na ▁is ▁the ▁wife ▁of ▁a ▁college ▁professor ▁teaching ▁film ▁and ▁media ▁at ▁a ▁university ▁in ▁a ▁small ▁to ▁m ids ized ▁town ▁in ▁New ▁Jersey , ▁and ▁the ▁mother ▁of ▁two ▁children . ▁In ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁give ▁her ▁husband ▁more ▁freedom , ▁at ▁his ▁request , ▁and ▁c ure ▁her ▁b ored om ▁in ▁being ▁a ▁house w ife , ▁she ▁takes ▁a ▁child ▁psych ology ▁class ▁with ▁her ▁friend ▁Sand y . ▁ ▁Be coming ▁more ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁class ▁and ▁interact ing ▁with ▁the ▁female ▁professor , ▁she ▁real izes ▁she ▁has ▁a ▁cr ush ▁on ▁the ▁instruct or , ▁Ruth . ▁Ruth ▁inv ites ▁L ian na ▁over ▁to ▁her ▁home ▁for ▁dinner ▁and ▁they ▁talk ▁into ▁the ▁night , ▁L ian na ▁explaining ▁that ▁she ▁was ▁a ▁gradu ate ▁student ▁at ▁one ▁time ▁who ▁married ▁the ▁professor . ▁They ▁eventually ▁sleep ▁together ▁and ▁begin ▁an ▁affair , ▁complicated ▁by ▁L ian na ' s ▁husband ' s ▁affair ▁with ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁students . ▁L ian na ▁express es ▁interest ▁in ▁leaving ▁her ▁husband ▁for ▁Ruth , ▁but ▁Ruth ▁back s ▁away , ▁warning ▁L ian na ▁that ▁living ▁with ▁another ▁woman ▁would ▁je op ard ize ▁her ▁career ▁as ▁a ▁child ▁psych ologist — and , ▁to ▁comp licate ▁matters , ▁she ▁has ▁a ▁partner ▁in ▁another ▁city . ▁ ▁L ian na ▁leaves ▁her ▁husband ▁after ▁a ▁particularly ▁ugly ▁fight ▁to ▁live ▁alone ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁in ▁years . ▁L ian na ▁vis its