People Who Knew Me - 6. Non-Monogamy

Episode Date: June 15, 2023

New episodes released on Tuesday and Thursday. If you’re in the UK, listen first on BBC Sounds. Connie starts from the very beginning, detailing all the building pressures and disappointments that drove her to run away from her life as Emily in New York, and start afresh as Connie in LA. Over a few drinks with Paul, these truths come flooding out, along with all the lies she has told to keep her identity hidden. She finally reveals her most shameful secret. Now must now find the strength to tell Claire. Credits Connie / Emily - ROSAMUND PIKE Drew - KYLE SOLLER Claire - ISABELLA SERMON Gabe - ALFRED ENOCH Jade - JESSICA DARROW Marni/Jenny - DANIELLA ISAACS Dr Richter / Reporter - CHARLES HAGERTY and HUGH LAURIE as PAUL Additional voices: PIPPA WINSLOW, NANCY CRANE, JOEY AKUBEZE, BARNEY WHITE, JILL WINTERNITZ Written and Directed by Daniella Isaacs Adapted from the original novel and Consulting Produced by Kim Hooper Produced by Joshua Buckingham Executive Produced by Faye Dorn, Clelia Mountford, Sharon Horgan, Kira Carstensen, Seicha Turnbull and Brenna Rae Eckerson Executive Producer for eOne Jacqueline Sacerio Co-Executive Produced by Carey Burch Nelson Executive Producer for BBC Dylan Haskins Assistant Commissioner for the BBC Lorraine Okuefuna Additional Commissioning support for the BBC Natasha Johansson and Harry Robinson Production Executive Gareth Coulam Evans Production Manager Sarah Lawson Casting Director Lauren Evans Audio Production & Post-Production by SoundNode Supervising Dialogue Recordist & Editor Daniel Jaramillo Supervising Sound Editor, Sound Design & Mix: Martin Schulz Music composed by Max Perryment Additional Dialogue Recording: David Crane, Martin Jilek Assistant Dialogue Recordists: Jack Cook, Giancarlo Granata Additional Dialogue Editing: Marco Toca Head of Production Rebecca Kerley Production Accountant Lianna Meering Finance Director Jackie Sidey Legal and Business Affairs Mark Rogers at Media Wizards Dialect Coach for Rosamund Pike - Carla Meyer Read in Hannah Moorish Artwork: Mirjami Qin Artwork Photographer by Sibel Ameti Additional thanks to: Emily Peska, Caitlin Stegemoller, Sam Woolf, Charly Clive, Ellie White, Ellen Robertson, Kate Phillips, Ed Davis, Ciaràn Owens, Jonathan Schey, Daniel Raggett and Charlotte Ritchie.

BBC sounds. Seven years ago, I was filming an East London mosque when the story broke. The three schoolgirls from the area had gone missing. They were heading to Syria to join the Islamic State group. Breaking news this morning, three British schoolgirls are reportedly missing. Shemua Begum was the only one of the girls to emerge from the ashes of the so-called caliphate. I've retraced her steps from the UK through Turkey and into Syria to find people who knew her and to investigate the truth of her story.

What do you think people think of you? As a danger, as a risk, as a potential risk. The Shemeema Begum story, series two, of I'm Not A Monster. Listen on BBC Sounds. BBC Sounds, Music, radio, podcasts. This episode contains themes and strong language, which some listeners may find upsetting. All events are dramatized. I want to run. I want to disappear under the table. Find a gap in the floorboards and be eaten by rats. I want to die. So why did you decide to tell me?

I wish I hadn't told Paul because I have to tell someone before I tell Claire. Right. She thinks her dad died in a car accident and that he... that he wasn't a good guy. I told her I've never left L.A. You can go if you want. Khan, are you gonna make me beg? Oh, I feel sick. Well, that's good, because you are.

Mmm. I close my eyes. I try to breathe. I tell him about Drew, how you are. Mm. I close my eyes. I try to breathe. I tell them about Drew, how you met. I tell them about canceling Gabe about getting married, about the coin toss, with my eyes squeezed shut. It pours out.

And then his job became being her care. And I hated it. And I hated myself for hating it. So that's why you left. I opened my eyes. Starrot his sweet face, desperate to lie. I shouldn't have done this. Well, you're doing it.

I really truly hate myself. Okay, okay, well, don't. I close my eyes. You know how I said I ditched a date the't. I close my eyes. You know how I said I ditched a date the night that I first met Drew. His name was Gabe. And he, well, I found out eight years later when I lost my job that he was working in investment management. And I reached out to him. I intentionally bloomed the lines.

I mean, you have the most fantastic breasts I've ever seen. Sorry, I had to. What are we doing here? Having a drink? Okay, okay, sure. If he didn't ask me out after work, I felt depressed and was drawn. And of course, we're not just having a drink. Drew would come back every weekend, exhausted and clueless. Every few Saturdays, I woke up to him joking off.

Most of the time, I pretended to sleep, but sometimes I'd feel too guilty. I know he was desperate to fucking two embarrassed tries, so I kiss him and imagine Gabe. His hands smell eyes. It just kept me going. I'd be a pawn, by the way, if we did anything. A pawn?

If we don't pawn. You know what I mean? A pawn. A little pawn. And it's true. No, but you're not a pawn. I know that's what I mean. That's fine. I'm finding a pawn. Just stop saying pawn. I never thought about Drew.

Emerge is in trouble when you feel nothing at all. I thought about Gabe all the time. So what are we doing? I thought his place would be un-lipped in. Was the opposite. He had three types of sriracha in the fridge. It made me want to marry him. He got out some leftover moroccan takeout and...

Anything you're interested in, Inspector Clusa? No, thanks. I couldn't eat. I never couldn't eat. He walked towards me. He put his hands on my arms. I really want to kiss you, I mean. Me too. I closed my eyes, drew, flashed in, and I opened the light and want to be distracted. He kissed me.

Do you have any idea how long I've wanted to do that? He took my hand, we started walking down the hallway, and as he opened the door... I can't. Can't what? Have sex. Sorry, I... No, I... I can sleep in a bed with you. I can see you. I just can't fuck you.

Right. Sexy, what's cheating? I think so. So... Is this cheating? He kisses me again. No. This?

He takes off his shirt, and he looks exactly like I imagined him. No. This? He takes off his shirt, and he looks exactly like I imagined him. No. This? He pulls off my top. No. Unhooks my bra. No. Don't worry.

No cheating. He kneels, straddled across either side of my legs, and he guides me on top of him and we just kiss for hours and hours and hours and hours. And then he... What's your favorite position? Sleeping position. Don't worry. Doggy, I heard it that it's called doggy, but please, come here, just fuck.

We got into a routine at work. We'd leave five minutes between our arrivals and send emails to plan our exits. Dear Emil. Dear Gabriel. I have a whole host of queries about the actinorary you have discussed together. My preference would be if we could have the meeting while my hands all over. It was as tacky as it sounds, and I couldn't get enough.

He stayed every weeknight. Weekends were for Drew. We talked on the phone in the week. She hasn't gotten out of the bed all week. Mum's bed sores are terrible. I think we should let her have the couch this weekend, Hedgehog. Sure. I was a better wife. A better partner. A better daughter-in-law because of it. Five and a half months went by and then...

I... I hate words. I love you. I just kissed him. I didn't know what to say. And then the following weekend, he booked his very expensive tickets to Jerry Seinfeld. We met for a drink before. I mean, we have to talk about this. What do you mean? You know what I mean? You said you wanted to be a pawn.

Wow. That's what you said. That was six months ago. There's nothing worse than being in an argument while everyone around you is laughing. And in the morning, I think we're done here. I'm going to talk to him today. I promise. I was going to talk to him, but then Drew came home that night carrying his mom,

like some geriatric baby. He lay her down and then he kissed me. He hadn't kissed me in months. His smell was different. I've got a surprise. I thought, um, maybe we could go for a date. A blue cheese. I was going to blue cheese every week with Gabe. I got someone from the agency to come and look after her. I mean, I don't know. I didn't think of the sooner.

And I thought, yeah, me too. A year sooner, he gave the care of pages of instructions and told her to text him every hour. She'll be fine. True. You know, it's just new. The key slurring on Tuesday or Wednesday, maybe. We had little to talk about. I canceled Gabe's call. As I watched him chew on pieces of Neo-Key, I realized I lost every more soul of desire for my husband. I was about to say something that... Me, I've been thinking.

Please break up with me. Maybe you're right. Maybe I should get support for her mom. I went hot. And, you know, I got a job. Maybe find a new restaurant. And yeah, I've been told you yep but Toby's been talking about partnering up maybe. Oh yeah so you know I could come home and we're in a pool. I mean that'd be amazing but I guess we can't get her hopes up.

I don't understand that but um no I really do have a good feeling. Really. It's gonna be good. I promise. I don't know if it was pity or guilt or malbec, but that night I let him fuck me. It was quick and insignificant and gay-brand justice drew pain. I didn't pick up. He didn't call or reply to my texts all weekend, and on Monday when I went into the office. Hey, I promised Saturday I'll just...

Oh, hello. And then on Wednesday. Mom's at the hospital. Yeah, pneumonia. It's not looking good. Hey, Drew's mom's in A&E. Cool. Can I...

Sure. I hated myself. Shut the door. Yeah. I left the office. I turned out that the East Orange hospital. And... She's a stubborn little thing.

You know, fought like a trooper. Of course she did. You know, I've been thinking it'll actually probably be too much. You know, moving her back to years... um... ours... on the weekend. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is,

I think I should stay with her full time, you know, just for a while, like in a few weeks. Yeah, yeah, of course. I mean, I can bring food or soup or whatever you need. Hedgehog, do you love me? Love you. Yeah. Yeah, of course. Of course I love you. Good, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Didn't want to lose him. Want to come over? I wanted to tell Drew. As soon as Janet was a bit better, I wanted to. Gabe moved in while Drew was with his mom full time. To us. And I think to us, whatever we become.

I called Drew in secret when I take garbage out at night. Valkybe was in the shower. I visited a few lunch times a week. And then September 2nd, 2001. I did a pregnancy test. Oh fuck, it's Claire. Hi, sweetie. Sure. Yep, I'll get you then. Okay, alright sweetie, I love you.

I should go and need to get her at 5.30. Okay, well, we've got at least 50 minutes then. You hate me. Stop it, God, of course I don't hate you. This is awful. Really? Well, Gabe's her dad, right? He died a week later in 9-11, so you ran.

I'm 10 years old, I love this. I'm 10, I'll stop now. 28 years old. I close my eyes, hold my breath. And he did die, but Gabe... Gabe wasn't her dad. No. Hmm.

So... So Drew is Claire's dad. Now do you hate me. Uh-huh. And he does know about her. No. Anything's your dad? Yeah. And he does know about her. No. Anything's your dead? Yeah.

Emily, today I made the warmest man in the world turn of Harry very cold. Jeez, geez. Well, I guess we got 50 minutes to work out what the hell you tell your kid. People who knew me, starring Rosamond Pike, Kyle Saller, Isabella Sermon, Alfred Enoch, Jessica Darrow, Charles Hackerty, Daniela Isaacs, and Hugh Laurie. Other voices, Giddy Winslow, Nancy Crain, Joseph Ackabase, Barney White, Jill Winternitz. Written and directed by Daniela Isaacs. Adapted from the original novel by Kim Hooper. Producer Joshua Bucknell.

Executive producers, Faye Dorne, Cleelya Mountford, and Sharon Horgan. Executive producer for the BBC, Dylan Haskins. Production manager Sarah Lawson. Casting director Lauren Evans. Supervising dialogue record as an editor, Daniel Haramija, supervising sound editor, sound design and mix, Martin Schultz, sound design and recording by SoundNote, music composed by Max Perrymont.

If you've been affected by anything you've heard in this episode, details of help and support in the UK are available at bbc.co.uk forward slash action line. People who knew me, listen first on BBC Sounds. This is a new five-part drama from Radio 4 called an Eye for a Killing. The true story of Scotland's most notorious serial killers, Burke and Hare. You might have heard their names.

You might also have heard that they were 19th century grave robbers. They went. They didn't dig up a single body. They simply murdered for cash. 16 times. This is a haunting story of murder on an industrial scale. It's dark, frightening and plums the terrible depths of human behaviour.