Shawn and Belle: It's Over!
The week begins on DAYS OF OUR LIVES with Shawn dropping a huge bombshell on his girlfriend, Belle: Jan is pregnant and he's the father.
Why would Shawn tell such a lie to the girl he loves? Yes, Jan is pregnant; but not by him. "Shawn isn't in his right mind," explains his portrayer, Jason Cook. "He's not thinking straight because he's in the process of losing his brother, and he sees it as one more baby who's going to be lost. It's almost like he feels some sort of justification. He's not able to save his brother, but if he saves this baby, it will help the healing process. It's not a replacement of J.T., but it helps him cope with the loss of J.T."
Okay, but since he doesn't present it this way to Belle, naturally, she is upset. "It was so weird because I placed myself in that situation, and it wasn't written, but I started crying," says Kirsten Storms (Belle). "It's not so much of a shock for her becaues he's had such a long time to deal with the fact that she knows something is going on between Jan and Shawn. It's not like it wasn't a thought in her mind that something was going on with them, but it's like her fears were just confirmed. She is numb."
After the hurt, Belle lashes out. "She does what any girl in her right mind would do: She lays into him, screams at him and pushes him against the wall," previews Storms. "She says, 'I love you and I trusted you, and now I think you're a coward.' Anyone who has been feeling bad for Belle over the last few months is totally going to say, 'Right on, girlfriend!'"
Though Shawn's heart is breaking, he doesn't tell Belle the truth. "He's trying to do the right thing," sighs Cook. "He's not deliberately trying to hurt Belle; that's the last thing he wants to do. He loves her with all of his heart and soul - much more than most kids his age with their girlfriends. Shawn keeps reiterating that this is the girl he plans to spend the rest of his life with, and he means it. So, it pains him to go through what he's going through, but he hopes that love can conquer all, I guess."
Suddenly, it occurs to Belle that her beau is lying. "She's mad, and at first she's going, 'I hate you! I Hate you!' and then she stops and says, 'You're lying to me,'" reveals Storms. "It's written so well. Jasn and I were excited to do this because they have such a connection and she knows him so well, she knows he's lying to her. He says, 'No, it's mine!' and she's still screaming and crying, saying 'You're lying to me.'" Adds Cook: "That's an amazing moment. In the middle of everything, he's thinking: 'I love you, you know the truth, but I'm not going to tell you and I'm sorry.'"
When Shawn won't tell a devastated Belle what's really going on, she tells him it's over. "I think he's lying to her now, knowing it's going to hurt and knowing they'll break up, but once the baby is born, he'll tell her the truth," notes Cook. But will Belle forgive him? "I think she's going to be mad at him because she doesn't like Jan and she can see right through everything that's going on," theorizes Storms. "I think what it's going to come down to is that Shawn chose Jan over Belle. That's how she's going to see it. They are playing Belle as such a strong person, and that isn't going to dissipate so quickly. She's going to be upset with him for a while."
Soap Opera Digest, 03.12.02