Loved & lied to
Matrone’s heart is shattered when her love interest Stephanus’s true colours shine through.
“Cold-blooded and brutal!” That’s how Annelize van der Ryst-Hatting describes the way her character Matrone is treated by Stephanus (Peter Terry) on Thursday 2 February. The financial advisor moved into Hillside in December 2016 and has misled the Laaners, especially poor Matrone who fell hook, line and sinker for the dapper new gent in town.
SHORTCHANGED & SHOCKED
The first sign of trouble comes on Wednesday 1 February when Stephanus goes missing. “Adding to Matrone’s worries is that she must tell Ryno (Chris Vorster) if she’s going to buy the bookshop from him. The problem is that her annuity, which the sale is dependent on, hasn’t paid into her account,” explains Annelize. On top of that, Matrone needs Stephanus’s to help with the paperwork as he’d invested the money for her in the first place.
In a huff later on Wednesday 1 February, Matrone heads to Hillside lawyer Xander (Theo Jantjies) for advice.
“While she’s stressing, she gets an SMS to says that her money has been deposited into her account and it’s like this weight has been lifted from her shoulders,” says Annelize. And it seems that everything is back in its proper place when Stephanus shows up, albeit with excuses for his disappearance.
A SURPRISE BRIDE
But Matrone’s relief is shortlived when Stephanus returns on Thursday 2 February holding divorce papers and a marriage certificate. When did this happen? Last time Matrone checked, she was definitely not married! “She thinks that Stephanus has lost the plot – she’s never seen the marriage papers and she’d remember if she’d made the trip to the altar,” Annelize says. Now panicking, Matrone makes a beeline for Xander’s office and asks him to find out if the paperwork is fraudulent. After a phonecall to the Department Of Home Affairs, Xander’s just as confused as the poor lady before him: the certificate is real and Matrone is a wife!
“She starts to wonder why Stephanus would use her and do something this shady,” says the actress. “That’s when it dawns on her: he’s after her money! According to the marriage papers, they are married in community of property and if they divorce, Stephanus takes half of their assets.”
FRIENDS IN NEED
Matrone isn’t the only person in the Laan who’s been duped – her friends Oubaas and his wife Hilda (Pierre van Pletzen and Annelisa Weiland) hear about Matrone’s drama on Friday 3 February and Oubaas looks like he’s seen a ghost. He let Stephanus invest his money for him, “But if the shifty financial expert thinks that he can get away with murder and steal from the older generation, he’s in for a surprise,” says a feisty Annelize. Oubaas and Hilda transform into cat burglars later on Friday 3 February and break into Stephanus’s place to find evidence of his illegal activities. They’re caught in the act by Stephanus but before he gets the chance to call the cops, Hilda grabs a lamp, smacks him over the head and leaves him unconscious on the floor.
HANGING A SNAKE OUT TO DRY
The action picks up on Monday 6 February and the usually peaceful Oubaas and Hilda are holding Stephanus hostage. They want him to reveal what he did with their money and how he faked his “marriage” to their friend, who shows up on Wednesday 8 February. Matrone pretends to have forgiven Stephanus for his crimes and professes her undying love in a bid to get him to spill the beans. And since this is dramafilled Hillside, it wouldn’t surprise us if Matrone goes all0out and dons a wedding dress to convince Stephanus that it’s all a misunderstanding and that he’s her one true love…