The aborted wedding confrontation, 1997.

As the minister saw the picture of Lauren and Eric in bed, laying in his bible (planed by Sally & Darla) in the middle of the wedding, he was shocked and put the wedding on hold. He asked to speak alone to Eric and Stephanie and the three went into the study. Both Eric and Stephanie wondered why in the world he had halted their wedding…

Stephanie:
No, I’d rather not sit down.

Eric:
I think we both just like to know what just happened out there.

Minister:
I realize this is awkward.

Eric:
You can say that, yes.

Stephanie:
Well, Robert, are you going to tell us what the problem is or aren´t you?

Minister:
As I was reading from the bible in the ceremony, I found this…

(The minister gives Eric the picture and Eric is shocked.)

Eric:
Reverend, I…

Minister:
I´m gonna give you some time to work this out. (Minister leaves them alone.)

Stephanie:
What is it?

Eric:
It´s a picture.

Stephanie:
I can see that. Of what?

Eric:
Of me.

Stephanie:
You?

Eric:
Yes. Of me and… Me and Lauren.

Stephanie:
You and Lauren? I think I should see the picture.

Eric:
No, you don´t want to do that.

Stephanie:
Yes, I do.

Eric:
No, you don´t! I´m sorry. It´s a picture of me and Lauren in bed.

Stephanie:
You and Lauren in bed?

Eric:
Yes… Stephanie, don´t overreact of this.

Stephanie:
Overreact?

Eric:
It doesn´t change anything.

Stephanie:
I think I´d better see the picture.

Eric:
No, that´s not gonna help us.

Stephanie:
Eric…

(He gives her the picture and she looks at it quickly, horrified)

Stephanie:
You made love to her…

Eric:
Once. It only happened once.

Stephanie:
Where? Here?

Eric:
No, of course not here. Don´t do this, Stephanie. Don´t let this ruin everything. Look, it was nothing. It meant nothing. It was meaningless. It was a mistake and I knew so right away and I told her. It never happened again.

Stephanie:
Why didn´t you tell me?

Eric:
I didn´t tell you because I knew how much it would hurt you. And I didn´t tell you because it didn´t matter, Stephanie. It happened so long ago.

Stephanie:
Oh God… Oh my God… This is so humiliating. All this time I told Lauren that a man like you, a man like you, wouldn´t even look at a woman like her. And all this time…

Eric:
I´m sorry. I am so sorry. And of course, you´re right. I should have told you. But I never imagine she would do anything so cruel and selfish and vindictive…

Stephanie:
Do you know what bothers me the most? That you found it so easy to lie to me.

Eric:
No, Stephanie. I didn´t lie to you.

Stephanie:
Yes, you did. You looked me right in the eyes and told me you´d never been intimate with her.

Eric:
I hadn´t, not at that time.

Stephanie:
Not at that time? What do you mean, not at that time? What does that mean? You´re not telling me that you slept with that woman after you asked me to marry you… You asked me to marry you and then you slept with Lauren.

Eric:
Yes. I shouldn’t have.

Stephanie:
Shouldn’t have? Is that all you can say?

Eric:
What do you want me to say?

Stephanie:
I want you to say it isn’t happening!

Eric:
It isn’t happening…

Stephanie:
How could you do it? How could you do it?

Eric:
Stephanie, I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I have no excuse. I’m not even certain how it happened…

Stephanie:
Oh, stop it, just stop! You know how, I know how. You were flattered by her and you let it go on and on and you knew exactly where it would go. Is your ego so fragile or do I just mean so little to you?

Eric:
No, Stephanie! That’s not… Look, it was a stupid mistake, but that’s all it was.

Stephanie:
How can you say that?

Eric:
Because it’s true.

Stephanie:
Then you’re either in denial or you’re a complete fool. And you’re no fool, I know that. Don’t you know what you’ve done? God… This is our wedding day… Do you know how long I´ve been waiting for this? Do you have any idea how I’ve prayed for this, dreamed of this? Since the day you walked out on me, Eric. You have just taken 35 years of our lives. All the love, the friendship and the trust that we rebuild with one another, you have just taken 35 years of our lives and thrown it away. How could you do this to us? How could you do this?

Eric:
Stephanie…

Stephanie:
No, stop it! Was a roll in the hay so much more important than me?

Eric:
No, of course not. Nothing, nothing is more important to me than you. Look, I had some unresolved feelings left and I ended it. Stephanie, it’s over. I chose you, I want you!

Stephanie:
Did I not ask you, did I not say to you, did I not beg to you, that if you wanted her it was alright? Did I not give you the opportunity? Why the hell didn’t you take the chance and leave me at least my dignity?

Eric:
I didn’t want out, Stephanie!

Stephanie:
What did you want? The both of us? Did you think you could have the cake and eat it? Was that the turn on? What that the excitement? Was that what made the sex fantastic?

Eric:
Stephanie, stop…

Stephanie:
I hope it was the best damn sex you’ve ever had because I’m gonna tell you something. It’s gonna cost you the most important thing in you life.

Eric:
No! I’m not giving up on us. And I’m NOT gonna let you give up on us either. Stephanie, I will do whatever it takes. I will do whatever you want me to do to gain your trust back again. I promise you that. After the ceremony, you and I can go up the coast…

Stephanie:
After the ceremony? After the ceremony? You think I’m gonna go out there with you again?

Eric:
Stephanie, I love you. I want you to be my wife. I want us to put this family back together again.

Stephanie:
I am not going to stand with you in front of a minister and exchange sacred vows with you. Do you think I would believe you when you say you will honor me, cherish me?

Eric:
You forget about the minister, you forget about the people and you forget about Lauren. And you think about what’s important here. You and me and what we have. Oh, you’re right. One night, one stupid selfish night can not erase 35 years! What you and I have, we can survive 100.000 crises as we always have. I’m not asking you to forgive me. I’m asking you to believe in who we are together. I want you to believe in how strong we are together and that’s worth fighting for. Please… Please, tell me you still believe that! Stephanie, tell me you’ll marry me!

(end of episode, confrontation continues on the next episode)

---

(new episode)

Stephanie:
You don’t have any idea what you’ve done, do you?

Eric:
Yes, I do. I’ve hurt you and I’m so ashamed. Stephanie, please. It was one moment, Stephanie. It was one stupid laps of judgement and it never happened again. Stephanie, from that moment, I’ve been absolutely faithful to you. Not for any lack of opportunities.

Stephanie:
This is like a dream, Eric. I can’t believe it’s you that’s actually saying these things to me.

Eric:
I am so, so sorry. I will make this up to you, Stephanie. If it takes me the rest of my life.

Stephanie:
Oh, so you want to marry me to get rid of all the guilt, huh?

Eric:
No, Stephanie. I want to marry you because I love you. I love you! You are apart of me, you are the best part of me! Everything I have accomplished, everything I have, is worth having because of you! You’re my partner, you’re my lover, you’re my friend. I can’t let you go. Can’t you see how sorry I am? If I wanted Lauren or anybody else, would I be begging you to marry me?
Oh, God… I hate to see that look. I promise you, I will never hurt you like this again.

Stephanie:
No you won’t… Cause I’m never gonna let you. I’m not going to marry you.

Eric:
You’re not gonna forgive me?

Stephanie:
I’m not going to go out there and stand with you with that minister and listen to you swear that you will forsake all others with Lauren sitting 10 feet away.

Eric:
I’ll get rid of Lauren.

Stephanie:
You can’t get rid of her. Lauren will always be between us.

Eric:
No Stephanie, I don’t accept that!

Stephanie:
Neither do I.

Eric:
Look, you’re so angry and you’re so hurt, I understand. I understand why. But I can’t understand that after 35 years…

Stephanie:
You keep saying that over and over again. 35 years. You keep saying “35 years” as that somehow justify what you’ve done. As if 35 years gives you the right to have a fling. It doesn’t! It doesn’t justify you sleeping with that tramp!

Eric:
Stephanie… My love… You and I can get through this as we’ve gone through so much. I couldn’t believe that we would get back together after the divorce, but we did. That’s because we belong together!

Stephanie:
Yes! There were so many times, weren’t there? Times when we weren’t in love. Times when we wouldn’t even talk to one another. But you know what we always had? Always, ALWAYS, we respected one another and that’s gone!

Eric:
No, I do respect you. I do respect you.

Stephanie:
Well, I don’t respect you. That hurts doesn’t it? But not nearly as much as it hurts me.

Eric:
Stephanie, please…

Stephanie:
Listen to me! Do you know how wonderful these past few weeks has been? After all the years of struggling, after all the ups and downs, we were coming into our own. We could have lived the rest of our lives that way… You fool. You damn fool…

John McCook and Susan Flannery were named “stars of the week” by Soap Opera Magazine for these scenes. Read the article here!