Sick from love
Wendy trades her sisterly bond with Lalage for her affair with her brother-in-law Hendrik – and it’s torture.
Wendy (Michelle Beling) should by all means end things with Hendrik (Gérard Rudolf) when he reveals that his wife Lalage (Elma Postma) had a mental breakdown, but that isn’t on the cards, says Michelle. “Wendy can’t stand the thought of losing him. He lied about ending the affair and it’s not that Wendy doesn’t care about her sister, she is just so in love with her brother-in-law that she’d rather play witness to Lalage’s suffering than lose Hendrik.” She is racked with guilt, but no man has made her feel the way that Hendrik does. “Wendy is like a love-sick teenager,” says Michelle, adding that her character is willing to share if that’s what it takes to keep Hendrik.
LOVE IS BLIND
Wendy tries to reconcile with Lalage and help her recover but she’s pushed away. “Wendy only has Hendrik on her side,” says Michelle. “For her, this isn’t a silly, frivolous affair. She believes that she’s in love. When they are together, Hendrik makes her smile from ear-toear. But the second he leaves, she’s in tears because she knows that they’re in the wrong.” The psychology of this situation is wearing her down as well. One minute, she’s hanging her head in embarrassment, the next she is excited about being loved. “She hasn’t been in a relationship with someone who cares about her well-being. These feelings are new to her, which makes it difficult to let Hendrik go,” explains Michelle. While trying to look her sister in the eye while hiding the affair, Wendy must also deal with the fact that Hendrik told her that he loves her but he’s also not leaving Lalage. “She’s confused but trusts that Hendrik’s feelings are as real as hers,” adds the actress.
OUT OF ORDER
Hendrik is the only one benefiting from this arrangement and it’s something that Wendy can accept for now. “She doesn’t want him to be forced to choose,” says Michelle, explaining that Lalage’s stress condition and Wendy’s free-falling mind take a backseat to her fears. “She has two worries: the first is that if he divorces Lalage, her sister will disown her forever. Second is that she loses her true love.” It’s only a matter of time before one of them slips up though and Wendy is forced to deal with one of her nightmares. Until then, sneaking around for sex will do.