Jeff (Joel Berti) is one of many who tell off Rhonda after her horrid murder of Jennifer Harper.
In this episode and on the heels of the previous episode, Jennifer's funeral, the entire Harper family and their friends gather together at the Atchley Mansion to tell Rhonda Whittenberg exactly what they think of her for her killing of Jennifer. She nearly drives Dylan Harper's stress level to the point where he nearly suffers a heart attack.
Scene[]
Background: The Atchley mansion. Everyone has returned from Jennifer's funeral. Violet is crying quietly, as Nancy, Lois, Lucia and Gisele are comforting her. Dylan is talking with Adam, Roger and Sheila. Sam, Lahoma, Susannah, Ellen and Patrick went back to Oklahoma City and Somerset, respectively. Anyssa, needing a break from things, went back to Somerset for a while with Susie and Ellen to visit. Bryan agreed to watch the kids with the able help of Velda and Cassandra VanVoorhis. Bryan goes up to Dylan and the others.
(ANNOUNCER: The role of Adam Harper is now being played by Clark James Gable.)
DYLAN: Hey, Bry. Where are the kids?
BRYAN: They are with Mrs. Buxley and they are being watched by her and the nanny. They are upstairs in the play room.
DYLAN: Did Nyssa get to Somerset all right?
BRYAN: Yes, she texted me right after the funeral. Nyssa was exhausted from the flight and Susie told me that she went right straight to bed.
DYLAN: Glad that they got there safely. She needs a break from all the tragedy here, and her spending time with Susie and Ellen will do her a world of good.
BRYAN: I am sure it will. When are they bringing Rhonda here?
DYLAN: I have no idea. I know Allegra told us that it could be anytime.
BRYAN: I am more worried about her being around the kids.
DYLAN (comfortingly): I know, Bry. So am I. I don't want that wicked woman anywhere around the kids. So, I am with you on that one.
BRYAN (hugging Dylan): I know you are, Dyl. And I am glad for that. I know Anyssa would agree with me on that one.
(Enter: Adam, who puts his arm around Dylan.)
ADAM: And I agree too.
DYLAN (grinning): I know you do, honey.
(The two kiss while Bryan smiles.)
BRYAN: You two are always the love birds.
DYLAN (winking): So are you and Anyssa.
(Along comes Allegra Whittenberg)
ALLEGRA: Hey, guys. Here she comes. The cops have her in shackles, so she cannot break free or cause any trouble.
DYLAN: That is good. At least she won't get at anyone. I just want the kids out of the way, before she comes in. I do not want them exposed to that woman.
BRYAN: I agree.
ANNE (Allegra's mother): You two don't need to worry about that. Mrs. Buxley is watching them in Maggie's play room. They are perfectly safe.
DYLAN: Thanks, Anne.
(Everyone goes into the main room. Rhonda is walked in, her ankles and hands shackled. She is led in by Anne Hamilton. Everyone is looking at her with absolute contempt)
RHONDA: What are you all staring at me for?!
(Anngelique glares at her long-time hated enemy)
ANNGELIQUE: Years ago, Whittenberg, you and I were best friends. We grew up in the same town; were in the same social circle; and yet, we got along well. Until you decided to take your anger and venom out on my brother. You sent him off to an institution and thank heavens he got out of that feeling better. However, you began your road to hell. You ruined things, scorned people; lied, cheated, betrayed, and backstabbed your way through Marshall City, and you think nobody would get wise to you?
RHONDA: So?
SHARLENE (glaring at her): The McAllister and Ames families were always close. (She catches Scott and Diana's eyes and they nod) Between our two families, nothing was not known in Marshall City. The Hollisters were NOTHING! They never even rated on the social circle. The Emersons, another family you scorned, rated a LOT higher than your family! They were middle class, true, but they were more on the ball and more acceptable socially than your family was!
RHONDA: The Hollisters MADE Marshall City! You know they did!
(Enter: Marilyn, Jennifer's great aunt)
MARILYN: Wrong! I know my history! I know it very well, thanks to Rosemary! And she told me that the Hollisters were not even a blip on the Marshall City social register. The Ames, the McAllisters and the Marshalls were the families that ruled the town. The Hollisters were a non-entity. To anyone in town that mattered, your family was a non-factor!
RHONDA: How DARE you?!
MARILYN (her voice and demeanor cold): I dare! I dare because someone should have had the bravery to tell you off years ago. Anngelique tried to, but you laughed her threats off. The Ames, the Marshalls, the McAllisters, they tried to stop you, but you underestimated them; and even your parents!
RHONDA: Now, you wait a minute, bitch! MY parents were loving! They loved me!
(Violet walks up to the evil Rhonda.)
VIOLET: My contempt for you knows no bounds! You murdered my sister in cold blood. And you think that you are well loved and well respected?! You really are a sick woman! A truly sick, depraved and absolutely evil individual! You had hatred against my aunt Erica, and to get even with her for treating you like the crap you are, you killed my sister! You make me sick!
RHONDA (dismissive): Your sister was nothing to me!
VIOLET (infuriated): NOTHING?! Listen to me, you bitch! She was my TWIN sister! She was part of me! You killed her!
RHONDA: Oh, grow up, will ya?!
VIOLET (she is enraged): You stupid whore! When I get my hands on you, I'm gonna.....!
(Anngelique holds a furious Violet back)
ANNGELIQUE: Vi, calm down, honey. Slapping her will not make matters better.
VIOLET (tears spilling down her face): I hate her, Anngelique.
ANNGELIQUE: I know you do, honey. I don't blame you one bit for hating her. I hate her myself. She's nasty, and without question, evil. I just don't want you doing anything stupid and landing yourself in jail, you know?
VIOLET: I am sorry, Anngelique.
ANNGELIQUE: It's not your fault, Vi. She deserves to be slapped, I know. And since she IS shackled, she cannot attack back, but I don't want you to become her next target. That would mean Jennifer died for nothing.
RHONDA: But she DID die for nothing!
ANNGELIQUE (whirling on Rhonda, her eyes spitting fire): SHUT UP!
(Enter: Jeffrey Steele. He's a businessman in Boston. He is divorced from Dr. Leslie Worthington-Steele, the head of Neurology at New England Medical Center and Dylan Harper's personal doctor. They are still friends, though. Jeff glares at Rhonda.)
JEFF: I don't know much about you, and believe me, I really don't want to know anything about you. From what I learned about you from the Harpers and the rest of the Marshall City families, you are definitely not to be trusted. No wonder they hate you.
RHONDA: Who the hell do you think YOU are? Some hack has-been businessman?! You and your wife couldn't even manage to stay together!
(Leslie takes offense to that!)
LESLIE: I don't believe that. We knew we couldn't stay married. We were just way too different for us to be together. I wished Jeff well, and he and I are good friends. You, however, are absolutely evil! You make life miserable for everyone, and you think you can get away with it! You're headed back to prison for killing Jennifer Harper. Your pleas of not guilty are lies, and you know it! You murdered her in the presence of DOZEN of witnesses! And it could have been worse, had your bomb exploded and you had destroyed the hospital! Thank God the bomb was defused! It was like you wanted to have everyone look at you killing her! How can you even SLEEP at night behaving the way you do!
RHONDA: I sleep very well, thank you! And I am not only able to sleep well at night knowing the evil that I have done to people, I am PROUD of it! I do what I do, because I can! And I have MORE rights than you do! I AM A HOLLISTER! And proud of it!
LESLIE: You make me sick!
JEFF: One day, Whittenberg, your crimes will come back to haunt you!
RHONDA: You certainly won't be around when that happens!
(Dylan has had enough of her nastiness and smugness)
DYLAN: You are a disgusting woman, Rhonda Whittenberg! Bad enough that you caused the pain to the Minzells that you did; but when you cross the line and kill my cousin like that, then you declared war on us. And let me remind you, Whittenberg, when you mess with the Harpers, you are messing with a POWERFUL family!
RHONDA: I am a HOLLISTER! More powerful than you are!
DYLAN (hiding his aggravation at Rhonda's ad nauseum proclamation): You are NOTHING near the caliber of the Harpers, Ames or McAllisters. In fact, you are less than nothing.
RHONDA: Screw you, Harper! You are WORTHLESS!
DYLAN: Why you no-account miserable little......!
(All of a sudden, Dylan looks sickened! He loses his balance, grabs his chest and sinks to his knees.)
SHEILA (screaming): DYL!
ADAM (rushing to his husband): Baby!
ROGER (near tears): Dyl Pickle!
ANNE HAMILTON: Get a doctor.
RHONDA (roaring with laughter): I couldn't have planned this better!
ANNGELIQUE (furious): Shut up, Whittenberg.
RHONDA: No!
SHEILA (enraged): You were told to SHUT UP! NOW, SHUT THE FUCK UP!
(Leslie rushes over, and checks his pulse. She takes over.)
LESLIE (issuing orders): Rose, get that heart defibrillator from the wall over here!
(Rosemary brings it over. Jeff looks at his ex-wife)
JEFF: Anything you want me to do, Leslie?
LESLIE: Just get everyone out of the way, Jeff. Abby, I will need your help.
(Abby Stevenson comes over.)
ABBY: What do you need Leslie?
LESLIE: Roll up his sleeve. (She gets some medicine out of her bag) Get this medicine in his veins.
(Abby rolls up Dylan's sleeve; swabs some alcohol to sterilize, gets a rubber band and exposes Dylan's vein; and injects some medicine in his right arm, and, after moving out of the way, Leslie uses the heart defibrillator device on him. He slowly comes out of it, and he is a bit woozy. Roger, Adam and Sheila help him get to his feet.)
DYLAN (feeling lightheaded): What's going on?
LESLIE (softly): You'll be all right, Dyl.
ABBY: We were afraid you might have had a slight heart attack!
(Dylan is stunned.)
DYLAN: I can't believe it! Good grief! Just like Dad!
ABBY (softly): Not quite.
LESLIE: You survived it, though, Dylan.
ABBY: Fortunately, we caught it right in time. What I injected in you was a blood thinner, which helped cleanse the small blockage. Happily, we checked it out, and there was no heart muscle damage. It was very slight, a twinge really.
SHEILA: Thank heavens.
WENDY: What do we do?
DYLAN: I am sure, to keep the stress away, right?
SHEILA (affectionately): Yes, honey, you do. I clearly remember my heart attack well enough and I am here to help you through yours.
DYLAN: What will I do about work?
SHEILA (reassuringly): Don't worry, honey. You can still work at the office, but I don't want you stressing about anything. We'll delegate things to whomever.
WENDY: Good idea. What about his diet, Dr. Steele?
LESLIE: I think his diet is fine. The heart attack was very minor, and he should be fine diet wise.
ROGER: Thank heavens.
ADAM: That means we wait on Dyl hand and foot!
LESLIE (laughing): Yes, and Dylan, you need to be waited on hand and foot.
DYLAN (smiling, in spite of his heart scare): All right, I will enjoy it.
LESLIE: I am also insisting on you getting some bed rest. I would say about two weeks worth should be all right. Maybe longer, if needed. I am just wanting to make sure that there isn't any damage.
DYLAN: All right, I am agreeable to that.
RHONDA (angered): What is all this about?!
ANNGELIQUE (exploding in rage): I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO SHUT THE HELL UP, WHITTENBERG!
WENDY: You are a wicked bitch! You are absolute POISON!
RHONDA (smugly): Who cares?!
ALLEGRA: Dylan almost had a heart attack! Fortunately he didn't!
RHONDA: A pity, he should have died.
(She roars with laughter, really angering everyone! Allegra slaps Rhonda in the face, hard.)
ALLEGRA: You stupid BITCH! You laugh about someone having a heart attack! You sick bitch!
JEFF MINZELL (angrily): Get her out of here! And get her off to prison!
(Rhonda is hauled away screaming and threatening all the way out)
RHONDA: This is not over, this will NEVER be over!
SHEILA: SHUT UP! I will NEVER forgive you for what you did to my twin cousin! GET HER OUT OF HERE!
(The security drags her out. The door shuts)
WENDY: Oh, Dyl. I don't want to lose you, the same way I lost your father.
LESLIE: You won't, Mrs. Harper.
WENDY: Please, call me Wendy.
LESLIE: All right, Wendy. I am thinking of having Dylan come to the Hospital after this is done. I want to check him over and see if there was any damage. I don't think there was. He is quite healthy and active, and I don't foresee there being any damage, but I want to check it, just to be sure. It shouldn't be too long. In and out, I think.
(Marilyn joins the two women)
WENDY: All right. I think that can be done.
MARILYN: I will go with you both, if you wish me to.
WENDY: Thanks, Marilyn. I think Roger, Adam and Sheila will be coming with.
LESLIE: That would be good for him to have people familiar with him being there.
(After the tumult, Marilyn gently helps her great nephew to a couch. Wendy helping her aunt in-law with her stepson. Craig and Barry work to bring him some chili. Jay and Tom, two of June's men, gently wipe Dylan's forehead as Leslie monitors his vitals; Anngelique, Jeff, AJ and Jamie bring him some water; Sheila is sitting next to Dylan, holding her cousin's hand. Roger is next to him as well. Adam is caressing his hair The family work to minister to their own. Even Violet puts her grief aside to help Dylan through what happened. She was worried that Rhonda would have killed him too. Fortunately, that didn't happen. The scene fades)