Summary
In a labyrinthine narrative of self-deception and Machiavellian machinations, 'Dangerous Pleasure' plunges into the moral abyss inhabited by a man whose insufferable hubris convinces him he is a grand arbiter of others' marital woes, even as his own dalliances fuel his wife's corrosive jealousy. This self-styled 'man of destiny' finds himself ensnared when named co-respondent in a divorce suit, prompting a retreat to a secluded village. Here, his peculiar pattern of interaction persists, notably in a disquieting encounter with a young girl he offers a ride to, only for her to disembark and walk home, a moment pregnant with unsettling ambiguity. The true vortex of his downfall, however, manifests in his encounter with a beautiful woman whose husband, consumed by an unjustifiable possessiveness, has hired agents to compromise her reputation. In a move of staggering audacity and cold calculation, the protagonist dispatches for his own estranged wife, instructing her to feign a beauty agent's persona and ensnare the woman's husband. What follows is a meticulously orchestrated setup: a supper appointment, a sabotaged automobile, and a harrowing drive where the protagonist, either heavily intoxicated or drugged, loses control amidst a violent struggle with the woman, culminating in a devastating wreck and her severe bruising. He awakens, disoriented and with a broken arm, manipulated into believing he has committed murder. The final, chilling twist sees the original 'man of destiny' – now a mere pawn – blackmailed by an unseen orchestrator, forced to sign over a substantial sum. This ill-gotten gain is then bestowed upon the injured wife, who, with a cruel irony, marries the very young man her possessive husband had initially suspected.
Synopsis
This story deals with a man, who causes his wife great jealousy on account of his relation to other women, yet who regards himself as a man of destiny in settling others unhappy marital relations. He is named co-respondent in a suit - leaves town - takes a house in a smaller village - picks up a little girl on the street in his car and drives into the country. She leaves his car and walks home. He meets a beautiful woman whose husband, unjustly jealous of her is hiring men to 'get something on her.' He sends for his own wife to come and frame this man. The wife, posing as an agent for beauty preparations, vamps the man and makes an appointment with him. While they are at supper his car is tampered with. He and the woman come out - he very drunk or drugged - and get into the car. There is a long struggle in which the woman is badly bruised. The man becomes unconscious and the car is wrecked. He awakens in a hut with a broken arm and is led to believe that he has killed the girl. Then a man of destiny blackmails him - gets a check for $50,000 which he gives to the injured wife and she marries the boy of whom her husband was jealous.
