BREAKING NEWS: Phyllis Goes Ballistic Over Daniel’s Arrest — and Nikki Has a Nasty Confrontation With Victor
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Nikki arrives at the Abbott house, where Jack tells her he doesn’t think he can salvage his marriage to Diane. She’s sorry. Nikki says she’s worried about him. “I worry that you might turn back to pills to numb your pain.” Jack is offended. Nikki says his marriage fell apart publicly. There’s also the situation with Kyle, and Jabot is in disarray. Now, she worries that the night in the hotel room was the beginning of his troubles. Jack gives her his word that he will not turn to pills. Nikki wants to take him to a meeting. Jack repeats that he won’t lose his sobriety. He’ll call his sponsor today. Nikki will always be there for him. Jack has a favor to ask, “Convince Victor to get his claws out of my son.”
Nikki acts perplexed and swears she has no idea what he’s talking about. Jack realizes that Victor’s kept it secret. He tells her that Victor is Glissade’s secret investor and pushed Kyle to steal from Jabot. This is all about hurting him because he helped her get sober. Audra confirmed he used her to get control of Glissade and then tossed her aside. She has no reason to lie. Nikki swears. Yet another thing he’s kept from her. Jack believes that Victor not telling her is further proof this isn’t about business. Victor is using Kyle and Glissade to get back at him for helping her.
At the park, Claire and Kyle discuss Harrison showing up to a party and being the only one in costume. She, of course, made it OK. Kyle says his son really trusts her. Claire asks if he trusts her too. She can tell something’s bothering him. Kyle doesn’t want to burden her. Claire might be able to help. Kyle says it’s about the huge fight his parents had. It was so bad, his mother moved out and his father fired her from Jabot. When he confronted her, she doubled down. How could they have been so wrong about her?
Kyle tells Claire that his mother came back for money and power, not him and his father. He doesn’t know why he was stupid enough to think she’d changed. Claire understands what an impact this had on his life. She didn’t realize how big a hole her mom left in her life until it was filled. She can see why Kyle was hurt when Diane fired him; it was like she was rejecting him again. Kyle complains she had no trouble shoving him out of the way for power. She chose her ambition over him and his dad. “I could see the pain in his eyes.” Claire is sure she must love Kyle. She thinks something good may come from this… he has empathy for his father. Maybe they can come together and heal.
Kyle says he and Jack spoke, and she’s right, it seemed like he wanted to fix what is broke between them. He couldn’t take the step. His pride got in the way. Claire thinks he maybe needs time to process all this. Kyle says this split feels off. Claire thinks she has an idea why Diane did what she did.
In her suite at the Club, Diane pours a drink. A knock comes at her door… it’s Traci. Diane invites her in, and Traci says she’s there as a concerned sister-in-law and brought her some profiterole. Diane tells her to enjoy the honeymoon phase with Alan… it won’t last. Traci thinks there must be a way to heal the rift between her and Jack. Diane says they’re done. The best thing she can do is stay out of it. Traci’s never seen Jack act like this. Diane thinks his anger is warranted. She did come back with an agenda, and she almost got away with it.
Traci doesn’t buy it. Diane insists she wanted her old life back and did whatever it took to get it. Traci has seen that she’s changed. She’s worked so hard to prove herself, “So, why the sudden shift?” Diane’s tired of having to prove herself and pretend to be something she’s not, “I am ambitious!” Traci’s seen her love for her son, and she knows there’s no hidden agenda with Harrison. Diane’s sure Kyle is glad she’s getting out of the boy’s life. Traci can’t understand why this has changed so suddenly.
In the Club foyer, Chance starts reading Daniel his rights. Phyllis gets in between them. Chance warns he’ll arrest her too. He pulls out cuffs and Phyllis screams and yells that he’s railroading her son into prison! Christine comes in and shouts, “Hold on a minute!” She says she’s there to represent Daniel.
Phyllis declares that this is insane. Christine will make sure he gets the electric chair. Daniel says he called her. Phyllis erupts, “You called Christine?!” Christine advises Daniel to stay silent, and Phyllis to shut the hell up. She assures Daniel she’ll meet him at the courthouse. This is all circumstantial and she’ll have him out on bail in no time. Phyllis wants to know if everyone has lost their minds.
Phyllis complains that Daniel has to be out of his mind to hire Christine. Chance has to do this by the book and Daniel asks him not to break his bracelet from Lucy as he slaps on the cuffs. Phyllis declares she’ll get him out of this as Chance leads Daniel out the door. She warns Christine, “Don’t you dare think you’re going to ruin my son’s life.” Christine doesn’t have time for their usual banter, and neither does Daniel. Phyllis fumes that Daniel doesn’t need someone who is just trying to earn brownie points with his dad. She taunts Christine about being a groupie who throws her panties on the stage. Christine has to go save her son… “Though I really hope it doesn’t come to that.” She walks out and Phyllis gets on the phone. She tells someone she needs to see them. “It’s a matter of life and death.”
At the Abbott house, Jack tells Nikki his issues with Kyle are as bad as it’s ever been. The thinks he’s done has maybe burned all bridges between them. Victor’s been stoking that. Nikki says Diane is the one who fired him from Jabot. Jack backed her up. They go over Diane’s reasons for coming back. Jack says her intentions sure as hell aren’t honorable. He assures Nikki she’s not to blame for what Victor’s done. Nikki tells Jack that he risked his life to save hers. Victor using that as an excuse for bad behavior is appalling. Jack warns he better be ready for retaliation.
In the park, Kyle asks Claire why she thinks his mother turned on the family. She says she was raised to read people and she truly believes she loves him and his father. Maybe Jack misunderstood her motives and angrily confirmed the things he was saying without meaning it because it hurt. Kyle concedes he has done that… with both of his parents.
In Diane’s suite, she tells Traci that she won’t find her way back to Jack. She wants it all and won’t apologize for that anymore. She wanted a top spot at Jabot, but she also wanted to be Jack’s wife. No man apologizes for wanting both. Traci agrees there’s a double-standard. Diane compares herself to Victor. She wants the things she wants. If Jack and Kyle can’t handle that, it’s too bad for them. It’s on them to believe that her love for them can co-exist with her ambition. Traci heads to the door. Diane tells her she deserves every happiness. Traci says, “So does my brother. So do you.”
In the Club, Phyllis reads about Daniel’s arrest on her phone. Michael comes in and she updates him that her son is being wrongfully accused. She wants him to go find out what evidence they have. She refers to the incompetent boob Daniel hired, and he can guess who it is. Phyllis feels there’s no way that Christine can win a murder case. Michael says he has the right to pick his own attorney. Christine is excellent. Phyllis argues that Christine hates her and will throw the case.
At the police station, Daniel places the friendship bracelet from Lucy into an evidence envelope, is finger-printed, and has mug shots taken.
Nikki shows up at Victor’s office. He says it’s a nice surprise. She questions if he’ll feel that way after they talk. She wants to know if he’s Glissade’s secret investor. Victor asks, “Who told you that?” Nikki says Jack did. She lays into him, wanting to know if he’s using Kyle to hurt Jack. “Are you driving a wedge between them because Jack saved my life?!”
Victor asks what she was doing with Jack Abbott. He told her many times to stay away from him. Nikki says that’s not his choice to make. Victor argues, “Damn right it is. I live with you. The last time he pushed you off the damn wagon.” Nikki says he’s her dear friend and nothing he can say will change that. She went to him to offer her support because he’s hurting over the break up of his marriage. Victor pretends to wipe away tears and points out he got her all riled up. He complains that Jack almost killed her that night in the hotel room. Nikki says, “He saved me!” Victor says she saved herself… and him. Nikki accuses Victor of trying to make him pay for that night. Victor says damn right he is. “He’s a failure!” Nikki hisses, “You are impossible.” Victor doesn’t want her giving Jack support, “Are you serious?! Why don’t you move in with him?!”
In the park, Kyle tells Claire he’s shocked that Diane didn’t try to reassure him. Claire thinks she felt under attack. Kyle can see that she’d have her defenses up. Claire reminds him that anger comes from hurt. She wouldn’t be hurt if she didn’t still love him. Kyle thinks she’s just upset about missing out on money and power. Claire thinks he can bring her back into his life and get back to being a family again.
In the Club, Michael tells Phyllis that Christine would never throw this or any case out of pettiness or revenge. Phyllis pleads, “This is my son.” Michael says it’s Danny’s son too. She knows how Christine feels about Daniel’s father. He tells the redhead that she’s scared, but this is not the way to help him. He’ll keep an eye on the case and will step in if needed, but that’s not going to happen because Daniel’s innocent.
Michael’s stunned to hear that Phyllis thinks Sharon is framing Daniel. It’s mother’s intuition. Michael tells her that’s not admissible in court. It doesn’t make sense. Phyllis says she’s been completely off the rails and has been attacking Daniel for weeks. “She hates Daniel more than Christine hates me.” Chance can’t see it, so she’ll have to figure out how to open his eyes. Michael doesn’t like the sound of this. How will she do that? Phyllis shrugs. Michael warns her against interfering in the investigation. Phyllis didn’t say she’d do that. Michael thanks her for giving him plausible deniability. As her friend, he warns her against trying to fabricate evidence. Phyllis says she doesn’t have to fabricate anything. That bitch has been framing her son and she’ll do whatever it takes to prove it.
At the Abbott house, Traci finds Jack sitting at his laptop. She says she went to see Diane and he groans. She couldn’t help it. Jack tells her she’s not the person to save their marriage. Traci thought she could help. Jack mumbles that that’s a theme today and tells her Nikki stopped by too. Traci says they can all see how much he loves Diane, and how much she loves him. Jack repeats that she can’t fix them. Traci had to try… but she failed. She saw a woman who is angry, hurt, and righteous even. As much as she hates to say it, he’s right… Diane has stopped caring about anyone but herself.
In her suite, Diane looks at her wedding photo on her phone. It rings. It’s Victor. She says she was hoping he’d call. Is he interested in helping her punish Jack. He’s interested. Diane says, “Good… because I want payback and I don’t care who I have to hurt to make that happen.”