Chapter 15: Tag – The Affair Deepens and a Dangerous Secret Emerges

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

After his weekend fling with Merritt, Tag returns to New York but cannot stay away. He learns from Sergio Ramone that Thomas is underperforming at his law firm, and later Abby announces she is pregnant again. Tag’s obsession with Merritt grows: he meets her secretly, lies to Greer, and even sneaks into her apartment building late at night. He buys her an expensive thumb ring from Nantucket for her birthday and books a room at the Four Seasons downtown. At the hotel bar, Tag spots his son Thomas looking miserable; he ducks away and cancels the rendezvous with Merritt. Returning home, he resolves to end the affair, but Merritt calls his office and reveals she is pregnant, shattering Tag’s attempt to reclaim normalcy.

Key Events

Sergio Ramone warns Tag that Thomas may be fired from Skadden, Arps for poor performance.
Abby reveals her second pregnancy at a family dinner at Tag and Greer’s apartment.
Tag initiates a secret relationship with Merritt in New York, meeting her for sex and lunch dates.
He lies to Greer about working, instead going to Merritt’s apartment or meeting her at the Whitby Hotel.
Tag sends Merritt to a bar where he is meeting clients; they have sex in the ladies’ room.
He becomes jealous of Robbie, Merritt’s on-again, off-again bartender boyfriend.
He waits outside Merritt’s building at 1 AM and is caught by her and Robbie walking home.
Tag buys a multicolored sapphire thumb ring for Merritt’s birthday from Jessica Hicks.
He books a hotel room at the Four Seasons downtown for her birthday; Merritt is late due to a waxing appointment.
At the hotel bar, Tag sees Thomas drinking alone and sneaks away without being noticed.
Tag cancels the hotel night via text, returns home to Greer, and decides to end the affair.
Merritt calls Tag’s office; his secretary passes a message from “Ms. Parkway.”
When Tag calls Merritt back, she tells him she is pregnant.

Character Development

Tag Winbury – Tag’s internal conflict is laid bare: he admits his affairs are driven by a need to counter Greer’s higher social standing and wealth. His obsession with Merritt frightens him; he compares his intense desire to teenage infatuation and sees his feelings for Greer as “quaint.” Despite a brief moment of returning to his role as dutiful husband and father, his inability to resist Merritt leads to an even more dangerous situation.

Merritt Monaco – Revealed to be twenty-eight, with a strained relationship with her brother and no contact with her parents. She displays a manipulative edge, enjoying the power she holds over Tag. Her calls to his office cross a boundary, and her pregnancy announcement changes the stakes entirely.

Thomas Winbury – We see him through Tag’s eyes: underperforming at work, looking miserable at a hotel bar, and now facing fatherhood again. Tag suspects Thomas may want to get fired and move to Texas with Abby’s wealthy family.

Greer Garrison – Absorbed in finishing her novel and planning Benji’s wedding, she remains unaware of Tag’s infidelity. Tag notes she “doesn’t see him,” highlighting the emotional distance in their marriage.

Themes, Symbols, and Motifs

Infidelity as a Power Play – Tag explicitly frames his affairs as an assertion of power against Greer’s financial and social advantages. The affair with Merritt, however, becomes an obsession that undermines that control.

Self-Deception – Tag repeatedly tells himself he will stop, yet he escalates. He rationalizes lies and risky behavior, even as he recognizes he is becoming a “run-of-the-mill cheat.”

Family Responsibility vs. Personal Desire – Tag’s family obligations (his son’s career troubles, the impending grandchild, his duties as a husband) collide with his reckless pursuit of Merritt. The chapter ends with family obligations winning—but only briefly.

The Thumb Ring – A symbolic gift meant to be worn on the thumb, it represents Tag’s attempt to own Merritt and mark her as his. The ring’s “lace pattern” and “multicolored sapphires” mirror the tangled, colorful deception he has woven.

Concealment and Exposure – Tag hides behind a pole in the hotel bar, a physical metaphor for his desire to remain unseen. The chapter’s climax—Merritt calling his office—threatens to expose everything.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 15 serves as the fulcrum of Tag’s secret life. It moves his affair from a weekend fling into a full-blown obsession with real consequences. The pregnancy announcement introduces a ticking clock: Merritt’s pregnancy will inevitably collide with the Winbury family’s carefully curated image. It also deepens the parallel between Tag’s infidelity and Thomas’s professional failure, both men hiding behind facades. The chapter sets up the wedding weekend on Nantucket as a powder keg, with multiple secrets (Thomas’s job, Abby’s pregnancy, Merritt’s pregnancy) ready to detonate.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Tag claim his affairs are an “assertion of power”? Tag feels inferior because Greer entered the marriage with more money and higher social standing. Sleeping with other women, he believes, balances the scales and reaffirms his own worth.
What does Tag’s reaction to seeing Thomas at the Four Seasons bar reveal about his priorities? Tag is initially fearful of being caught, but he is also arrested by Thomas’s miserable expression. His desire to ask what’s wrong is overridden by his need to escape detection, showing that self-preservation temporarily outweighs paternal concern.
How does Merritt’s phone call to Tag’s office change the power dynamic between them? Up to that point, Tag controlled the affair’s secrecy. By calling his office and leaving a message with his secretary, Merritt demonstrates she is willing to risk exposure. Her pregnancy announcement strips Tag of any remaining leverage, making her the one with a secret that could destroy his marriage.