Days of our Lives Recap for March 14, 2025: Johnny Learns the Story of His Conception

Sophia was working at the Bistro when Tate stopped in to visit her. “What brings you by?” Sophia asked. Tate asked if Amy was still mad about the meeting at the DiMera mansion. Annoyed, Sophia told Tate he could have texted her the question. “I guess I could have. I just didn’t have anything else going on,” Tate said. Sophia noted it was Friday night, so she asked about Tate’s girlfriend.

“Well, Holly and I aren’t really talking right now,” Tate confessed. Sophia asked what had happened. Tate told Sophia that the fight had mostly been about Holly’s friendship with Doug. “I don’t trust him,” Tate said. “Did he do something to make you not trust him?” Sophia asked. Tate thought about when Holly had told him that Doug had stolen Julie’s necklace. “Let’s just say he’s done some very shady stuff, and I don’t want Holly to get sucked into this guy’s mess of a life more than she already has been,” Tate said. Sophia asked for details, but Tate refused to give any.

“I’m sorry. I really shouldn’t be dumping all of my Holly problems on you,” Tate said. Sophia said it was fine. “I mean, we’re past all that right? Plus I can see that you’re really hurting,” Sophia said. With a sigh, Tate said he wished Doug had never landed in Salem. “And on top of all that, you know my grandpa is missing?” Tate said. “What?” Sophia yelled. Tate told Sophia that John had disappeared during a mission. Tate said he had always thought of John as invincible, but now he was scared he would never see him again.

“Come here. He’s going to be okay,” Sophia said as she pulled Tate into a hug. When Sophia pulled away, she and Tate stared into each other’s eyes. Sophia’s phone rang with a call from her mother. Sophia hurriedly stepped away from Tate and answered the call. After the call, Sophia told Tate that Amy and Paulina had “hit it off,” and that Amy was considering allowing Johnny and Chanel to adopt the baby.

“So Mayor Price must have really impressed your mom,” Tate said. “Yeah, which is not an easy task,” Sophia admitted. Sophia cautioned Tate not to get his hopes up because Amy still objected to EJ’s involvement in the baby’s life. “Still, if Johnny and Chanel can distance themselves enough from EJ before the baby comes, then hopefully your mom would come around, right?” Tate said. Sophia grinned and noted that she needed to get back to work. Tate offered to help Sophia clean.

“You want to bus dirty dishes?” Sophia asked. “I want to hang with you,” Tate said. Tate added that he did not want Sophia to work too hard. “Oh. You’re worried about the baby,” Sophia said. Tate said no, he was worried about Sophia. “I want you to be okay and to be happy. I hope you know that,” Tate said. Sophia said she wanted the same for Tate.

Holly went to the Horton house to see Doug. She was flustered when he opened the front door, sweaty, and shirtless from a workout. As Doug put on a shirt, Holly told him her idea to steal the necklace from Melinda’s apartment. “That necklace doesn’t belong to her, Doug. It belongs to your family. She’s just holding onto it out of spite, so I don’t get why we can’t just sneak in and return it to its rightful owner,” Holly said. Doug refused to commit a crime.

“It’s not like she can report it. Not without incriminating herself,” Holly said. “You sure about that?” Doug countered. Holly argued that Melinda put her family through hell when Melinda helped Sloan kidnap baby Jude. Doug still refused to break into Melinda’s apartment.

“You’ve already done more than enough to help me,” Doug said. “I really haven’t done that much,” Holly protested. Doug reminded Holly that she had secured the money for his debt from Maggie. “But I’m not going to let you do something dangerous on my account,” Doug said. Doug told Holly to concentrate on her future instead of doing something that could land her in prison. With a sigh, Holly agreed that Doug was right. Doug called Holly a badass, and he told her that it meant a lot to him that she had been willing to commit a crime to help him.

“Well, I want things to work out for you, Doug. I really care about you,” Holly said. “I care about you too,” Doug said. With a nod, Holly asked Doug for other ideas about the necklace. Doug suggested that they brainstorm over leftovers from the kitchen. Holly offered to heat up the food while Doug showered upstairs.

At the penthouse, Belle was surprised to see EJ at the front door. “You can’t be here,” Belle said. EJ begged Belle to hear him out. Belle told EJ that she was uninterested unless he was prepared to confess his crimes. “The only thing I am guilty of is not being able to stop thinking about you,” EJ said. Disgusted, Belle told EJ not to flirt with her. “You shouldn’t be here,” Belle said. “And yet there’s nowhere else I’d rather be. I’ve missed you, Belle,” EJ said as he stroked Belle’s cheek. EJ asked Belle if she had missed him. Belle swatted EJ’s hand away.

“The only thing I feel for you is disgust for what you did to Rafe and Jada and Ava,” Belle said. “What I allegedly did,” EJ countered. EJ argued that there was no evidence to support any of the claims that had been raised against him. “I can’t believe you have the temerity to just stand there and lie to my face,” Belle growled. EJ refused to let anyone end their affair.

“You’ve really got to hear what I’m saying, I don’t want you anywhere near me. I am the District Attorney, and you are a criminal,” Belle said. EJ smirked. “You knew exactly who I was when you got involved with me,” EJ countered. Belle agreed. Belle admitted that she had hoped that EJ might change, but she had realized that EJ had no desire to change his ways.

“And so you’re the same selfish son of a bitch you’ve always been,” Belle said. Tears shined at the corners of EJ’s eyes, and he asked Belle if she really felt nothing for him. “What you did was unthinkable. The fact that you ruined Rafe and Jada’s life over what? Losing a DA job? Are you really that petty and vindictive?” Belle asked. Belle added that what EJ and Kristen had done to Ava made the situation worse.

“Do you not care about anyone but yourself? You’re not even sorry, are you, you are ruthless and sadistic and heartless and you have hurt so many people that I care about. And how do you expect me to forgive you for this?” Belle asked. EJ told Belle that they did not need to let the situation destroy their relationship. When Belle made a crack about her boyfriend kidnapping people, EJ grinned. “Did you just call me your boyfriend?” EJ asked. Unamused, Belle told EJ that when she gathered enough evidence to connect EJ to all the purported crimes she would throw the book at him.

“Fine. Prosecute me. Hate me. Flog me in the middle of Horton Town Square. But one thing you cannot do is tell me you don’t want me just as much as I want you,” EJ whispered as he leaned in close. After a moment, Belle grabbed EJ and kissed him. Belle and EJ stumbled back to her bedroom.

In the Brady Pub, Johnny told Roman about his conversation with EJ about Arnold. “[EJ] said it still haunts him to this day and that he never would have gone through with it if he knew Arnold would have violated my mom like that,” Johnny said. “That is total BS. It didn’t stop him from doing the same damn thing that Feniger did,” Roman said. Confused, Johnny asked Roman what he meant. Roman attempted to avoid the question and insisted that Johnny forget that he had said anything.

“I know my dad has done some bad things over the years, okay? But nothing as bad as what that maniac did to my mom,” Johnny said. When Roman remained silent, a frustrated Johnny asked Roman if he believed that EJ was as bad as a rapist. “You have no idea who your dad is, do you? If Arnold Feniger is a rapist, then so is EJ DiMera,” Roman said. Johnny was taken aback.

“Did you just say that my father is a rapist?” Johnny stammered. “Like I said, forget it. I know how much you love your dad, okay? And what I just said, I said in the heat of anger,” Roman stressed. Johnny noted that he knew Roman well enough to know that Roman had told the truth. Roman said he had been referring to EJ’s part in Arnold’s attack on Sami, but Johnny did not believe him. Roman said he regretted letting his anger get the better of him.

“We will talk later. I promise,” Roman said. Roman pushed past Johnny and went into the back to meet a delivery truck. Johnny sat down as Kate entered the pub and asked him if he was okay. Johnny admitted he had had a strange conversation with Roman. “He accused my father of being a rapist, and then tried to walk it back,” Johnny said. Kate’s eyes flared slightly.

“You know something, don’t you?” Johnny asked. When Kate remained silent, Johnny argued that if EJ had committed rape, he had a right to know. “You really should have this conversation with your mother,” Kate said. “What does my mom have to do with this?” Johnny asked. Kate attempted to walk away, but Johnny stopped her.

“There is no way that [my mother] would let [my father] get away with raping someone,” Johnny protested. “That’s the thing. Your mother is the woman that your father raped,” Kate said reluctantly. With his voice cracking, Johnny asked Kate what had happened. “I don’t feel comfortable going into this,” Kate said. Angry, Johnny told Kate that he deserved to hear the whole truth.

Kate told Johnny the story of how the roof of Lucas and Sami’s vacation cabin had caved in, and that Lucas had been pinned under the debris. “What does any of this have to do with my father raping my mother?” Johnny demanded. “I’m getting to it,” Kate said. Kate explained that Sami had hiked to the main road and flagged down a car. “And that’s when she encountered your father. And she begged him to come back to the cabin and help her save Lucas’ life. And he agreed to do it. He agreed to do it if she would have sex with him first,” Kate said. Johnny looked away.

“So if she wanted to save Lucas’ life, she had no choice but to have sex with my father,” Johnny whispered. Kate nodded. “That’s what I’m telling you,” Kate said. Johnny shook his head and said he did not believe it. “I know that my dad can be a little ruthless in business. I know he goes too far when he wants to get revenge. But there’s no way that he could do that, not to my mom,” Johnny said. Kate teared up.

“I’m so sorry. I know that it is hard for you to hear this. But I know in your heart, you know it’s true,” Kate said. Kate reached across the table, but Johnny pulled his hand away. Kate apologized for having told Johnny the story. “No, it’s okay. I begged you to be honest with me,” Johnny said. When Johnny asked about the timing, Kate said it was before Johnny was born. “So mom and Lucas were a couple then?” Johnny asked. Kate nodded yes.

“Why did nobody want to tell me about this?” Johnny asked. “Because we all made a pact to keep it from you and your sister Allie,” Kate said. Johnny’s eyes went wide as he realized what Kate meant. “Is that the reason that my twin sister and I have separate fathers?” Johnny asked. Kate gave Johnny a look of pity. Johnny choked back tears. “Okay, so that story you just told, that’s the story of how I was conceived? My sister was born out of love, and I am a product of rape,” Johnny said. Johnny’s face darkened. Kate apologized.

When Kate attempted to hug Johnny, he warned her not to touch him. “I’ve got to get out of here,” Johnny said as he rushed out of the pub. Kate sat at a table. She calmed down by the time Roman returned from the back room. Kate told Roman that she had run into Johnny. “I was so upset about the whole Arnold Feniger thing and it just came out,” Roman said. Kate noted that Johnny had been persistent.

“Damn it. All these years trying to protect him and his sister from the awful truth,” Roman lamented. Roman asked Kate what she had said. “I had no choice. I told him the truth. So your grandson now knows that his father raped his mother, and he’s the result of that,” Kate said.

In the DiMera living room, Paulina and Chanel sat on the couch and talked while they waited for Johnny to return. “Did Mrs. Choi come around to Johnny and I adopting Sophia’s baby?” Chanel asked. “I do believe that I got her to see that her grandchild would be lucky to have you two as parents,” Paulina said. Chanel gasped and hugged her mother. When Paulina noted there was one point of contention, Chanel frowned. “I bet you I can guess what that is,” Chanel muttered. Paulina admitted that Amy was concerned about EJ’s involvement in the baby’s life.

“Your daddy-in-law is not going to be a problem much longer. Even if I have to see to it personally,” Paulina promised. “What are you planning?” Chanel asked. Paulina explained that she intended to use her influence to send EJ to prison if the DA could build a case against him. Chanel was skeptical. Paulina explained that although Belle was committed to sending EJ to prison, she did have one concern.

“I gave Belle Black an opportunity to recuse herself since she’d been having an affair with her number one suspect. But she promised me that she and EJ were finished,” Paulina said. “Then what’s your concern?” Chanel asked. Paulina shook her head dismissively and said she believed that Belle would keep her promise to break things off with EJ. “She knows what’s at stake,” Paulina said. Chanel noted that it would be a relief if EJ were out of the picture, but she knew that it would hurt Johnny not to see his father.

“EJ should have thought about family before he broke the law,” Paulina said. Paulina argued that EJ deserved whatever retribution was headed his way. “And after EJ is gone, you and Johnny, you can finally start your lives with that beautiful new baby,” Paulina said.

At the penthouse, EJ and Belle finished having sex, and EJ chuckled. Overridden with guilt, Belle turned her back to EJ as she chewed her nail. “What, you’re not gonna say anything?” EJ asked. “I can’t believe I just did that. Do you have any idea what a conflict of interest this is?” Belle said. EJ noted that Belle had not been concerned during sex. Belle reminded EJ that her office was investigating EJ’s involvement in multiple felonies. “And I just told Paulina I was done having sex with you,” Belle said as her hands covered her face in shame. EJ asked how Paulina had known about them.

“God, this is a nightmare. What the hell is wrong with me?” Belle said. “There is nothing wrong with you, Belle. You were perfect,” EJ said. Belle groaned, and she noted that she could lose her job. EJ advised Belle not to tell Paulina that they had slept together. After a moment, EJ told Belle that her other option was to tell Paulina that there was not enough evidence to build a case against him.

“My hands are clean. You just have to make them accept that,” EJ said. “Wow. That’s why you came over here, isn’t it?” Belle asked. EJ played dumb. Belle accused EJ of seducing to end the investigation into his crimes. “You used me!” Belle yelled. EJ swore that he had wanted to see Belle, not talk about the case. Belle called EJ a liar. “You are being unreasonable,” EJ said. “Unreasonable?” Belle shoved EJ out of her bed. “Get out of my house!” Belle screamed. “I’m going!” EJ yelled back. EJ grabbed his clothes and left.

Paulina was sitting at the cafe in Horton Square when Belle called. “I was just talking about you,” Paulina said. “About what?” Belle asked. Paulina explained that she had reassured Chanel that Belle would make every effort to put EJ in prison. Belle took a deep breath. “I’ve been thinking about our earlier conversation. And I think you’re right. I think it would be best for everyone involved if I recuse myself from the investigation into EJ DiMera,” Belle said.

In the DiMera living room, EJ returned home and greeted Chanel. Chanel attempted to go upstairs, but EJ asked her to stay. EJ apologized for ruining the meeting with Amy. “I’m afraid my son is rather cross with me at the moment,” EJ said. “You got that right,” Johnny said as he walked into the room. EJ asked what was wrong. Johnny punched EJ as an answer.

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