In Good Girls, Dean’s affair is one of the biggest turning points in Beth and Rio’s relationship.

Dean had been cheating on Beth with multiple women, including his assistant, while repeatedly lying about it. When Beth discovered the affair, it shattered her trust in him and made her realize how unhappy and trapped she had become in her marriage. Instead of leaving immediately, she stayed for her children, but emotionally, her marriage was already falling apart.

That emotional distance is what opened the door for Rio. Unlike Dean, Rio recognized Beth’s intelligence, confidence, and ability to make difficult decisions. He challenged her, treated her as capable, and pulled her deeper into his criminal world. While their relationship was manipulative and dangerous at times, it also gave Beth a sense of independence and power that she hadn’t felt in years.

Dean’s betrayal didn’t cause Beth to fall for Rio, but it removed the emotional foundation of her marriage. Without Dean’s affair, Beth likely wouldn’t have been as willing to embrace the life Rio offered or become so deeply involved with him. In many ways, Dean’s infidelity pushed Beth to stop living solely as a suburban wife and mother, setting her on the path that ultimately intertwined her life with Rio’s.