Byron's 'PLL' Secret Is Likely Not What You Think

Things are not looking good for Byron Montgomery on Pretty Little Liars — I mean, let's review the facts: He's clearly up to some kind of funny business at The Radley, he's been leaving highly suspicious voicemails for Ezra (Ezra! Of all people!), and perhaps worst of all, a nine-iron (aka the murder weapon, according to B) is missing from his set of golf clubs. Could it be that we've already cracked one of Season 6B's big mysteries? Did Byron murder Charlotte DiLaurentis? Not likely, if fans know their Pretty Little Liars (and, boy, do fans know Pretty Little Liars) — instead, it's likely that something far less sinister is afoot.

Yes, things may look bad for Mr. Montgomery, but it's important to keep in mind the fact that there's nothing PLL loves more than a good, old-fashioned red herring — and, it seems like all the "evidence" currently mounting against him might be just that. Sure, he looks majorly shady, but that's the problem — he looks too shady, so it's more likely than not that what he's hiding is actually a lot more innocuous than an almost-literal skeleton in the closet.

In fact, one of the most popular theories on Reddit paints a very different picture of Byron than the show would have you believe: Redditor emikoala posited that Byron might be sneaking around because of an affair... with his ex-wife. Byron and Ella Montgomery, sneaking around? At first glance, it may sound too Parent Trap good to be true, but when you take a closer look, it actually kind of adds up. It's possible that they're seeing each other, and covering it up — after all, it would make sense if they didn't want to tell their kids right away, especially when you consider how rough the divorce was on Aria and Mike.

Plus, there's also the fact that, as Reddit user tequilafunrise pointed out, the episode summary for "Do Not Disturb" promises that Aria will "[receive] unexpected news from her family." Could said unexpected news be the fact that her parents are dating each other? Heck, take that logic a step further, and you could even speculate that Byron and Ella may be the two tying the knot in the upcoming Episode 17. It would be quite the bait-and-switch to make Byron look like a villain, only to reveal he's reunited with his estranged ex-wife — which just makes this option an even more likely possibility.

Even if Byron hasn't secretly reunited with Ella, chances are his big secret still has something to do with an affair, rather than, you know, murder — in fact, many fans are starting to wonder if he's got something going on with Ashley Marin. After all, they've got a history of flirting, and she does happen to own the hotel he's been using for his liaisons.

Byron's definitely up to something — we just don't know what yet. But, I'm willing to bet it's not as creepy as it seems.

Images: Eric McCandless/Freeform; Giphy