It’s two months before Neena’s interrogation by the detective. The Winthorpes are hosting a lavish Fourth of July party. Neena and Cat are talking, and the topic of children comes up. Neena reveals that Matt had prostate cancer, which made him sterile. Cat tells Neena that she and William are waiting to have kids; in reality, Cat and William have had problems conceiving, but Cat doesn’t want to admit to Neena that her life is anything but perfect. After the Fourth of July party, William and Cat talk, and William reveals that he told Neena about their fertility struggles. Cat is angry at William for sharing this personal information with Neena.

Neena and William go for a run together. Neena makes sure to stop by the Winthorpes’ house to pick up William so that Cat will know about the outing. This scheming is part of Neena’s attempts to seduce William and annoy Cat. She thinks to herself, “All I had to do was remain innocent in his eyes. The sane to [Cat’s] crazy. The calm fun to her neurotic paranoia” (119). Neena rightfully suspects that Cat will start needling William about his growing friendship with Neena. Neena is convinced she has the upper hand, thinking: “I had the cards.