him to me, one that would make him jealous of Matt. It wasn’t a clear path to navigate, especially given the powerful one we’d already been on—the one that had been going so well until

“When did you decide your husband needed to die?”

E xcuse me did neena kill matt

“Poisoned?” An hour later, William squinted at the doctor as if he didn’t understand the word. “With what?” I lay back on the hospital bed and stared at the doctor, trying to keep up with the conversation. “We’ll know in a few hours. We’ve sent off the stomach contents for testing. In a case

Knew it. Ndems poisoned cat