In a room at the Genoa City Hotel, Sharon came out in the same skimpy outfit that Phyllis bought. Nick acted surprised, but Sharon told him that Phyllis had worn this before -- and asked where -- when they had sex in that room or at the Newman stables or in the cheap motel during the snowstorm. She asked how long the affair had been going on. Nick said it was not what Sharon thought and she asked him not to lie. She said that he and Phyllis had been playing her for a fool, but Nick denied that, saying that he and Phyllis never meant for anything to happen -- it had just happened. Sharon asked why Phyllis was so irresistible to him -- she wanted to know all the sordid details. Nick told her that he had given her a ride home from the Baldwin wedding and he went in for a drink and it just happened. Sharon reminded Nick that the night of the Baldwin wedding she had been out of town with Brad, and that she felt guilty about what almost happened with Brad, but she was honest with Nick, who was hurt by what Sharon had told him -- while all the while he was sleeping with Phyllis! Sharon asked Nick what Phyllis could give him that she couldn't -- Nick said nothing -- that this was between him and her (Sharon) -- and that he was committed to the marriage and to Noah -- that the affair with Phyllis was over. Sharon sarcastically thanked him for calling off the affair and told him it wasn't that simple. Nick kept apologizing -- Sharon said it never should have started. When Nick once again said he was sorry, Sharon said that he was only sorry that he got busted. She asked Nick to look her in the eyes and tell her that he no longer had any feelings for Phyllis -- but he glanced away, and Sharon said that at least he was being honest for a change, then she walked away.
A few minutes later Sharon came out dressed and threw the lingerie at Nick. He asked her not to do this, but she left the room without saying another word to him. As she exited the hotel, Phyllis (who was having a drink at the bar) spotted her leaving and went up to the room. Nick was irritated seeing her and told her he was not going to have a conversation about what happened. Phyllis thought it might be best to give Sharon some space, but Nick wanted to try to patch things up. Phyllis wished him luck as he left.
Sharon arrived home looking stunned -- she looked at Cassie's family picture and stared at her and Nick's wedding picture as she began crying. She saw the monkey bauble that both Phyllis and Nick had, picked it up and threw it against the wall, smashing it, as she really broke down and sobbed.
Phyllis, Sharon, and Nick separately reminisced about the events leading up to Sharon finding out -- Phyllis thought about she and Nick playing video games, the two of them with the monkeys, the two of them in the stables, and other tender moments. Nick thought about his wedding day, and kissing Sharon in front of a fire. Sharon thought about Nick carrying her over the threshold -- but then thought about the picture of Nick and Phyllis at the Baldwin wedding and figuring out the affair.
Nick came home and Sharon asked what he was doing there. Nick wanted to talk but Sharon had nothing to say -- except that he shouldn't have been sleeping with another woman behind her back. Nick agreed, said that he knew he hurt Sharon, and asked her not to shut him out.
At the Athletic Club, Neil and Paul were examining the parental consent form that Lily and Daniel forged so they could marry. Dru joined them and Neil told her that Lily had listed Dru as deceased and put Malcolm down as her father. Dru couldn't believe it, and Paul wondered if Lily could be in contact with Malcolm. Dru insisted that wasn't possible as Malcolm was out of the country. Dru said the reason Lily did that was because she hated them -- listing her as dead and Neil as another person. Paul said that using Malcolm's name was clever as there was no way to call for verification. Naturally, Dru quickly agreed with that explanation. Neil then questioned why Lily wouldn't simply make up a completely fake name rather than using Malcolm's. Paul received an urgent phone call and had to leave. Neil continued to try to read more into Lily using Malcolm as her father's name and Dru tried to tell him he was blowing it all out of proportion. Neil and Dru each blamed themselves for their estrangement from Lily. Dru told Neil that she wanted to tell Lily how much she loves her, but Lily won't take her calls. Dru told Neil she'd be back and left.
At the Abbott's gardening shack, Lily and Daniel were trying to make themselves feel as much at home as possible. They discussed Neil and Drucilla -- Lily said that she could forgive Neil but probably not Dru for her lie about her parentage. Lily assured Daniel that she wasn't going to tell Neil about Malcolm being her real father -- but she was still mad at Dru because she didn't come through for them, and that's why they had to marry. Daniel reminded Lily that they also married because they were in love. Lily's cell phone rang -- it was Neil calling from the Athletic Club inviting Lily to join him and Dru for dinner. Lily said that she would do it if Daniel could come, and Neil reluctantly agreed that she could bring Daniel.
Dru rejoined Neil, who informed her that Lily and Daniel were going to be joining them for dinner. Dru seemed relieved by this turn of events. Neil left the table to allow Dru and Lily to spend some quality time alone -- and advised her to tell Daniel to get lost to accomplish that.
Lily and Daniel showed up and Lily asked where Neil was. Dru assured her that he would be back -- that he left so that she and Lily could spend some time alone. Dru asked Daniel to leave, but Lily said that he was staying -- that whatever Dru had to say she could say in front of her husband.
Michael met Katherine and Jill at the boutique and they filled him in on the situation with the tainted GloAgain jars -- that besides Abby and Gloria, the wife of the head buyer in Seattle had used it, and that Jack and Ashley were trying to recall all the promo kits. Michael reminded them that they didn't know how many people might actually have used the tainted product, and when Jill remarked that Abby's and Gloria's rashes were extremely painful, Michael said that didn't bode well -- that there would probably be lawsuits if others used the cream. Katherine said it was as if someone had it in for Jabot.
In the Athletic Club dining room Gloria told Kevin that Jack and Ashley needed to be 'neutralized' and that Abby's injury was unintended -- she felt badly about that. Kevin told her she really went overboard -- that what she had done (putting cleaning solvent in the promo kit batch of GloAgain) was illegal. She said that she didn't mean for anyone to get hurt except herself and blamed Jack for advancing the date of the GloAgain rollout. Gloria whined about being alone in the world, but Kevin reminded her that she had him and Michael. She said that Michael was married and Kevin eventually would be, and that she had to look out for herself. She added that she thought if anyone would understand what she did, it would be Kevin. Kevin said he hated the way Ashley and Jack treated her but that she could go to prison for what she did -- Gloria said not if she didn't get caught. Kevin thought she would be, as she was no master criminal.
Jill, Katherine, and Michael joined Gloria and Kevin. Katherine said they had to come up with something before the situation became unmanageable. Gloria said she had an idea that might help -- and wanted to know where they stood right now. Jill told her that besides her and Abby the only other person injured was the wife of the Seattle buyer. Gloria thought Jack had recalled all the kits, Jill told her he was still working on it. Michael said that anyone who came in contact with the cream was a potential litigant. Gloria implied that the whole situation was Jack and Ashley's fault -- that they had decided to send out the promo kits early and had to be held accountable. An increasingly suspicious Michael said that what happened had nothing to do with when the kits were sent out and Katherine agreed -- saying that testing had been finished for a month. Gloria said that the testing must have been inadequate. When Katherine asked what Gloria's point was, Gloria said she would think that key Jabot personnel would put out a safe product. Jill received a phone call from Lauren informing her that one of her customers who tried the cream had been rushed to the hospital and was having difficulty breathing.
At the Jabot lab, Ashley received the test results and saw that the cream Abby used did not match her original formula. When Jack asked how that was possible, Ashley pointed out an extra ingredient in the cream Abby used, but told Jack they didn't have the specialized equipment needed to identify the ingredient. Ashley called in a favor from a friend from another lab and asked her to run a specialized test on the cream immediately.
Later, Jack was on the phone recalling more kits, and Ashley was back from dropping off the cream at her friend's lab. Paul came in -- Jack had called him. Jack told Ash and Paul that he thought they might be victims of industrial sabotage. Ashley received a fax showing that the jars from the GloAgain general production run tested fine. Paul asked if they wanted to take a chance with the cream and Jack said no -- as they didn't know what was put in Ashley's first run and who put it there. Paul told Jack not to make unwarranted assumptions. Ashley said that the procedure for making the first promo run was the same as the general run -- except the promo run jars had been filled at Jabot rather than at the factory. Ashley's phone rang and it was her friend with the test results. Ashley thanked her and had a concerned look on her face as she hung up.
Jack and Ashley then joined the others at the Athletic Club. Jack told them that they had come from the lab with results to share. Ash said they were from the tests she ran -- and she thinks they found the culprit. Kevin and Gloria reacted in silent terror!
Kevin, Michael, and Lauren dined at the Athletic Club, discussing GloAgain and the burns it caused. Kevin wondered what Ashley meant when she said "we found the culprit." Lauren said if someone tampered with the product, she hoped that they rotted in jail. Kevin (on a fishing expedition) asked Michael what would happen to someone if they tampered with the cream but didn't know how dangerous it was. Michael said that ignorance was not an excuse, and they would still be criminally liable. They discuss the rotten luck the Abbotts have been having lately. When Lauren asked if Gloria was unhappy, Kevin said that she didn't want any of this to happen -- and suddenly left saying that he should be with her.
At the Abbott House, Ashley informed Jill and Katherine that there definitely was a foreign substance in the cream, and an independent lab was testing to see what it was. Jack and Jill informed Katherine that the plant manager was on his way over to talk with them. Katherine was interested in what jars were contaminated and if this was sabotage or plant contamination. Ash informed them that the jars filled at the factory matched her formula exactly, and only the ones in the promo kits were corrupted, as far as they knew. Jill insisted they not move ahead with the product until they knew exactly what was going on. When Gloria asked what they would tell the customers about not releasing the product, Jack said they would issue a press release saying that there was a production glitch. Ashley was concerned that some retailers might have put the promo kits out for customers to sample like Lauren did. Jill got a phone call from her secretary -- she then informed all in the room that Mrs. Gibson (Lauren's customer who sampled the product) was now on a ventilator.
Curt Dornbush, the plant manager, showed up and Jack asked him if he knew of any disgruntled employees who might have an axe to grind, he said he didn't know of any -- but would compile a list of everyone who had filed a grievance or had been fired. They requested a list of everyone who even stepped into the plant and Dornbush said he was already on that. Ashley received a phone call from her friend at the independent lab -- she informed the group that the extra ingredient had been identified as a cleaning solvent. Jack asked where the cleaning solvents were stored -- Curt told him as far away from any sensitive equipment as possible. Jill wondered if this was accidental or sabotage -- Gloria had a terrified expression on her face. Jack decided they should keep this quiet for now so if it was sabotage they wouldn't tip their hand. As Jack showed Curt out, Kevin showed up. Gloria grabbed Kevin and they went into another room. Jack asked Ashley if Curt would cover it any irregularities -- Ashley insisted he wouldn't.
Kevin asked Gloria if they found out what happened -- she told him that they traced it to the manufacturing plant -- but she had covered her bases and there was no way they could tie the solvent back to her. She reminded him to keep his mouth shut -- to not even tell Michael. When he questioned her motive for doing it, she said she had to protect herself from Jack and Ashley. Kevin reminded her that people had gotten hurt -- Gloria said that wasn't supposed to happen.
Back in the living room, Jill got off the phone and informed Jack, Ashley, and Katherine that Mrs. Gibson had gone into anaphylactic shock. Katherine expressed some relief that at least the problem had been identified and the worst was probably over. Jill said it wasn't yet -- that all the kits hadn't been returned. Jack promised Katherine that this incident would not bring Jabot down. Katherine and Jill left. Jack told Ashley that if this was caused by an employee, the employee had better hope they Jack didn't get to him or her first.
At the Winterses' apartment, Neil invited Devon to dine with him, Dru, Lily, and Daniel. Devon said no, but after a discussion about Devon's feelings for Lily and his disapproval of the marriage, Neil asked for his help by talking to Lily. Devon said Lily didn't listen to her. Neil reminded Devon they weren't going to kick Lily out of the family because she married someone they disapproved of, and that he was still Lily's brother -- he asked Devon to do him this favor.
At the Athletic Club, Lily told Dru that she couldn't forgive her for what she had done (not revealing that Malcolm was her biological father.) Dru questioned her about why Lily listed her as deceased on the parental consent form -- Lily said that was so no one would call to verify anything. Lily said she was bitter -- that the man she thought was her father wasn't. Daniel tried to make peace between Dru and Lily by reminding Lily that what Dru did happened a long time ago and they needed to put it behind them so that they could have a relationship again. When Dru and Lily started arguing, Dru reminded Lily that she could have the marriage axed like a snap of her fingers. Daniel told Lily to listen to her mom -- after all Dru and Neil let them stay together. When Lily sarcastically remarked that that was really big of them, Daniel said that it was, and Dru said that she and Neil would let it fly for now as the family needed to heal.
Neil and Devon (reluctantly) joined them. Neil point blank asked Lily if Malcolm had signed the parental consent form, she said she forged Malcolm's signature as she knew he was out of the country and no one could contact him. Neil asked her if she had to show a birth certificate, but she only needed to show her driver's license. Devon chimed in, saying that their marriage was a fraud, and Neil said that it was time for a reality check as Dru and Lily glared at each other.
When they finished eating, Neil hoped Daniel and Lily had enjoyed it as they wouldn't be having meals like this very often. Lily returned her credit card, but Dru told her to keep her cell phone and car as they didn't want her riding the bus to school. Neil started getting on their case about money -- about how they were going to pay the car insurance, the utility bills -- how they were going to even feed themselves. Daniel said they would survive -- he could get a part-time job. Devon got irritated and told them that they had no idea what it was like to be poor -- that they were boarding school kids. As Daniel and Lily once again said that all that was important was that they were together, Devon gave Daniel his doggie bag. Daniel thanked the Winterses for the meal, and Daniel and Lily left to do homework. On their way out, Lily told Dru that she loved her and gave Neil a kiss.
Back at the gardening shed, Daniel said he thought Neil had been really cool tonight, and Lily said she loved him so much -- that he could never find out the truth. They started kissing and decided to do their homework in the morning.
At the Winters' apartment, Neil was still questioning Dru about why Lily would forge Malcolm's signature as he put the copy of the parental consent form in a drawer. Dru suggested a romantic shower for two and sent Neil off to start things off. With Neil out of the room, Dru retrieved the form and tore it up.
Victoria was having a drink at a bar when J.T. walked in and gave her the results of his background checks on the executives -- the project that Victor had assigned to him. When Victoria asked why he didn't just put it on her desk, J.T. told her that Victor asked him to report to her directly. Victoria realized that this was just a meddling move on Victor's part to cause trouble between her and Brad and that it wouldn't work. J.T. asked her why Victor hated Brad so much -- she said it was because Brad didn't kowtow to Victor -- that Brad was his own man. When J.T. teasingly remarked that he hadn't received his invitation to the wedding they both started laughing as Brad entered. He reported that Abby was doing well, and then wondered why J.T. was there. Victoria explained that he was working on a confidential project for Victor. J.T. left the somewhat uncomfortable situation, and Brad wondered why Victor was pushing J.T. at Victoria -- he then learned that Victor knew about the night that Victoria and J.T. spent together. Victoria said that this was her battle, and she wanted to fight it, Brad disagreed, and she told him not to let Victor bother him -- that when Victor realized how much she and Brad were in love he would stop playing these games. Brad agreed with her as they kissed.
At Nick and Sharon's, the two of them were still going back and forth over his affair with Phyllis -- Nick trying to apologize and reconcile while Sharon remained angry. Nick said that he never meant to hurt her, but Sharon said he should have thought of that before he slept with Phyllis. Nick said that there had been some distance between him and Sharon and that was probably why Sharon turned to Brad. Sharon became angrier, as she had restrained herself with Brad, unlike him and Phyllis. Nick then said that he used his relationship with Phyllis to escape from the pain of Cassie's death -- Sharon was shocked that he used Cassie's death as an excuse for sleeping with Phyllis. When she asked him if sleeping with Phyllis helped, he said it did, and Sharon said if it was too painful to be with her then he should go back to Phyllis -- his "drug of choice." Sharon said she wasn't sure if she still loved Nick -- and Nick asked for one more chance to show her that he loved her and wanted to be with her and Noah. Noah called and said he didn't want to spend the night at his friend's house. As Nick was leaving to pick him up, Sharon warned him not to come upstairs to sleep -- she didn't want him in their bed. Nick left.
Phyllis was alone in the NVP office when Nikki entered -- Nikki was in a good mood and talking about the positive reaction to the NVP launch when she noticed that Phyllis was preoccupied. She asked Phyllis if she was bothering her, but Phyllis said that she wanted to work late as she didn't want to return home to an empty apartment. Nikki tried to reassure her that things might work out between Daniel and Lily -- she reminded her that Sharon and Nick were high school sweethearts who had been married for over 10 years. They then turned to the topic of NVP spokesperson -- Phyllis was still in favor of Sharon but Nikki thought that Sharon wouldn't be a good fit as she was so identified with Newman, and that NVP needed its own fresh face. Nikki suggested that Phyllis be the spokesperson -- Phyllis was surprised, and told Nikki that it would be a conflict of interest, that she was overextended, and didn't want to make any more mistakes. Nikki asked her if she was thinking of leaving and Phyllis said she was feeling insecure. Nikki didn't think that the word "insecure" even applied to Phyllis. Nikki wished her a good night and left.
Later, as Phyllis was locking up and leaving, her cell phone rang -- she looked at the caller ID and realized the call was coming from Sharon and Nick's. She answered -- and Sharon on the other end said, "It's not your lover, it's me." As Phyllis tried to speak, Sharon interrupted her and told her to clear her calendar for tomorrow -- as they were going to be seeing each other. Phyllis reacted nervously. Sharon once again looked at the family picture that Cassie drew.
Lily and Daniel were both looking for jobs. Daniel could only find minimum wage jobs, and he needed something that would pay him more. Lily had a conflict between the hours she needed to be in school versus the hours she was able to work. Colleen and Lily struck a deal. Colleen would pay for a party celebrating their wedding at Lily and Daniel's place if J.T. was the only guest invited. Then Lily and Daniel could make themselves scarce, giving Colleen some alone time with J.T. Colleen told the newlyweds that as hard as things were for them, she envied them their chance to be together.
Devon didn't want to take the tuition check Neil offered for his first semester at GCU. He felt guilty because Lily was having it so rough financially. Dru reminded Devon that he'd been doing all the right things, and Lily was suffering the consequences of her decision to marry Daniel. After Devon left, Dru asked Neil if they were being too hard on Lily, but Neil said the sooner Lily found out how tough being on her own was, the sooner she'd end her marriage to Daniel.
Although Neil was glad that Lauren had told Lily she didn't have a position for her at the boutique, after Neil left Lauren alone with Dru, Dru admitted how worried she was about her daughter. Lauren decided to give Lily a job after all, and Dru offered to pay her salary. Lauren declined, saying that Lily would be working hard to earn her money through commission. When Lauren called Lily to tell her she might have a job for her, Lily promised to meet her at the boutique the following day.
Michael told Lauren that if Glow Again had damaged her skin, he'd have been the first to file suit against Jabot. He said Jabot was going to have a rough time of it for quite a while, and his main worry was that his mother's well-being was tied to how well the company did. Lauren was sure that Jabot could survive this setback because the company had always put out good products.
Gloria was upset to hear that Jack planned to tell his father about the Glow Again disaster. It was assumed that the solvent had gotten into the promotional samples because of faulty manufacturing at the plant. Gloria thought it was a bad idea to get John upset about something he could do nothing about, but Jack disagreed. Before Jack could leave to visit his father at the prison, Gloria went there first and told John the news. An upset John made her promise to keep him informed of everything that happened in regard to Glow Again.
Brad ran into Phyllis while he was looking for Sharon. He noticed how oddly Phyllis was behaving, and after he told her what was going on with Jabot, Phyllis rushed out, saying she had to see Jack. But she got to the Abbott house just as Jack was leaving to visit his father, and he said it wasn't a good idea for her to go with him. Hoping to avoid Sharon, Phyllis stopped by the athletic club, where she ran into Michael. Although he didn't know what responsibility she was avoiding, Michael told her she should go ahead and deal with it. Phyllis agreed and left for her meeting with Sharon at Newman Enterprises.
Jack wasn't happy to find that Gloria had gotten to John before he did. When he told his father everything they were doing to contain the damage, John gave him directions about how to deal with the press and public. Jack was happy to see that his father was still interested and focused on business, and he promised that they'd get through this latest disaster. John was worried about how Ashley was taking everything.
Jill offered Ashley a great deal of comfort about Glow Again. Ashley was blaming herself, but Jill assured her that none of this was Ashley's fault. When Gloria came in, Ashley spoke angrily to her about going to see John before Jack could, but Gloria refused to back down. Ashley was upset when Jill got a call from their insurance company with an order to shut down the processing for all Jabot products, not just the Glow Again line. Jill and Ashley gave Gloria an angry look when Gloria muttered, "So much for damage control."
Sharon didn't plan to make life easy for Nick. She'd put away the drawing Cassie had done of their family, and she told Noah that Nick was going to be away for a while on a business trip. After Noah left for school, Nick reminded her that he wanted to work things out. Sharon said that for now, she didn't want to see his face. Sharon didn't care if he went to his lover or went to hell, but she didn't want to be around him.
Nick went to work, where he stared mournfully at some of Sharon's modeling photos. When Neil came in to talk about business and apologized for interrupting Nick, Nick told him that he had nothing but time.
Brad tried to get Sharon to tell him what was wrong; he could see that she was upset about something. Sharon wouldn't tell him about Nick, but she did say she'd have to work around Noah's schedule for her future business trips. When Brad asked why Nick couldn't look after Noah, Sharon evaded his questions by saying she had a meeting. When Sharon found Phyllis sitting at her desk, she walked into the office and slammed the door behind her, ready for a confrontation.
Sharon says Phyllis that she seems like she's at a loss for words. Phyllis tries to apologize to Sharon, but Sharon intervenes, saying that she doesn't remember telling Phyllis it was okay to sleep with her husband. Phyllis mentions that Nick wasn't the only one faced with temptation. Sharon is hurt that Phyllis knows about Brad and Sharon in Saint Louis. Phyllis says that Nick loves Sharon and it was her fault they had the affair. Sharon doesn't believe her; she thinks that Phyllis is still in love with her husband.
Nikki suggests that Nick and Sharon come over for dinner to celebrate their spa line. Nick doesn't think it's a good idea. He tells Nikki to talk to Sharon about their calendar. Nikki is suspicious. When Nikki talks to Phyllis and finds out that Phyllis forgot an important business meeting, Nikki gets upset. Phyllis says she's having a bad day, and wishes people would stop using her as a punching bag.
Nick informs Brad that he may be going on a business trip. Brad asks Nick if something is wrong. Brad says that Sharon cancelled her business trip and has been acting strange. Nick tries to divert the conversation to Victoria. After Brad leaves, Sharon goes to Nick to talk to him about leaving. She is horrified that Nick would share her innermost secrets with Phyllis. Sharon looks at their wedding picture and rips Nick's face apart.
Nick goes to a bar and turns to see Phyllis there.
Brad is upset that Victoria is working with J.T. and asks her to fire him. When Victoria says that it's complicated, Brad accuses her of doing everything her father asks. He says that he's not sure he can marry her if Victoria can't put him before her father.
Colleen talks to Lily about the housewarming party. She is excited at the opportunity to spend more time with J.T. J.T. and Colleen meet at the loft and J.T. invites Colleen to watch basketball with him. He realizes Colleen is not really into basketball. Colleen says that J.T. owes her a favor because she's been hanging with him. He's not exactly thrilled to go to a housewarming party with Colleen's younger friends, but agrees to go.
Jill tells everybody that they had to shut down the entire plant due to the contaminated lotion. Jack decides to ask Michael for help concerning their problems at Jabot. Michael suggests that they offer their injured clients a settlement. When one of the clients agrees to see them, he is upset that the contract says that he cannot take Jabot to court. He leaves angrily, saying he will see them in court. Michael also suggests that they hold a press conference. At first Kay is skeptical about Michael serving as a lawyer for Jabot. After Michael tells her that he feels he owes Jabot concerning his part with John, Kay agrees. Kay and Jill talk to Gloria about the press conference. Gloria tells Kay and Jill that Jack and Ashley turned her chance to be included at Jabot into a joke. Kay is upset that Jack would be so heartless.
Jill and Katherine were annoyed to find out about the bogus project Jack and Ashley gave Gloria to do. When Katherine expressed her intention to confront Jack, Gloria asked her not to. She said it should wait until the Glow Again issue was resolved because Jack and Ashley were under so much stress. Katherine agreed to hold off.
Later, at a press conference, Michael led Jack, Katherine, Jill, Ashley, and Gloria through questions about ramifications to Jabot because of the toxic samples of Glow Again. Although Gloria was supposed to stay quiet, Michael did let her say that her own reaction had been milder than sunburns she'd had in the past and was nearly cleared up. Jack said it was possible that someone had deliberately put the cleaning solvent in the promotional batch of cream. Everyone else assured the press that other Jabot products were safe, but all measures were being taken to ensure that no other products had been tampered with.
After the press conference, Gloria asked Michael if he thought the Abbotts would ever thank them for their efforts on behalf of Jabot. Michael found it doubtful. When they all reconvened at the Abbott house, Gloria reacted in shock when she answered a phone call informing them that Emma Gibson had died.
Mac ran into J.T. at the athletic club restaurant. He asked how she was doing, and she assured him that she was recovering fine from the miscarriage. Mac then approached Kevin and asked him to leave with her. When they went to the loft, Mac offered to cook Kevin dinner so they could spend some time alone together. She expressed her admiration for Gloria, and the way Kevin's mother stood up for herself and spoke her mind. Mac then asked if Kevin could cover for her at Crimson Lights for a while. She wanted to return to the Indian reservation and get back in touch with herself.
Victoria told her father that she wanted J.T. to report to him rather than to her. Victor said that his decision was final, and if Victoria refused to work with J.T., he would consider his daughter insubordinate. After Victoria left her father, she arranged a meeting with J.T. She asked him to quit the assignment that Victor had given him because it was causing too many problems in her relationship with Brad. She insisted that had been her father's intention all along. When J.T. said that he couldn't quit, Victoria said that she'd have to fire him. J.T. told her that she couldn't fire him, because it was Victor who'd hired him.
Sharon hid the pieces of the wedding picture of her and Nick that she'd destroyed when Brad walked into the office. He complained about Victoria and the way he felt she was betraying him. Although Sharon was sympathetic to Brad, he didn't realize that most of what she said to him applied to her own sense of betrayal at Nick's hands. Ultimately, Sharon told Brad that he deserved someone who was as committed to a relationship as Brad was.
Later, Brad was cool to Victoria when she approached him to talk. He said she'd chosen her father over him, so there was nothing left to discuss. Victoria told Brad that he was wrong. She'd asked J.T. to stop reporting to her. She'd told her father that she didn't plan to work with J.T. anymore. Victor had made threats, but Victoria wasn't going to back down. She had no intention of working with J.T. Brad was happy that she'd chosen him and agreed that their wedding was back on. The couple wasn't aware as they kissed that Victor was watching from the doorway.
J.T. met with Paul and told him what was going on with Victor, Victoria, and Brad. He didn't want to be in the middle or upset Victoria, but he also didn't want to displease Victor. Paul was sympathetic to J.T.'s fling with Victoria and heard him out. Later, J.T. went directly to Victor, saying that he wanted to report to him instead of Victoria. He didn't want to be used as a pawn in their family problems. Victor admired J.T. for standing up to him, and instead of firing him, he gave him a new assignment. Victor wanted J.T. to do a background check on Brad Carlton.
J.T. wasn't eager to take on the assignment of investigating Brad. Not only did it make him feel uncomfortable to do that to Victoria, but he'd also been involved with Colleen and was still friends with her. Victor pointed out that if Brad had nothing to hide, J.T.'s investigation would have no effect. If Brad was hiding something, J.T. might be protecting people he cared about. When J.T. considered that perspective, he agreed to take the job.
Nikki ducked out of the Jabot press conference early because she wanted to meet with Sharon. She was frustrated when Sharon seemed to be barely listening to her, but Sharon said she just had a lot on her mind. When Nikki told her that she and Phyllis wanted to offer the NVP spokesmodel job to her, Sharon was shocked that Phyllis had agreed to that. She then turned Nikki down, saying that the job would take her away too much. Nikki pointed out that Sharon had enjoyed traveling for Beauty of Nature, and Nick could help pick up the slack with Noah. Sharon disagreed, saying she planned to scale back on her Beauty of Nature business trips, as well. Nikki was confused, but said her other choice for the job was Phyllis. Sharon showed contempt for Phyllis's character and ability and said she was a terrible choice for spokesmodel. Bewildered by Sharon's reaction, Nikki said she'd have to find someone else.
Nick and Phyllis ran into each other at the bar of the Genoa City Hotel. Nick told her that Sharon had kicked him out. Phyllis told him to give his wife time to cool off. Sharon wasn't likely to just throw away a relationship of ten years, especially since they had a son together. Nick said that he felt like something had snapped inside Sharon. He wasn't sure she'd ever take him back. When Phyllis pointed out that it was a bad idea for them to be sitting in the bar together, Nick agreed, even though he felt like Phyllis was the only friend he could confide in. Before Phyllis had a chance to leave, Sharon walked into the bar and spotted Nick and Phyllis together.
