Days of our Lives recap for Friday, January 10, 2025: Stephanie confronts Philip about the forgery

At the Horton house, Julie sat alone on the couch in the dark. Chad turned on the light. “What are you doing sitting in the dark?” Chad asked. I dozed off,” Julie lied. Chad encouraged Julie to go upstairs to bed. Julie admitted, “I dread going upstairs.” Julie confessed that her room was lonely without Doug.

“We don’t have to rush up to bed. Why don’t we stay down here? We can catch up,” Chad said. With a smile, Julie said that she knew that Chad understood how she felt. “I do. I remember after Abby died how hard it was. Especially in the beginning to go and crawl into an empty bed,” Chad said. Julie sniffled back tears, and she told Chad about a friend who had lost her husband.

“She told me she felt, every hour of every day, the absence of his presence. Her words, they’re haunting me now,” Julie said. Julie blamed herself for not having noticed that Doug’s health had been failing in his final weeks. “Did I not see because I didn’t want to see?” Julie said. Chad made Julie look at him. “You were an incredible wife. That man was lucky to have you. Okay?” Chad said. Tears fell down Julie’s cheeks as she nodded yes.

“This feeling of not doing enough, it's just, I don’t know, got to be a part of the grieving process. I mean, it’s got to be. I felt the same thing after Abby died,” Chad said. Julie chuckled. “Part of the grieving process? I had no idea,” Julie said. Julie teared up again.

“It’s just that I was his partner. I was his wife. He’s gone, and I don’t know who I am now. I can’t seem to figure it out,” Julie admitted. “I know. But you will. You will. I promise you. You’ve just got to be patient. There's a lot of people that love you. There’s a lot of people that need you,” Chad said. Julie noted that she worried about Chad after what he had gone through with Cat.

Chad smiled, and he told Julie that Cat had gone to Vancouver to take care of her family. Julie asked about Catherina. “[She’s still in police custody]. And between her legal situation and her mental state, she’s gonna be there a while. I don’t know if or when Cat will be back,” Chad said. “With luck, never!” Julie said with a laugh. Julie noted that Chad did not feel the same way about Cat.

“I saw the connection that she had with her mother, and I, you know, made it hard to ignore that she was just a girl trying to save her mother’s life. I mean, Clyde put her in an impossible position,” Chad said. Chad noted that Clyde had done the same thing to him. When Julie noted that Cat could have handled the situation better, Chad agreed. “But she felt bad about it. And I think her remorse was genuine,” Chad said. Chad admitted that although he did not forgive Cat, he understood her actions.

“Are you having feelings for this woman?” Julie asked. With a shake of his head, Chad noted that it was a stretch to even call him and Cat friends. “What she did to me and our family was terrible. Even if she was being blackmailed,” Chad said. Chad assured Julie that he would never forget what Cat had done. “Nothing is going to happen between me and Cat Greene,” Chad assured Julie.

Work texted Chad. Jullie offered to look after the kids so Chad could head into the paper. “You going to be okay?” Chad asked. “I’m fine! Just go,” Julie insisted. As Chad rose to leave, he told Julie that he had talked to Marlena early in his grief, and it had helped him. “I’ll think about it,” Julie said.

After Chad left, Julie’s smile disappeared. Julie slowly started to climb the stairs, then stopped midway. “No. Not tonight,” Julie whispered. Julie returned to the living room, and she curled up under a blanket on the couch.

In the town square, Cat cautiously approached Marlena at the cafe. Cat introduced herself. “I do remember you. You were pretending to be Abigail Deveraux at the time,” Marlena said. Cat apologized. Marlena told Cat that she understood how Clyde manipulated people. “And what that can do to a person,” Marlena added. “Thank you for saying that,” Cat said. Cat asked Marlena to help her contact John.

“Well, John is away for a while. We’re not sure when he’ll be around,” Marlena said. Cat explained that her mother had told her what had happened in Greece in her youth. “I felt that I should relay that to your husband,” Cat said. Marlena smiled. “Actually, I would like to hear that story myself,” Marlena said. Cat explained that her mother had recently learned that John had blamed himself for Catherina’s death.

“[Catherina] was really worried because John actually rescued her from a really bad situation,” Cat said. “How so?” Marlena asked. Cat explained that her grandmother had been trapped in an abusive relationship with Konstantin, and she had reached out to Victor for help. “[Victor] sent John to Greece to fake my mother’s death,” Cat said. “John thought that he was there to give Konstantin a warning and that went awry,” Marlena said. With a shake of her head, Cat noted that the warning had been a cover story so that her mother and grandmother could leave Konstantin.

“Thanks to John, my grandmother and my mother were able to escape a horribly abusive situation,” Cat said. “So John was actually there to help,” Marlena said. Cat called John a hero. “John is going to be so relieved to hear it,” Marlena said. Cat asked Marlena to tell John that he had Catherina’s gratitude. Marlena thanked Cat for telling her Catherina’s story. “After all the pain and suffering I’ve caused in this town, I’m just relieved to be lifting someone’s spirits for a change,” Cat said.

Marlena asked Cat about her future plans. Cat explained that her brother Aaron had enough credits to graduate early, so he had opted to stay with Catherina in Vancouver. Cat said she was going to stay in Salem while her sister Felicity finished high school.

“First order of business is finding a job,” Cat said. Marlena mentioned that she needed a replacement for her assistant. “Would that interest you?” Marlena asked. “Would you really consider that?” Cat asked. Marlena said she believed in second chances, and she promised to talk to Kayla about setting up an interview. “Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me,” Cat said.

After Marlena left, she walked over to the pub. Marlena called Shane as she stood out front. Marlena asked Shane to put her in touch with John so that she could deliver some important news.

In the square, Cat called the neighbor that was watching Felicity. Cat told her about the lead she had on a job. As Cat ended her call, she walked into Chad.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Holly escorted Doug III to a vacant room so that he could recover from his beating in the park. Holly helped Doug remove his shirt so that she could run it through the washer. Holly reminded Doug that she had helped him with his cover story and that she could be trusted.

“I need you to tell me the real reason you didn’t want me to call the police,” Holly said. Doug informed Holly that he had been in jail after a bar fight. “Given my recent brush with the law, I didn’t want to risk getting in trouble again,” Doug said. Holly pointed out that Doug had been the victim of a mugging. “Something’s telling me there is more to the story,” Holly said. Doug admitted he had lied about the mugging.

“Those guys at the park, they were collecting money that I owed their boss,” Doug said. Doug admitted that he had been unable to pull together the full amount that he had owed. “So that’s the real reason you didn’t want me to call the police?” Holly asked. With a sigh, Doug confessed that the other reason for the lie was that he had committed a crime. Holly asked for details, and she promised not to tell anyone. Doug explained that he had stolen the Horton diamond necklace.

“Hold up! You stole from Julie? Your grandfather’s widow?” Holly yelled. “You have no idea how guilty I’ve felt. Especially getting to know her. She’s been so kind to me. And I thought about giving the necklace back, but I needed the money, and I needed it fast,” Doug said. Doug admitted he sold the necklace against his better judgment.

“Which means the necklace is gone for good, and Julie thinks her brother’s responsible for it,” Holly said. Holly urged Doug to admit the truth, but he refused. “And it’s not that I’m worried about getting arrested. I can live with that. But I cannot live with Julie knowing that I screwed her over. I really, really care about her, and I’m pretty sure that she cares about me because I remind her of my grandfather,” Doug said. Holly sighed.

“I can’t tell her the truth. And I really hope you don’t either,” Doug said. Holly stewed for a moment, then agreed to keep quiet. “Not that I approve of what you did, but I get it. Your life was in danger,” Holly said. Doug noted that until he paid back all the money, he was still in jeopardy. “Can you ask your dad for the money?” Holly asked. Doug said no. Doug worried aloud that he would not be able to work and save quickly enough to save his life.

“What if I gave you the money?” Holly asked. “I don’t think you understand what I really owe,” Doug said. Holly offered to ask her grandmother for a loan. Confused, Doug asked Holly why she would lie to her grandmother for someone that she barely knew. “True. But you’ve been there for me through all this drama with Tate. And I kind of like you, and I don’t want to see you die,” Holly said. Doug told Holly he would not take the money from her unless she let him pay her back. “Deal,” Holly said. Holly and Doug shook hands.

In the Kiriakis living room, Xander told Sarah that his first day with Philip had been a disaster. “How so?” Sarah asked. Xander told Sarah about his fight with Philip about the CEO's office. “Arrogant bastard is going to undermine every decision I make,” Xander muttered. “You’re really going to have to get used to it because the judge did give him half the company,” Sarah said. With a shake of his head, Xander blamed Victor’s letter for his misery.

While Sarah massaged Xander’s shoulder, he complained about Philip. “I’ve been working on this great plan. One that could really change the game for Titan. I know Victor would have been proud. But without even considering it, Philip nixed the whole thing,” Xander said. Sarah asked about the plan. Xander explained that he had plotted to destroy the DiMera empire with a hostile takeover, but Philip had squashed the plan out of fear for Stephanie’s safety.

“Supposedly, she got caught in the middle the last time our family had a big feud with the DiMeras, and of course, Philip didn’t have it in him to protect her,” Xander said. “I can’t blame him for being concerned. I know firsthand what it’s like to be collateral damage at the hands of Kristen DiMera,” Sarah countered. Xander argued he would have protected Sarah.

“[Philiip] has a problem with the way I do business. He doesn’t like my tactics,” Xander complained. “What tactics are those?” Sarah asked. Xander reluctantly admitted that he would have had to break the law. When Sarah noted her disapproval, Xander complained that Philip had laundered mob money through the company previously but now wanted to be a stickler for the rules. Sarah reminded Xander that his family needed him at home and not in prison.

“Trust me, nothing is more important than you and our daughter. And I want you and Victoria to be proud of me,” Xander said. “You say that so often,” Sarah countered. Xander promised Sarah he would devote his life to earning Sarah’s love and respect. Sarah promised to keep Xander in line. “You are the expert at that,” Xander said.

After a few smooches, Sarah told Xander she wanted to return to the hospital full-time. “It’s time to start seeing patients,” Sarah said. Xander was thrilled. Eager to restart, Sarah left to talk to Kayla. Xander opened up his laptop and looked over at Victor’s portrait. “This is all thanks to you, father. None of this would be happening if you hadn’t written that damn letter,” Xander muttered.

In the CEO's office at Titan, Philip talked to Kate on the phone about his first day. “Xander and I are off to a rocky start, but no worse than I expected. No, there is no way he is going to find out the letter dad supposedly wrote me was a forgery,” Philip said. In the doorway, a horrified Stephanie listened to Philip’s conversation.

“At this point, [Xander] has no reason to question it. As far as he and everyone else is concerned, my claim on Titan is completely legit,” Philip said. Stephanie stepped back into the hallway as Philip ended his call. After a moment, Stephanie walked back in.

“Long day at the office?” Stephanie asked. “Not too bad. Just getting up to speed. Although Xander and I did clash about the direction of the company,” Philip said. Stephanie nodded. Philip admitted he wished he did not have to work with Xander but that he had no choice since he only controlled half the company.

“That’s better than zero percent, isn’t it? Which is what you deserve,” Stephanie said. A confused look crossed Philip’s face. “I heard you on the phone just now, Philip. You’ve been lying to everyone. Including me,” Stephanie said. Philip stammered, and Stephanie warned him not to lie.

“I heard you talking to your mom about how you forged that letter from Victor,” Stephanie said. After a moment, Philip admitted that Vivian had forged the letter and invented the scheme. “And did she force you to go along with her wicked little scheme?” Stephanie asked. “When it comes down to it, she was right. I deserve to run Titan. I truly believe it’s what my father would have wanted,” Philip stressed. Stephanie countered that if Victor had wanted that, he would have written it into his will or into a letter.

“But he didn’t. Which means Titan belongs to Xander, and you’re a total fraud!” Stephanie yelled. “I think fraud is a bit harsh,” Philip said. Philip argued that he had been the heir since birth, and that had only changed because of his mental breakdown. “Still, you committed a fraud upon the court. And oh my god, I can’t believe Belle helped you pull it off,” Stephanie said. Philip stressed that Belle had not known the truth, but Stephanie argued that the public would assume that Belle had been in on the scheme.

“It could ruin [Belle’s] career. And damn it, Philip, it could ruin mine, too,” Stephanie argued. Stephanie asked Philip if he had considered how the scheme could backfire on her and Belle. Philip argued that he had been deprived of his birthright and that he would have been renamed as heir if he had recovered from his breakdown sooner.

“That is pure speculation, and you know that will is solid. Meaning you stole half the company from Xander,” Stephanie countered. “Well, he deserved to have it stolen from him!” Philip said. Stephanie argued that Xander’s character was irrelevant. Furious, Stephanie told Philip that she would never have done PR work for him if she had known the truth. “You used me,” Stephanie said.

“Let’s talk about this over dinner,” Philip said. Stephanie scoffed. “There is no dinner. In fact, you and I are through, Philip,” Stephanie said. Philip asked Stephanie if she seriously wanted to throw away their relationship. “What, you think it’s no big deal that you stole a company through fraud?” Stephanie asked. Stephanie reminded Philip that he had involved her and Belle in a felony.

“You are the same old Philip who would go to any extreme for the sake of his family’s company. The same Philip who almost got me killed. And I’ll be damned if I ever let that happen again,” Stephanie said. Philip accused Stephanie of making up excuses to break up with him so that she could reunite with Alex.

“You sure were dreaming of him this morning,” Philip said. Philip asked Stephanie to be honest with him about the reasons for the breakup. “You’re the one who has a problem with honesty, not me,” Stephanie said. Stephanie told Philip that she did not care what he believed about her motivations, she was through with him.

After Stephanie left, a regretful Philip called Stephanie’s phone and left a voicemail. “I’m sorry about our fight. And I understand why you don’t want to see me anymore. But when you get this message, please call me back right away. I need to know you won’t tell anyone about that letter being forged,” Philip said.

At the hospital, Sarah was leaving a stack of research on Kayla’s desk when Stephanie walked in. “You all right?” Sarah asked. “Philip and I just got in a huge fight. About your husband,” Stephanie said. Sarah smirked and noted the co-CEO plan was a mistake. “It’s a fiasco because Philip has no business being the CEO in the first place,” Stephanie said.

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