The Life and Loves of a She-Devil
Fay Weldon
 Ruth is an abnormally tall and ugly housewife whose loveless husband, Bobbo, considers their relationship an open marriage based on convenience alone. Bobbo only truly loves his mistress, a famous, wealthy romance novelist named Mary Fisher. When Ruth at last passionately indicates her disapproval for Bobbo’s extramarital affair, he calls her a “she-devil”, causing her to reassess her life. She resolves to behave in accordance with the label he has given her. Bobbo promptly leaves Ruth and their two children: he goes to live with Mary Fisher, to whom he soon proposes. Ruth plots her revenge on them, beginning by burning down her own house, therefore forcing the children to live with their father at Mary Fisher’s mansion. Ruth proceeds to engage in a string of meaningless sexual relationships in order to emotionally detach herself from sex. In the meantime, she works at the retirement home that houses Mary’s mother, Pearl, her actions there causing Pearl to be expelled from the home; thus she inconveniences Mary and Bobbo who must now care for her. At the same time, Bobbo believes that Ruth has inexplicably disappeared and may be dead, as she has completely abandoned him and their children. Ruth now finds work at a psychiatric hospital while taking classes in accounting and bookkeeping. She uses this knowledge to discreetly steal money from Bobbo’s corporate clientele in a way that will incriminate Bobbo later on. Ruth then begins her own employment agency for female secretaries, under the alias of “Vista Rose”. Through her agency, she sends a secretary to Bobbo’s office who begins another affair with him. When the police arrive to arrest Bobbo, Ruth has made it appear as though he and the secretary were going to take the stolen finances and leave the country, though Ruth is in possession of the money herself, becoming rich as a result. Under a new alias, Ruth works as a nanny for the children of the judge who presides over Bobbo’s trial, sleeping with him and successfully persuading him to extend Bobbo’s prison sentence if he is convicted. Bobbo is found guilty and imprisoned. While a desperate Mary Fisher turns toward religion for guidance, Ruth manipulates the entire situation and continues to recreate herself with a variety of aliases and love affairs. Ruth uses her money to change her lifestyle and appearance, particularly undergoing a series of surgeries to completely restructure her body. Mary continues to love Bobbo and wastes away, developing cancer and ultimately dying, with her house purchased quickly by Ruth. Ruth now lives a life of wealth, extravagance, and control, claiming that she will sexually dominate Bobbo once she secures his release from prison, causing him the misery that he once caused her.