FLASHBACK: 'Another World' The Story of Steven, Rachel & Alice (Part 18)

George Reinholt and Victoria Wyndham as
Steven and Rachel Frame.

ANOTHER WORLD: The Story of Steven, Rachel & Alice

The Soap Box
Vol. IV No. 8 August 1979
by Bryna Laub

(continued from Part 17)

Alice now began to see the truth. She understood her part in what had happened. She had walked out on him once before, allowing Rachel to seduce him the night Jamie was conceived and then, when she left him again for no apparent reason this time, Rachel had been there again to take advantage of his hurt to trap him into marriage. Alice now understood she was equally responsible for Steven's now being married to Rachel.

Steven then told Alice he loved her, that he had never stopped loving her. Believing him, Alice replied that she, too, still loved him but it was hopeless. At hearing words of love from her, words he'd come to believe he'd never hear again, Steven felt all-powerful. There was nothing beyond his reach. He promised her that somehow he would find a way to free himself from Rachel and that they would be together again. Reflecting his love, Alice then promised to wait no matter how long it took.

Iris was delighted when the tape of his conversation was delivered into her hands. Alice was no longer a threat to her. But she took malicious joy in presenting a copy of the tape to Rachel, to whom she had been pretending friendship knowing Rachel hated Alice.

Rachel was furious and out for blood. She stormed into the Matthews' house and confronted Alice with the tape. She then threatened to release the tape to the newspapers to blacken Alice's name as a homewrecker. When this didn't seem to affect Alice, Rachel dropped her bombshell--if Steven tried to divorce her, she would make sure he never saw Jamie again. Then, adding she would never give Steven a divorce and would remain Mrs. Steven Frame as long as she lived, Rachel walked out.

Alice was shattered. She could face scandal and humiliation to be with Steven but she would never make Steven choose between her and his son. Leaving Steven a note of explanation, she left for Arizona to visit her Aunt Liz.

Lenore Moore (Susan Sullivan), Helen Moore (Murial
Williams) and Pat Matthews Randolph (Beverly Penberthy).

But once there, Alice realized she had just done what she vowed never to do again--she had once again run way from emotional pain. Determined to fight for Steven and their love, no matter what, Alice flew back to Bay City and told Steven it was in his hands and she would be waiting.

John made it clear to Steven that he had no grounds for a divorce. But Steven was adamant and insisted John file on grounds of fraud, claiming Rachel conspired with Gerald to break up his marriage to Alice.

Iris was delighted. Alice was now out of the way. But Eliot found the bugging device before she could arrange its removal and he turned it over to the police. Mrs. Goddard finally confessed to her duplicity and he fired her. Iris, who hired the bereft woman, assured her that with Alice out of his life, Eliot wouldn't be vindictive. But he was, and upon learning he'd agreed to her arrest, Iris had a major nervous breakdown. Eliot then took pity on her and destroyed all the evidence against her. He then vowed to stand by her until she was well again.

Rachel, receiving notification of Steven's divorce action, tried to hire Tim McGowan to represent her as his father Gil had recently married Ada. But Tim worked in John's law firm and was threatened with losing his place in the firm if he agreed to advise her. So she hired her uncle Sam Lucas who assured her that without actual proof of fraud, Steven hadn't a chance of winning his case. This reassured Rachel as the charges weren't true.

On John's advice Steven and Alice made sure they were never alone as that would give Rachel ammunition to block the divorce. But Mary objected to Alice meeting Steven at Lenore's, pointing out that Alice was now doing to Rachel what Rachel had done to her. Alice refused to see the similarity in the situation and moved into an apartment with a roommate to ease the friction at home.

Learning Alice was no longer living with her parents, Rachel moved into an apartment in town, ostensibly to be closer to Jamie's school but actually to be able to watch Steven and Alice and catch them together.

It was Jamie, however, who did that, coming home from an afternoon with Steven to tell Rachel that they had visited Lenore and he saw his daddy and Alice in each other's arms. Rachel decided this was proof positive of an affair and forced Sam, over much objection, to file and alienation of affections suit against Alice.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Stay tuned for Part 19 of Another World - The Story of Steven, Rachel & Alice.

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