Before "Scandoval," Ariana Madix had complete faith in her boyfriend Tom Sandoval and their co-star Raquel Leviss, whom she considered one of her "closest friends."
Ariana, 37, didn't think much of Raquel's ostensibly harmless sleepover at her and Sandoval's house on Wednesday's episode of Vanderpump Rules since it was "something we always do," she told the 28-year-old pageant queen at her birthday "glamping" trip.
However, after Sandoval, 40, admitted in a confessional that he and Raquel "just thought maybe [it] would be better if everyone didn't know that little detail," his co-stars, particularly Lala Kent, began to connect the dots.
Lala explained what they already knew in a voiceover: "Sandoval and Raquel are dancing together alone at The Abbey." Sandoval joins Raquel for a Labour Day celebration, while Ariana has just learned that her grandma has died, and Raquel spends the night at Sandoval's house while Ariana is out of town. This only leads to one logical conclusion."
"I think Sandoval has a thing for Raquel," she informed Raquel's ex-fiancé, James Kennedy.
"The last time Sandoval talked about a woman the way he talks about Raquel was when he was talking about Ariana to the group when he was with Kristen [Doute]," she continued.
Lala, 32, was referring to Sandoval's insistence that he did not cheat on his then-girlfriend Kristen, an original Vanderpump Rules cast member, with Ariana. He eventually revealed that they kissed once while he was still with Kristen.
On Raquel's birthday, Sandoval told her, "Seeing you get so much more confidence and coming to who you are like showing up at Lala's birthday, doing all this badass s---."
"Sorry, I'm impassioned," he said after becoming so excited that Ariana had to say something. Raquel, I'm so proud of you. You've found your voice."
But Ariana mistook this for Sandoval expressing his admiration for Raquel as a friend at the time.
She even told her co-star and business partner Katie Maloney, "She's one of my closest friends, and I not only trust and love her, but I trust and love my boyfriend," when confronted with reportedly spreading the rumour that she and Sandoval were in an open relationship.
Despite having asked both of them not to hook up with anyone in their social circle, Katie, 36, had reservations about Raquel hooking up with her ex-husband, Tom Schwartz.
"I just think it's a personality thing." This is a character issue, an integrity issue, and I have a hard time believing she's an s---ty-ass to some people and a good friend to others," Katie explained to Ariana.
Ariana got what she was saying: "If I were in your shoes, I would feel exactly like you."
Later in the episode, Ariana and Lala figured out how Sandoval lied about not being able to grab a ride home when Ariana phoned him about her grandma dying — all because he wanted to remain longer at the Labour Day celebration.
"You realise you've put me in a position where people will think I'm an f---ing idiot," she said. "Everyone thinks you just wanted to spend a few hours there."
"That's definitely what I think because that's what I saw," Lala continued.
"When my dad died 10 years ago, we weren't even together then," Ariana admitted in a confessional. And he thought it was such a high importance that he would drop everything to be with me."
"We've been together now for eight and a half years and somewhere it feels like maybe he just doesn't think I'm as important anymore," she added. I'm not sure. I like Tom to everyone else. Like, I'm willing to die for you. So I look like a fool for being Tom's number one fan when he isn't mine."
When news of Sandoval and Raquel's off-screen affair broke in early March, Ariana realised she was no longer the number one girl in his life. Soon after, Ariana dissolved her nine-year romance with the Tom Tom co-owner.
Sandoval and Raquel have both apologised for their roles in the affair. All parties will appear on the Vanderpump Rules reunion to discuss the consequences of their affair.
Vanderpump Rules airs on Bravo on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET.
