The Other Woman

Adam calls Emily from the hospital to update her on Pammie’s condition. She’s okay, though slightly dehydrated. Adam tells Emily that Pammie will stay at their apartment for a few days while she recovers. He asks Emily to wait up for them so she can help settle Pammie into the guest room. Emily suggests Pammie stay with James; she worries Pammie will insist on her and Adam sleeping in different rooms in their apartment. Adam reassures Emily that Pammie will be comfortable with their sleeping arrangements now that he and Emily are engaged. He talks about having sex with Emily in a way that is a “statement rather than a question” (80). Emily wonders if Pammie faked her syncope to ruin Adam and Emily’s proposal and new engagement.

Pammie stays with Adam and Emily for several days. She takes over the primary bedroom, making Emily sleep in the guest room and Adam on the couch. Emily retreats to Seb’s apartment, desperately needing a break from Pammie. Seb encourages Emily to talk to Adam, emphasizing how happy she should feel. Adam becomes enraged with Emily when she calls to tell him she plans to spend the night at Seb’s apartment. He aggressively insists she return to their apartment, even though it is late.

Pammie orders Emily around and makes snide remarks about her appearance and how she cooks. She suggests Adam might be having an affair.

Emily struggles to hide her irritation with Pammie, referring to her as Pamela and engaging in petty arguments. Pammie suggests Emily quit her job to provide Adam with a more comfortable home life. Emily tells Pammie to go to bed while she waits for Adam to get home from work. Pammie tells Emily not to harass Adam when he returns home and suggests Emily is too possessive. When Adam arrives home late and intoxicated, Emily approaches him sexually while coyly asking when Pammie should return to her own house. Pammie walks in on Emily and Adam engaging in sexual activity, ending her stay at the apartment.

Pammie refuses to speak with Adam or Emily for weeks. She gossips about witnessing Adam and Emily’s sexual encounter with James, who laughs about it with Emily while visiting to help with wedding plans. Infuriated, Adam retreats to the bedroom, leaving James and Emily alone. Emily confides in James that Adam blames her for Pammie walking in on them, and James supports Emily. Emily’s attraction to James grows, especially when James empathizes with her.

For weeks, Adam acts cold and distant toward Emily, refusing to have sex with her. She feels stressed from an overloaded work schedule. Adam finds a wedding venue with an opening in a few months, and they decide to reserve the location. The quickly approaching date adds to Emily’s tension. James calls Emily at work and invites her out for coffee. Although Emily doesn’t have the time on this occasion, she suggests they get together soon.

Emily decides not to tell Adam about James asking her out for coffee, but she feels guilty for her deception. Adam continues to maintain distance from Emily. Pammie agrees to have dinner with the couple, during which she only speaks to Adam, aside from making a rude, false comment about Emily gaining weight. Emily, Adam, and Pammie each drink four glasses of wine at dinner. Pammie recalls James and Adam’s childhood memory when the boys raced crabs at the beach. Pammie remembers how upset James feels upon finding his crab smashed to pieces.

Emily attempts to discuss the discomfort among the three adults. She intends to apologize. Pammie acts disgusted, and Adam interrupts and speaks over Emily. Adam and Pammie dismiss Emily as drunk, and the dinner ends abruptly. Adam tells Emily to put herself to bed when they get home. Emily asserts to herself that she feels tipsy, not drunk. She understands that alcohol was not the reason for initiating her conversation with Pammie.

Adam gives Emily the silent treatment for several days. He eventually begins talking to Emily by making dinner plans. Emily attempts casual conversation, but Adam drives the discussion to Pammie. He insists Emily make a better effort to get along with his mother, and he denies any malicious behavior on Pammie’s behalf. When Emily tries to explain the reasons she feels hurt by Pammie, Adam dismisses her feelings and tells her she is acting immature. Emily agrees with Adam and resolves to try harder to build a stronger relationship with Pammie. Emily attempts to initiate sex, but Adam recoils from her while explaining he now has a problem. Emily believes Adam is sexually traumatized after experiencing his mother witnessing him in a sexual act.

Although she feels wrong about doing so, Emily goes out for coffee with James. James asks Emily how she’s doing, and Emily mentions how poorly dinner went with Pammie and Adam. James agrees with Emily, explaining how his mother can be crass. At Emily’s inquiry, James explains that his relationship with his girlfriend, Chloe, is somewhat new and unstable. When James asks Emily about her relationship with Adam, Emily tears up and leaves the restaurant.

Emily turns to Seb for guidance about James. He advises Emily to proceed cautiously while reassuring her that she hasn’t done anything wrong. However, Seb strongly disapproves of Emily’s accepting an invitation from James for after-work drinks. Emily feels hurt by Seb’s intense, negative opinion of her decisions and behavior.

Emily and James drink champagne while celebrating James’s new job. James inquires about Emily’s relationship with Adam again. Emily realizes how strongly she feels about James, and she fantasizes about having sex with him. Thinking of Adam, she stops and feels foolish for dressing in a flattering outfit. She realizes she put extra consideration into choosing underwear in anticipation of meeting with James, and she believes her intentions for the evening make her just as guilty as if she had actually slept with James. Emily interrupts James as he begins to warn Emily about Adam, explaining how meeting him was wrong. She leaves the bar and feels desperate to see Adam.

Adam cooks an elaborate meal for Emily at home. He brings Emily a glass of wine as she changes out of her work clothes and showers. Emily cries with relief as Adam makes love to her for the first time in over a month.

After they have sex, Emily asks Adam about Rebecca. Adam explains the close nature of their relationship: Though their friends and family members disapproved, Rebecca and Adam prioritized their relationship with each other over everyone else. Adam tells Emily that Rebecca, an asthmatic, lost her inhaler in the move to the couple’s first shared apartment. Pammie found Rebecca and called paramedics, who were unable to resuscitate her.

Emily sees Pammie in a new light after learning about Rebecca. She justifies Pammie’s hurtful nature, knowing how close Pammie felt to Rebecca. Emily asks Adam if she believes he would still be with Rebecca were she still alive, and Adam labels Emily’s question stupid (though he asks at the start of the conversation if Emily still thinks about Tom). Emily feels as if Adam constantly directs his stress and anger at her.