(Chelsea and Phillip are sitting in his living room.)
Phillip:
As you know, my version of life with father has, uh...(pause). Let’s see, how shall I put it? Never been too stable.
[Chelsea nods.]
Phillip:
But, up until recently, I think I’ve done my best to roll with the punches and accept them for what they are. Not to say that I haven’t had a few skirmishes with Alan, but for the most part it’s been his show. His script. I’ve always had to improvise.
Chelsea:
You make it sound like it’s been all bad. It hasn’t.
Phillip:
No, that’s true. There have been a few occasions where he played the loving father. Played it very convincingly as a matter of fact. I certainly ate it up. God knows I was hungry enough for it. See, poor naive child that I was, I thought that I had a right to feel wanted. And loved. And all those other things that I think children DO have a right to feel. And Alan was very good at giving me a taste of that. Never enough...that...I would feel satisfied or secure in his love for me, just enough that I would want more. (Hurt pause, then softer.) That should be his motto. “Always leave them hungry.” Because it works. It certainly worked on me. God, I wanted more. I always thought that if I waited long enough, I would get my fill. (Ironic smile.) And in a curious way, I was right. I have finally had my fill. I’ve had my fill of watching him destroy other people’s lives that I care about. I’ve had my fill of watching him twist the truth into some sort of perverse lie to suit his own ends. And I’m just not going to let him do it anymore. Unbeknownst to him, I have changed the end of his play.
Chelsea:
How?
Phillip:
By being the one who gets to live happily ever after. (He gets up and walks across the room.) I am going to cut him out of Spaulding Enterprises. And in so doing, I am going to cut off his power. I’m going to take away everything that makes him who he is and allows him to do the things that he does. And I think that it’s a worthy cause.
Chelsea: (Shaking her head in dismay)
Oh, Phillip.
Phillip:
What? It’s going to be quick and clean, and it’s going to do the most good.
Chelsea:
Or damage. (Phillip shakes his head no. Chelsea gets up and goes to him.) Phillip, this isn’t about saving yourself. This is about destroying your father.
Phillip:
You’re damn right it is. And by the time I am finished with him, he’ll be lucky if he can crawl. (Chelsea looks horrified.) And that’s the truth.
[SCENE CUT]
Phillip:
That’s because you’re reacting emotionally. See, you can’t do that with Alan.
Chelsea:
What do you think you’re doing?
Phillip:
I’m not acting out of emotion. No, no, see, I...I never would have been able to pull this thing off if I had been acting out of emotion. I had to cut that part of myself off completely to do this. And believe me, that’s not easy. More than a couple of times he’s gotten to me. The night I asked you to marry me...
Chelsea:
Almost asked.
Phillip:
Boy, you should have seen him that night. He was ALL over me. Slapping me on the back, shaking my hand, just full of congratulations. Made me feel like a million bucks. And that’s the way he does it to everybody, Chelsea. He acts like that, and you’re standing there like an idiot thinking, “Wait a minute, this man could not POSSIBLY do all these rotten things.” But he does. See, what you have to understand about him is (pause) he doesn’t see things the way other people do. No matter how much he admires you, or respects you, or, as much as he is able, loves you, it makes no difference to him. He is going to do whatever he damn well pleases. He’s like a tank. He just keeps rolling over everything that’s in his way. He’s single-minded. In a way, you almost have to respect him. He’s like a well-oiled machine. (Taking Chelsea’s hands and leading her to a chair, sitting down.) But don’t ever, ever make the mistake of thinking that he’s a human being because he’s not.
Chelsea:
Phillip, he’s your father.
Phillip: (Bitter)
Oh, sure he’s my father. By virtue of a little slight of hand. And a little cash. One minute in the hospital I was Justin Marler’s son, and the next minute Alan Spaulding’s.
Chelsea:
But Phillip, he loves you.
Phillip:
Oh, he does NOT. He trusts me. There’s a big difference. And that’s why I’ve been able to pull this off.
Chelsea:
But he’s always been there for you. No matter what happens he was there for you.
Phillip: (Voice sounding desperate)
Chelsea, he has NEVER been there for me. And he has NEVER given me what I needed. He has been a worthless father to me. (Calm and cold) But he has been a very good teacher. He has taught me everything that I need to know, including how to take this company from him.
Chelsea:
What?
Phillip:
Yeah. See, history’s repeating itself. He stole the company from his father. It’s a little Spaulding right of passage. Honor thy father, then stab him in the back.
Chelsea: (Stands up and walks away)
I don’t want to hear you talk like this. It hurts too much.
Phillip: (Gets up and turns her around to face him. Next section, he speaks quickly and desperately, trying to convince Chelsea he‘s right.)
Chelsea, that’s because you don’t understand because you’re not listening to me. But you have to. Listen. I know it’s hard. And it took a long time before it was clear to me, but eventually it was, and it will be to you too.
Chelsea:
No Phillip.
Phillip:
Yes, it will.
Chelsea:
No, it won’t. No.
Phillip: (Even more desperate)
Listen to me! The only reason you don’t understand is because you believe what he wants you to believe. I know because I have been doing it my entire life. But I finally realized, Chelsea, that I was never going to have an identity of my own unless I stopped being an emotional cripple and got out from under him. And you know what I did? Once I committed myself to that, everything else became so clear. Everything is not shrouded in mystery and subterfuge the way he tries to make you believe. It’s not! He has been priming me for failure my entire life by making me believe that he’s the only person that can run Spaulding Enterprises, and that’s not true. I CAN do it! And I will.
Chelsea:
And what happens to your father?
Phillip: (Horrified look on his face and he explodes in anger, yelling)
Who CARES what happens to my father? God, I’m standing here spilling my guts out to you and all you can think about is my father! For once in my life, Chelsea, I have got a fighting chance. (Yells.) Who cares about him? (The next section, Phillip is calmer, speaks quickly and hyper-like. An emotional meltdown.) Look at what I’ve become. (Looks around desperately.) He has done this to me. It’s because of him that I can’t trust anybody. My entire life he has been telling me what to do. He’s been telling me how to act. He’s been telling me what kind of clothes to wear. He’s been telling me who could be my friends. I just can’t...I can’t take it anymore. I can’t stand it.
Chelsea:
Phillip, all parents think they know what’s best for their children.
Phillip: (More hyper and quick)
Alan is not all parents. He is not all parents. He’s different.
Chelsea:
No, my mom still tries to tell me what to wear and how...
Phillip:
Oh, Chelsea, did...did your mother lie to you about who you were when you were born? Did she try to burn your house down? Was she responsible for the death of the one person in your life that you ever......(Pause). I can’t do it. I...I just can’t do it. I can’t stand it anymore.
Chelsea:
And your conscience doesn’t bother you.
Phillip: (Obviously it does)
Why should my conscience bother me? Do you think his conscience bothers him?
Chelsea:
I wasn’t asking about Alan’s. I asked you about yours.
Phillip:
Yes. My conscience is fine. It’s perfectly clear. I could not care a bit. I am meeting him on his turf, and I am going to win.
Chelsea:
Well, I guess I’m just going to have to start calling you Alan Jr., then, won’t I?
Phillip:
Oh, no, no, no, no, no. Don’t try to shame me into not doing this because Aunt Alex already tried and it didn’t work. Don’t you understand? I want him to hurt, like I have hurt. I want him to feel that knife, and I want to watch him when it turns.
Chelsea:
Oh, Phillip, just because your father turned on his father doesn’t mean that you have to turn on yours. Honey, it’s not right.
Phillip:
It’s justice. And it’s sweet.
Chelsea:
Then there’s no hope, is there?
Phillip:
For Alan? Ha!
Chelsea:
No, for you. I thought there was a heart in there somewhere.
Phillip: (Very angry)
No, don’t...don’t try to make me out to be the bad guy, because I’m not the only one that wants this. Aunt Alex wants it, and H.B. wants it, and Henry wants it and Josh wants it. Everybody wants it.
Chelsea:
I don’t believe you.
Phillip: (Screaming)
Well, then you’re living in a dream world. Because it’s what they want, and it’s what I want. They want me to win. (At the top of his lungs.) And damn it, I am going to win this time! Once in my life, I, Phillip Spaulding, am gonna win!
Chelsea:
Win what? After all is said and done, Phillip, what?
Phillip: (Crying)
I’m gonna win my freedom. (Pause, says quietly.) I’m going to win my freedom. (Sits.)
