After a week of Amanda living with them, Whitney observed Blake and Amanda sitting closely together late at night, which convinced Whitney that an affair was likely if they were left alone. Determined to prevent that and make them turn on each other, Whitney planned a series of manipulations to spark conflict.

The night before, Whitney baked cookies laced with prescribed sedatives and ensured Blake ate three, noting only a faint bitterness if one looked for it. She confirmed Blake slept soundly and woke early to act while he was unconscious.

Whitney first targeted the kitchen. Having heard Blake offer Amanda his Frosted Flakes, she emptied the half-full cereal box into the garbage disposal so the missing food would suggest Amanda took advantage. She then hid two apples in a paper bag on a high cabinet shelf so they would rot and attract fruit flies, knowing Blake’s obsession with cleanliness would be triggered.

Next, Whitney went to the bathroom and emptied Blake’s soap, shampoo, and most of his toothpaste, leaving her own products untouched because Blake dislikes “smelling like a girl.” This was intended to cause minor inconveniences that could be attributed to Amanda’s presence.

Finally, Whitney used prior knowledge of Blake’s allergy to fragranced detergents containing limonene. She added about a tablespoon of a fragranced detergent she had hidden to Blake’s hypoallergenic bottle and shook it to distribute the chemical, expecting his next laundry to cause an allergic rash without an obvious scent cue.

Confident that Blake would not suspect her, given their shared history and Amanda’s recent arrival, Whitney anticipated the engineered frustrations would end any flirtation and make Blake and Amanda resent each other. She concluded that this was only the start of her plan.