SCENE ONE: IT IS THE NEXT MORNING AND JACK ARRIVES TO SEE JENNIFER. HER NEWSPAPER IS LYING OUTSIDE HER DOOR AND HE GRABS IT JUST AS SHE OPENS THE DOOR TO GET IT.

 

JENNIFER: Oh.... Jack.

JACK: Hahahahah.

JENNIFER: Good morning.

JACK: Good morning. Well look at you. Well I'm obviously way too early here.

 

SHE IS IN HER PAJAMAS AND ROBE.

 

JACK: I dropped by and you're in your robe. I tell you what, I'll drop by a little bit later. It'll be much better.

JENNIFER: Ah, wait a minute, wait. Where are you going with my newspaper?

JACK: What newspaper?

JENNIFER: The newspaper that's under your arm.

 

SHE GRINS AND JACK PRETENDS TO JUST NOTICE IT.

JACK: Oh this? You call this a newspaper? You're calling The Chronicle a newspaper? Now I am insulted about that. This is a newspaper? And another thing, what the hell are you doing subscribing to my rival?

JENNIFER: Jack, I subscribe to all the newspapers.

JACK: Oh that's great. Now that really hurts. That really hits me, right in the old kisser, yep.

 

JENNIFER: Alright, what are you hiding?

JACK: What makes you think I'm hiding anything? I'm not hid.... I'm not....

JENNIFER: I know you and I know how you are. You're hiding something. Tell me what it is.

JACK: Alright, alright, you got me. I am hiding something. I am hiding something and I.... ah.... guess I should have known you'd find out sooner or later. This.

 

HE HOLDS UP THE PAPER SO SHE CAN SEE THE ARTICLE HE WANTS HER TO SEE. THE HEADLINE READS: "VICTOR KIRIAKIS TO WED FORMER HEIRESS" AND SHOWS A PICTURE OF CARLY AND VICTOR."

 

JENNIFER: I can't believe this. Carly is going to marry Victor Kiriakis.

JACK: Hey come on now, it's in the paper so it must be true. (Beat) I mean then again, it is The Chronicle, so....

JENNIFER: Why would you want to hide something like this from me?

JACK: What do you mean? This.... well obviously I know that.... you and Carly are the best of friends and that you.... and Victor.... are not.

JENNIFER: Yeah, you got that right?

 

SHE SNATCHES THE PAPER OUT OF HIS HAND AND TAKES IT INSIDE.

 

JACK: Hey, wait a minute. Ah.... listen, about that article.... it's ah.... there's.... ah....

 

JENNIFER READS THE MAIN HEADLINE ON THE PAPER.

 

JENNIFER: This is what you really didn't want me to see, isn't it Jack?

 

THE HEADLINE READS: "WATB REPORTER JENNIFER HORTON ACCUSES LAWRENCE ALAMAIN OF RAPE".

 

JACK: I'll tell you something, you know, the level of journalism in this town is really, it's just gone to the dogs. I mean that rag there is on the level of those supermarket tabloids. You know, with those headlines that say, you know....

JENNIFER: Jack....

JACK: .... "Brain Dead Elvis Stalks the Mall" or "Alien's Mother-in-Law Eats Your Children." You know with....

JENNIFER: Jack, it's okay. It's okay.

JACK: I'm just saying that this is.... is the last thing you need in your life right now, that's all.

JENNIFER: You're right, it is the last thing I need. But it isn't going to make me run away from it.

JACK: It's not? (Beat) I mean, it's not.

JENNIFER: Jack, look, I appreciate you trying to protect me. I really do. But there are going to be tons of articles like that. I can't help it. I'm going to have to face them.

JACK: Not necessarily.

JENNIFER: What do you mean?

JACK: I'm just.... saying.... that you could.... forget the whole thing.

JENNIFER: Jack, I can't forget the whole thing.

JACK: Forget the whole thing, absolutely. You've got a good idea.

JENNIFER: No.

JACK: I'm going to call Glynis right now and tell her that you're forgetting the whole thing and to call off this meeting and it's.... it's done.

JENNIFER: You can't do that. I want to do this. You cannot....

JACK: Let me tell you something. This is only the beginning. It's going to get a hell of a lot worse before it gets better.... IF it ever gets better.

JENNIFER: Well then that's the chance I have to take.

 

JACK IS FRUSTRATED AND SCARED BY THIS WHOLE THING.

 

JACK: Huh! (Beat) Yeah I bet that.... Kayla probably.... is glad she took the chance too.... in the long run.

JENNIFER: Jack, listen to me. I know that is going to be hard for you too, alright. But as long as we're together, we can do it.

 

JACK IS NOT SO SURE ABOUT THAT.

 

JENNIFER: And we are together, right?

JACK: Oh, oh well I'm not going anywhere.

 

THEY LOOK AT EACH OTHER WITH LOVE IN THEIR EYES.

 

JENNIFER: That's all I need to know then. (Beat) I'm going to go upstairs. I'm going to get ready for this meeting.

 

JACK NODS AND SHE GOES UPSTAIRS LEAVING HIM TO THINK OVER WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN.

SCENE TWO: THEY GO TO MICKEY'S OFFICE, WHERE GLYNIS TURNER, THE PROSECUTION ATTORNEY, IS WAITING AS WELL.

 

JENNIFER: Thank you for meeting us here, Miss Turner.

GLYNIS: Call me Glynis, please, and it's okay. Your uncle told me how you wanted me involved and if you feel more comfortable here then that's fine.

MICKEY: What Glynis is going to do Jennifer is sort of put you through a mock trial. She'll play the part of Alamain's attorney and grill you the way he would.

GLYNIS: Okay?

JENNIFER: Okay, I understand.

 

JACK IS STANDING ASIDE LISTENING TO ALL THIS, KNOWING VERY WELL WHAT JENNIFER IS IN FOR.

 

GLYNIS: You need to know exactly what to say and do during cross examination. This is your day in court. Your chance to see that justice is done on your behalf and any mistakes could cost you.

MICKEY: It's not going to be easy Jen. Glynis is going to have to say things that will upset you and.... do you.... do you think you're up to it?

 

SHE LOOKS ACROSS AT JACK BEFORE ANSWERING.

 

JENNIFER: Well there's only one way to find out, isn't there?

GLYNIS: Okay, let's get started then. (Beat) Miss Horton, I want you to tell the court exactly what happened on your wedding night.

JENNIFER: Ah, well you see it wasn't really my wedding.

GLYNIS: You did marry Mr. Alamain, didn't you?

JENNIFER: Yes but at the time I was posing as someone else.

GLYNIS: But you married him, none the less. And you even had your uncle obtain a divorce for you. Isn't that correct?

JENNIFER: Um....

MICKEY: That's okay Jen, go ahead and answer.

JENNIFER: Ah.... yes.

GLYNIS: Okay, now let's get back to what happened after the wedding.

 

JACK DOES NOT LIKE GLYNIS' LINE OF QUESTIONS AT ALL.

SCENE THREE: GLYNIS IS QUESTION JENNIFER, AS IF SHE WERE LAWRENCE'S ATTORNEY. SHE IS BEING HARSH AND THIS IS GREATLY DESTURBING JACK.

 

JENNIFER: Alright, I went to Lawrence's room to meet Jack. I was waiting for him there.

GLYNIS: Why there?

JENNIFER: Well in Lawrence's room there's an elevator going down to the basement and that's where he was holding Frankie.

GLYNIS: Frankie Brady, also known as Francois Von Leuschner.

JENNIFER: Yes that's right.

GLYNIS: Whom you also happened to have been engaged to at one time if I'm not mistaken.

JENNIFER: Ah.... I don't know what that has to do with anything.

GLYNIS: I just want to get it straight, that you were waiting for your lover to rescue your ex-fiancØ when your current husband came into the room. Is that right?

JENNIFER: Yes.

GLYNIS: Just how many other men were you stringing along Miss?

JENNIFER: Miss Turner, that's not how it was at all. Uncle Mickey....

MICKEY: Jen, Jen, Glynis has to bring this out because obviously Alamain's lawyer will.

JENNIFER: Okay, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get upset.

GLYNIS: Okay, getting back to what happened that night. So you were waiting for Mr. Deveraux to appear in your husband's bedroom.

JENNIFER: Yes, that's right. And he didn't show up. I mean he couldn't. Lawrence had him locked in this room and I didn't know that. So then Lawrence came into the room and I had to figure out a way to stall him.

GLYNIS: How?

JENNIFER: Well I gave him some champagne.

GLYNIS: Champagne?

JENNIFER: Well I didn't want him to get suspicious.

GLYNIS: And he didn't! He didn't suspect anything at all, did he? As a matter of fact, he took it as a romantic gesture.

JENNIFER: Well I guess, I don't know.

GLYNIS: You don't know? A groom returns to his bedroom to find his new bride waiting for him with a glass of champagne. What would you expect him to think?

JENNIFER: Okay, maybe he did think that.

GLYNIS: Okay, how did he react?

JENNIFER: He.... he.... ah.... started kissing me.

JACK IS GETTING VERY WORRIED NOW.

 

GLYNIS: Kissing you? Hardly a violent act.

JENNIFER: But I kept telling him no. I was asking him to stop. I told him to stop.

GLYNIS: Did he threaten you?

JENNIFER: He pushed me onto the bed.

GLYNIS: Did he use a weapon?

JENNIFER: No.

GLYNIS: Did he knock you unconscious?

JENNIFER: No.

GLYNIS: Did he strike you?

JENNIFER: No he didn't. But there was this one point where....

GLYNIS: Did he use restraints of any kind?

JENNIFER: No.

GLYNIS: Did he render you helpless in any way?

JENNIFER: He forced himself on me.

GLYNIS: Did he?

JENNIFER: Yes.

GLYNIS: Or was it the other way around? It was you waiting for him that night. You were the one plying him with champagne. Oh if the truth be told, it was you who seduced your husband that night and not the other way around. You told your boyfriend you were raped because you didn't want him angry at you. Oh but the fact is, you asked for it and you got exactly what you wanted.

JENNIFER: That's not true.

 

JACK CANNOT STAND THIS ANYMORE.

 

JACK: Now, now wait a minute. HOLD IT RIGHT THERE.

MICKEY: Jack!

JACK: Listen.... listen this session is over. What the hell do you think you're doing? SHE'S DOESN'T KNOW WHAT SHE'S DOING.

MICKEY GRABS JACK TO RESTRAIN HIM.

 

MICKEY: Now Jack, hold it down for a minute. JACK!

JACK: SHE SAID SHE DIDN'T.... LOOK SHE SAID SHE DIDN'T WANT WHAT HAPPENED TO HER. THAT WAS PERFECTLY CLEAR WASN'T IT? I MEAN I UNDERSTOOD THAT. DIDN'T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT? DID YOU UNDERSTAND THAT? DID YOU?

MICKEY: Yes! We understood that, certainly. That's why Glynis is doing this in order to help Jennifer.

JACK: Is this what you did to Kayla?

 

MICKEY TURNS AWAY.

 

JACK: I.... I mean I just thought that it was.... I thought that it was Lawrence that was supposed to be on trial, not Miss Horton.

GLYNIS: The defense is going to make Jennifer out to be the bad guy. (To Jennifer) I'm sorry but that's how a rape trial works and if you can't handle it here in this room what makes you think you can go the distance in a courtroom full of spectators?

JENNIFER: Miss Turner, you're right. If I am going to go through with it, that is what I'm going to have to deal with.

JACK: But can you?

JENNIFER: I don't know. All I do know is that I have to try.

GLYNIS: Then you better brace yourself because this is kid's play compared to what's really going to happen. They're going to question you about every boyfriend you ever had.

 

JACK FROWNS.

 

GLYNIS: They're going to ask you about your love life, your sex life. They're going to make you out to be some kind of temptress.

JENNIFER: I realize that.

GLYNIS: And even if you handle it, there's no guarantee that we're going to convince a jury of that, of what really happened. We might not win and you've got a lot to lose. So I want you to think about it and be sure, absolutely sure that this is what you want to do.

SCENE FOUR: BACK AT THE LOFT, JENNIFER MAKES SOME TEA. SHE PICKS UP THE CUP AND SAUCER AND STARTS SIPPING IT AS SHE SITS DOWN. SHE SPILLS IT WHEN SHE HEARS A KNOCK ON THE DOOR.

 

JACK: MISS HORTON!

JENNIFER: Hang on.

 

SHE OPENS THE DOOR. JACK IS HOLDING A SMALL WHITE PAPER BAG.

 

JACK: Hello!

JENNIFER: Hi.

JACK: Look I know you said you wanted to be left alone after that debacle with Glynis Turner but I figured.... ah.... I mean what the hell. Since when have I ever been aware of what you really wanted anyway. So I was walking through the park and I ran into this gentleman who was selling hot roasted chestnuts and I figured, what the heck, you must be hungry by now.

 

HE TOSSES THE BAG TO HER AS IF IT IS HOT. SHE CATCHES IT AND TOSSED IT STRAIGHT BACK.

 

JENNIFER: Jack, I.... I'm not really hungry.

JACK: Ooooh!

JENNIFER: Those are really hot.

JACK: Well perhaps I should have gotten you some nice cold chocolates.

 

HE TOSSES IT BACK AND SHE PUTS IT DOWN.

 

JENNIFER: Jack I don't.... I knew that it was going to be hard. But I had no idea that it would be like that.

JACK: Well the truth be told I don't believe either of us were quite prepared for what happened.

JENNIFER: Well I just hope I'm prepared when the trial comes round, that's all.

JACK: So you're still going to go through with it.

JENNIFER: Jack what other choice do I have? That letter that Lawrence wanted was our only other hope to get back at him and now we saw the letter. It can't help our case at all. So what else can I do? I have to do it.

JACK: There may be another way.

JENNIFER: What?

JACK: I don't know. The point is there may be another way. You just need time to figure it out. In the mean time you could just drop this whole thing. Just say the word.

JENNIFER: No.

 

JENNIFER WALKS OVER TO THE WINDOW AND JACK FOLLOWS HER. THEY SIT TOGETHER ON THE SILL.

 

JACK: Excuse me, hello. Have you.... have you heard the last thing I said? Have you heard anything I've said? (Beat) Look you can be out of this whole mess, alright. No courts, no bad press and we know how bad it can get, don't we? I mean all you have to do is just say the word, put it all behind you. Just move on with your life, if that's what you want.

JENNIFER: Uh, uh. If there's no trial that is not going to mean that it will be over Jack. I mean I just can't forget what Lawrence did. I just can't pretend that it didn't happen.

JACK: Wait a minute, you heard what Glynis said. It's something that you know and I definitely know. I mean there is no guarantee that Lawrence is going to be.... punished for what happened.

JENNIFER: Alright, but at least I'll have tried it.

JACK: Yeah, you'd try it alright. And you're probably going to face the consequences of it too.

JENNIFER: Look no matter how bad that trial gets it will never be as horrible as what Lawrence did to me that night. Nothing could be.

 

JACK FINDS IT DIFFICULT TO HEAR HER SAY THIS AND TO COPE WITH IT ALL.

 

JACK: So you're going.... you're going to go ahead with it then?

 

JENNIFER TURNS AWAY WITH TEARS IN HER EYES AND JACK STROKES HER HAIR AS IT BLOWS IN THE BREEZE.

JACK: There's no turning back.

JENNIFER: No turning back.

 

SHE TAKES HIS HANDS AND HOLDS HIS FINGERS TO HER CHEEK AS THEY BOTH CONTEMPLATE THE FUTURE TRIAL.