Married Life

In 1949, successful middle-aged businessman Harry Allen begins an affair with the much younger war widow Kay Nesbitt, reigniting his emotional life. The affair makes him feel rejuvenated and more alive as he slips into a dangerous double life. The relationship sets the stage for the conflicts to come.

Harry confides in his best friend Richard Langley about the affair and urges him to visit Kay to ease her loneliness. He hints at the risk of discovery and hopes Richard will connect with Kay without jeopardizing his own marriage. This confession foreshadows the entanglement that follows.

Richard travels to Kay's world and is immediately drawn to her. He senses Kay's loneliness and emotional openness, and their growing attraction deepens the complications surrounding Harry's affair. The bond between Richard and Kay is planted.

Richard uncovers Pat's own affair with John O'Brien, revealing that infidelity is not limited to Harry. The discovery complicates loyalties and ups the stakes for all four people involved. Pat's secret adds pressure on the marriages and shifts the dynamics.

With his feelings for Kay growing, Richard urges both Harry and Pat to stay with their spouses rather than pursue new partners. He argues that preserving the marriages could eventually lead to happiness for everyone, including Kay. The advice intensifies the moral maze surrounding the affair.

Harry resolves to end Pat's life by lacing her daily digestive aid with poison to avoid divorce and social humiliation. The plan marks a fatal turn as he weighs the consequences of his actions. The seriousness of the plot underscores how deeply the affair has corrupted him.

Harry visits Kay to press the relationship, but Kay ends it, leaving him rejected and frustrated. The abrupt breakup disrupts the hold the affair has on both their lives and foreshadows further turmoil. The rejection also signals a turning point in the lovers' tangled fates.

Harry returns home to demand all his correspondence, only to find Kay in the arms of Richard, who has secreted himself upstairs. The betrayal is immediate and painful, shattering Harry's confidence and trust. The moment crystallizes the new triangle at the center of the story.

Realizing Kay's betrayal, Harry races back to the Allens' home to intercept Pat from taking her nightly medication that could be poisoned. The urgency reveals his moral desperation and the fragility of the households. The sequence heightens the looming tragedy.

Harry arrives to find his wife sleeping, fearing she might have poisoned herself. He notices John O'Brien fleeing the scene as Pat dresses, implying her infidelity. Overwhelmed by guilt, he chooses not to confront her directly.

After the upheaval, Richard and Kay marry and join the Allens’ social circle, blending their new life with the old. Their union reshapes the neighborhood's dynamics and introduces a darkly ironic symmetry to the affairs that preceded it. Harry and Pat remain on the periphery, watching as the group moves forward.

Despite the changes, Harry and Pat stay on the margins of the group, their marriage buoyed by the knowledge of others' decisions but still strained. The film ends on a note of cautious healing, with old wounds lingering beneath a newly reconfigured social life. The remaining couple's quiet endurance hints at the fragile balance achieved.