Act I Scene I
PAM is sitting on her couch reading a letter shaking her head over and over. She is stunned. LIZZY bursts through the front door and stops. PAM looks up.
PAM: Lizzy!
PAM throws the letter on the couch and goes to her. They hug.
LIZZY: My God, Pam! What the hell?
They separate.
LIZZY: I mean … what the serious hell?
PAM: I know.
LIZZY: Did he really?
PAM: He really did.
LIZZY: I can’t believe it
PAM: I can’t either!
LIZZY: Are you okay?
PAM: I don’t know.
LIZZY: What happened? Did he say something?
PAM: No.
LIZZY: Do something?
PAM: No.
LIZZY: He just left?
PAM: He just left.
LIZZY: I mean, what the serious hell?
PAM: I know!
LIZZY: What’s this about a letter?
PAM: He left a letter to tell me he’s leaving me and not coming back.
LIZZY: He did not!
PAM: He did!
LIZZY: After all you’ve done for him, he up and leaves you and tells you with a letter? Just like that?
PAM: Just like that.
LIZZY: I don’t know what to say. I’m speechless.
PAM: I don’t know what to do. I’m stunned.
LIZZY: Is that it? (referring to the letter on the couch)
PAM: That’s it.
LIZZY goes over to the couch and picks up the letter.
LIZZY: (reads it out loud) “Dear Pam, this may come as a shock to you but I can’t go on living a lie. I don’t want to be married to you anymore. I’m sorry. Married life just isn’t what I was expecting.”
PAM: What was he expecting, breakfast in bed every day?
LIZZY: “I don’t want to make this any harder than necessary. I’ve packed a bag and left. I’m not coming back. I don’t want anything from the house. And I don’t expect you to pay me anything on an on-going basis.”
PAM: As if!
LIZZY: The nerve of the guy! (she goes back to reading) “I just ask that you respect my decision. Please forward any mail for me to the address below. It’s where I’ll be living now, with a woman named Jean-Louise Douglas.” (beat – she looks at PAM) Another woman?
PAM: Can you believe it?
LIZZY: Did you know about this?
PAM: Of course not!
LIZZY: (she goes back to the letter) “Don’t blame her for this. It wasn’t her, it wasn’t you, it was me. It was all me.””
PAM: Of course it was all you. It’s been all you for the past four years, you big jerk!
LIZZY: You got that right. (continues to read) “If you want, you can draw up separation papers and I’ll sign them. Please give callers my new cell phone number which I’ve listed below.”
PAM: Sure, because all the rest of this wasn’t bad enough.
LIZZY: “I hope you can move forward from this and find somebody better suited to you. You’re a lovely person, Pam, just not the one for me. Signed Doug.”
PAM: Move forward … that’s rich. Move forward from what? I’ve had my life on hold for four years. For four years, I sacrificed everything for his dream of becoming a veterinarian and he does this. By letter, no less. What do I do, Lizzy?
LIZZY: I can think of a few things, but none of them are legal.
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