Vanderpump Rules season 10 has been setting up Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss's affair, which caused the breakup between Tom and his long-term girlfriend, Ariana Madix. Whether it's intentional or not, now that the affair is out in the open, it's becoming clear with each passing scene of Vanderpump Rules that Tom and Raquel were having difficulty keeping it a secret. As the episodes continue to air and the reunion begins to loom closer, it's more obvious than ever that Tom and Raquel's romance was going to tear open the floodgates and destroy the Vanderpump Rules friend group.

Though Tom and Raquel thought they were being sneaky throughout the season, watching the episodes with the knowledge that the two are having an affair makes it painfully obvious that something was going on between them. With Raquel consistently pushing her own narratives, like turning herself into the victim whenever possible, while Tom does his best to paint Ariana in a bad light, the pair are doing whatever it takes to save themselves on screen. With several episodes still yet to air, it remains to be seen just what else Tom and Raquel have hidden.

10 Tom Pushes The Narrative That He’s A Burden To Ariana

In more recent episodes of Vanderpump Rules, Tom has been trying to push the narrative that he's a burden to Ariana in their relationship. Not only has Tom been doing his best to make it seem like their relationship has some deep issues he's been holding back, but has tried to paint himself as a victim to try and garner sympathy from his co-stars. In the way he's discussing his and Ariana's issues, it comes across like he's trying to make excuses as to why he's allowed to break up with her. The display of cowardice from Tom will, most likely, continue.

9 Raquel Openly Dismissing Being Someone’s Mistress

In a recent episode of Vanderpump Rules, Raquel revealed she was dating Oliver Saunders, the son of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' Garcelle Beauvais. It quickly became obvious that Oliver was still involved with his wife, though Raquel claimed he'd said the two were separated. This caused a ripple effect for Raquel, who had been incredibly loud about never being someone's mistress in prior episodes. Raquel's hypocrisy in saying she would never want to be a mistress was clear, especially knowing she was sleeping with Tom for the better part of Vanderpump Rules season 10.

8 Tom Says Dating Within The Friend Group Post Breakup Is Fine

While it has been one of Tom Schwartz and Katie Maloney's biggest deal breakers, Tom Sandoval is claiming that dating within their friend group post-breakup is perfectly fine. Although on Vanderpump Rules, he's still dating Ariana, Tom has started to push the narrative in recent episodes that it would be fine for him to date within their friend group should he and Ariana break up. He claims that he would also be okay with it if Ariana wanted to date someone they were close to, but the rule was meant to apply to himself and Raquel, knowing what Vanderpump Rules viewers know now.

7 Raquel Playing The Victim In Most Situations

While it isn't something that Vanderpump Rules has been highlighting, Raquel has painted herself as the victim in most situations since her split with co-star James Kennedy. She has spent several of the most recent episodes explaining away her decisions and making it clear that she's not at fault for the things happening to her. While Raquel does only play part of a role in the events, it's clear that she's not taking responsibility for her part in them.

6 Tom Openly Flirting With Raquel In Front Of Lisa

In a recent episode of Vanderpump Rules, Tom was openly flirty with Raquel in front of Lisa Vanderpump, his boss and mentor. While it may not have been noticeable without knowing about Tom and Raquel's affair, it was clear to those in the know – and, it seems, to Lisa herself. Tom was happy to see Raquel, and when Lisa took note of the shift in his personality, it was obvious that she felt the change was suspect. She noted that he seemed a little too happy about Raquel joining their conversation, and Tom didn't seem to care either way.

5 Raquel Joining In On Tom & Ariana’s Time Together

Although Raquel had clearly taken steps to keep her and Tom's relationship a secret, she was somewhat more obvious than she probably thought. With Tom, Raquel, and Ariana being part of a tight-knit friend group, the trio spent a lot of time together even before Tom and Raquel's affair began. Once Tom and Raquel started their relationship, it seems clear now Raquel continued to insert herself into situations where she could spend more time with Tom, even when he was still with Ariana. It's clear Ariana trusted Raquel around Tom, even when she shouldn't have.

4 Tom Tries To Paint Ariana In A Bad Light

Throughout the season, Tom and Ariana were having relationship issues. Some of their problems have been highlighted in past seasons of Vanderpump Rules, while others have come up organically throughout this last season. Regardless of when their problems started, Tom's been doing his best to paint Ariana in a bad light without actually speaking negatively about her. He's put the blame on her mental health issues and difficulties in the past and seems to be doing so in order to make it seem "okay" that he wound up finding something with Raquel.

3 Raquel Tries To Cover Her Tracks By Going To Scheana

In a recent episode of Vanderpump Rules, after finding out that Oliver was still married, Raquel went to co-star Scheana Shay to get her advice on what exactly she should do. While this seems like a natural move to the naked eye, Raquel was deflecting in a way that's a bit more devious than it seems. Taking her news to Scheana and her husband, Brock Davies paints Raquel in a better light, like she's never dealt with an affair before. To keep her secret, Raquel was trying to make herself look more innocent in front of her friends.

2 Tom Blames Their Relationship Issues All On Ariana

Rather than taking part of the blame or burden for himself, Tom has been pinning issues he's been having in his relationship with Ariana all on her. While this is not new behavior for Tom, it's something that has become more noticeable in recent episodes of Vanderpump Rules, and with the addition of the public knowing about Tom and Raquel's affair, it's much more obvious. Tom has been trying to ensure that he looks like he tried to save the relationship and that he wasn't a problem.

1 Tom And Raquel Are Flirting, Touching, & Prioritizing Each Other

In the most recent episodes of Vanderpump Rules, it's become clear that Tom and Raquel are interested in each other. The pair have been spotted on more than one occasion touching, laughing closely, and being flirty. The rest of the cast seems to be picking up on this, with James' girlfriend, Abby Lewber, even seeing the duo dancing at a club late at night. With Tom's past indiscretions well-known to the cast and his behavior with Raquel coming out in the open, the series is setting up the scandalous affair more and more with each passing episode.​