The Secret

Marie is a successful door-to-door encyclopedia salesperson who has been married to her husband, François, for 12 years and has a two-year-old son. While generally content with her life, she feels a sense of something missing. Enter 50-year-old African-American Bill, who initially irritates her with his carefree attitude but soon draws her in with an irresistible attraction. The two begin an illicit affair, though Marie knows little about Bill, and he shows little interest in learning about her. Their intense sexual encounters become a central part of their relationship. As the affair progresses, Marie begins to feel out of control and increasingly repelled by her own actions. Psychologically, she struggles to balance the passion of her encounters with Bill against the mundane aspects of her daily life, such as caring for her son. Her inability to conceal her infidelity becomes evident as she returns home with visible signs of the affair, causing distress to François.