Why Women Kill

In 1963, Rob and Beth Ann Stanton move into their Pasadena mansion following the death of their daughter. After meeting Leo and Sheila Mosconi, Beth Ann overhears Sheila reveal that Leo witnessed Rob kissing a waitress. Beth Ann refuses to believe her husband's infidelity until she sees Rob kiss the waitress firsthand. At Sheila's advice, Beth Ann goes to the diner to confront the waitress, who she learns is named April. However, Beth Ann loses her nerve and instead befriends April, although she keeps her identity secret from her husband's mistress.

In 1984, Simone Grove learns of her husband's homosexuality when she finds pictures of Karl kissing a man. Simone demands that Karl leave, but Karl instead appears to attempt suicide by overdosing on pills. After Karl is sent to the hospital, Tommy Harte admits to Simone that he saw the photos and makes a romantic pass at her. Simone declines his advances, but Tommy states that unlike the men she married, he is in love with her.

In 1963, April admits to Beth Ann that she is the mistress of a married man, still unaware that Beth Ann is the wife of the man she is seeing. After April suggests that the affair is the result of Rob becoming bored with his wife, Beth Ann attempts to make herself more appealing to Rob, but her efforts culminate with her accidentally injuring him. While waiting to be treated at the hospital, Rob acknowledges that he is growing distant from Beth Ann, but stops short of admitting his infidelity. Once treated for his injury, Rob leaves the mansion for an apparent dinner with business partners despite Beth Ann's attempts to make him stay, knowing that he is really meeting with April.

In 1984, Simone discovers that Karl faked his suicide attempt, but is unable to force him out of the mansion when Karl threatens to humiliate her by disclosing his homosexuality to her friends. Naomi Harte reveals to Simone that she has known about Karl's infidelity for over a year, although she is unaware of his sexual orientation. Feeling betrayed by Karl and Naomi, Simone begins an affair with Tommy.

In 1963, when Beth Ann learns that Rob intends to meet with April in a nightclub to celebrate the completion of a project, she visits his office and takes the project files with her. Forced to remain in the office to recreate the project, Rob cancels his plans with April, who invites Beth Ann to go out with her. At the nightclub, April reveals to Beth Ann that she is not pursuing a serious relationship with Rob and has no intention of getting married, preferring to instead focus on becoming a singer.

In 1984, Simone and Karl are forced to attend a charity dinner together, with Tommy serving as their waiter. Tommy grows increasingly resentful towards Karl and his treatment of Simone, culminating in him spilling food on Karl and getting fired. Afterwards, Simone admits to Tommy that while she intends to divorce Karl, she does not hate him because he takes care of her.

In 1963, after an adventure with April, which included roller skating and brownies laced with marijuana, April admits that Rob has been doing marijuana for more excitement in his life. Beth Ann, now high off of marijuana, and Rob go to a dinner party at his boss' home. While there, she admits to Rob that she "knows what [he's] been doing". After the dinner, Rob asked how she knew about the marijuana, not knowing Beth Ann was actually referring to his infidelity. After Beth Ann does not answer, Rob tells her how he has forgotten how to enjoy life. This leads to the both of them rollerskating on the roads and Rob regaining interest in Beth Ann again.

In 1984, when Simone refuses to accept Tommy's gift, a sports watch, Tommy leaves her in the middle of their date. Later, Amy, Simone's engaged daughter, cancels her wedding with Brad due to a misunderstanding. Tommy agrees to go on a date with Amy to make Simone jealous. After listening to a speech on love made by Karl, Simone realizes her true feelings for Tommy. She then interrupts their date to amend her relationship with Tommy by wearing the watch he gifted her.

In 1963, April auditions to sing at a local bar, and she gets the gig. April makes plans for Beth Ann and Rob to come watch her when she sings, but after Rob gets two tickets to the World Series, Rob declines April's offer. However, Beth Ann fakes diarrhea and does not go to the game, and instead goes to the bar for April's performance. After her gig, they go back to April's motel where she is staying, but Rob shows up. April then tells Rob that she is in love with him, but Rob starts yelling at her after he thought she tried to make Rob get a divorce.

In 1984, after Simone and Tommy get lost on a way to a motel, Simone asks for directions, but when going back to Tommy's car, a police officer mistakes Simone for a prostitute. When Naomi finds out Tommy has been leaving the house at all hours of the week, she signs him up for a housekeeping service. When Simone hears this, they start planning to have sex while Tommy cleans the houses so that they do not get caught. However, when Joyce, Simone's neighbor, comes home early while they are having sex, Simone calls Karl to help her out of the bedroom. Karl drives to their house and crashes into Naomi's car, creating a distraction for Simone to leave. Karl also discovered Simone has been having an affair with Tommy.

In 1963, Rob and Beth Ann throw a housewarming party to celebrate unpacking. Beth Ann goes around the neighborhood inviting all her neighbors, including Mary and Ralph Vlasin. Beth Ann learns through April that Mary might be getting abused by Ralph. At the party, Mary and Rob dance, but a jealous Ralph pulls Mary into the study and starts yelling at her. Beth Ann intervenes and tells Ralph to leave, but after he storms out, Mary follows him. Rob and Beth Ann get into an argument about how Rob did nothing to stop Ralph. As a retort, Rob yells at Beth Ann saying that she was not a good mother. After Beth Ann finds out Sheila heard their fight, Beth Ann admits that she was the reason their daughter died.

In 1984, Simone and Karl go to meet Brad's family after Simone hires a lawyer for their divorce. While at the restaurant, Karl finds Hector, his gay lover, and after excusing himself from the table, Karl starts making out with him in the bathroom. After Simone barges in and breaks it up, they return to the table. After Ruby, Brad's mother, starts asking questions about Simone's divorced husbands, she comes out and says that Karl is gay. Then, Karl tells Brad's family about Simone's affair with Tommy. This causes Brad's family to become outraged, but after Patty comes back into the room from cleaning her shirt, she reveals that she is a lesbian, which forces Brad's family to leave. Simone then visits Hector to talk about Karl's relationship with him.

In 1963, Rob dumps April, but she learns that she is pregnant with Rob's child. Beth Ann and Sheila discuss telling Rob about her knowing of the affair, but during the discussion, April appears in the driveway of the mansion. Sheila opens the door, leading April to believe Sheila is Rob's wife instead of Beth Ann. When Beth Ann is about to tell Rob that she knows about the affair, she stops herself and instead falsely reveals that she has cancer.

In 1984, Simone realizes she still wants to keep Karl as a friend and wants him to be happy, so she invites Hector over and they go on a date. When Tommy buys Simone a very expensive brooch, Naomi starts to think that Tommy is buying drugs. She then thinks he has become a drug dealer after a suspicious person, who was Simone, went up to Tommy during his track practice. After Simone goes to the Hartes' house to successfully stop Naomi from looking at Tommy's journal, including Simone revealing to Naomi that Karl is gay, Tommy invites Simone to travel to Europe with him. Though Simone initially declines, she agrees to think about it. Karl discovers he has AIDS, but Simone is too invested in her relationship with Tommy to notice.

In 1963, Beth Ann and Sheila visit Sheila's nephew, a doctor who specialized in oncology, to talk about what kind of cancer she should say she has. After they land on epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, she tells Rob that she has six months to live. After April misleads Beth Ann to an illegal abortion clinic, Beth Ann tells April about how her daughter died, which leads April to agree to keep the baby. Sheila and Beth Ann fight over her ideas to keep the baby, which leads to Sheila storming out and cutting communication with Beth Ann. April storms into Rob's office and tells Rob that she is pregnant, to which Rob responds by proposing to her saying that his marriage would be over in six months. April calls Beth Ann and tells her what happened, much to Beth Ann's dismay.

In 1984, Simone and Tommy discuss their vacation to Europe, and since he cannot afford the extravagant things Simone has in mind, she suggests that he sell the brooch and find a more creative way to show he cares. At a dinner party, Karl's doctor's wife approaches Simone in the bathroom and tells her that Karl is a homosexual, which she knew, and that he has AIDS. After the party, Karl confirms to Simone that he has AIDS. Simone decides to cancel her trip with Tommy in order to take care of Karl. Upset, Tommy drinks from a bottle of wine he stole from Simone and drives away in his car, eventually getting in an accident. At the hospital, Naomi finds Tommy's new tattoo of Simone on his leg.

In 1963, Beth Ann continues to try and persuade April to stay away from Rob. While at the doctors with April, Beth Ann finds Mary who has been visibly hurt and abused. Beth Ann goes to Mary's house and gets the full story of why she was abused this time, but things take a turn when Mary questions Beth Ann about how Rob is cheating and why she will not leave Rob. This inspires Beth Ann who packs to leave Rob but, after visiting his work to say goodbye, Claire tells Beth Ann about how Rob has cheated with many women, including Claire. She also admits that she was the reason Beth Ann and Rob's child died. Beth Ann, who becomes enraged, tells Claire to not let their conversation leave the room. Beth Ann buys a gun, with which she plans to kill Rob.

In 1984, Naomi spreads the rumor that Simone has been molesting Tommy and that Karl is gay. This gets Simone and Karl kicked out of their country club. Naomi furiously shows up at the mansion and tells them she will do much worse than getting them kicked out of a country club. Naomi blackmails Karl, tells everyone that he has contracted AIDS, and when the news reaches Amy, she insists that they should not come to the wedding. Simone and Karl head to their car to go to lunch to find that their house got graffitied. Karl starts getting dizzy, and after the gathering is reluctant to help him due to his AIDS, their assistant helps Karl to the car. At the hospital, Simone talks with Naomi, who is not satisfied. Naomi gets in her car and waits for Simone to come out of the hospital, and when she does, Naomi drives into Simone.

In 1963, Beth Ann initiates a scheme with Mary to cause their husbands to kill each other by having Mary tell Ralph that she is having an affair with Rob. Beth Ann is further encouraged to progress with the scheme when Rob continues to deny his role in their daughter's death. The scheme, however, is hampered when April arrives at the mansion, having learned the truth about Beth Ann. Ralph arrives at the mansion shortly afterwards to kill Rob, prompting a struggle between the two. In the ensuing scuffle, Beth Ann removes the bullets from her gun before tossing it to Rob, ensuring that he is gunned down by Ralph. A decade later, Simone meets Beth Ann, who reveals that Ralph was executed for Rob's murder and April became a singer, with Beth Ann helping take care of her daughter.

In 1984, Tommy saves Simone from his mother, resulting in Naomi being injured. Tommy offers to cancel his trip to Europe to be with Simone as she takes care of Karl, but Simone encourages him to travel and pursue new relationships. Six months later, Karl becomes suicidal as his condition worsens. Seeing an AIDS victim become comatose convinces Simone to help Karl end his life and the two share a final dance before Simone euthanizes her husband. Decades later, Taylor and Eli meet Simone, who has become active in AIDS research, while Tommy is revealed to have become a painter.