Days of our Lives Recap for Thursday, October 24, 2024: Johnny has his cake and eats it too

Nancy wanted to know whose wedding ring she found in Joy’s room and if she had slept with a married man. Nancy reminded Joy that her father had cheated with Leo Stark in that very hotel, and while she waited at home like a dutiful wife, she was being betrayed. “I haven’t done that. I’m not married,” Joy snapped.

Joy said that the situation was nothing like Nancy’s and noted that the man’s wife was cheating. Nancy said no matter what his wife had done, it didn’t give the man the right to sleep around. “Did you or did you not sleep with this man?” Nancy demanded to know. Joy told her she would not have that conversation with her mother.

Nancy insisted she just didn’t want Joy to get hurt, but Joy didn’t think Nancy cared about her. Joy said Nancy only cared that Joy was a bone marrow donor for Chloe. “You’re as real a daughter as she is,” Nancy insisted. Nancy added that although she was grateful that Joy was a bone marrow match for Chloe, it was the least of the reasons that they loved Joy.

“Fine, you love me, but that doesn’t mean our problems are settled and everything’s magically better,” Joy said. They changed the topic to the audition and Joy recounted reading with Chanel. “Apparently, my character is supposed to be after her man,” Nancy thought it sounded like a successful audition. She asked whose ring it was again, but Joy didn’t want to talk about it and left for a walk.

In a hospital room, Chanel couldn’t believe Johnny was accusing her of cheating with Alex, but Johnny insisted he saw them with his own eyes. He told her he heard them say how clueless he was the next day. Chanel tried to tell Johnny it wasn’t what he thought, but he called her names and bolted out.

Johnny walked into the reception area, and everyone yelled, “Surprise!” Johnny was speechless as Alex told him that Chanel had worked really hard to surprise him. As everyone started singing, Chanel came up behind Johnny and told him she hoped he felt really stupid.

Johnny waited uncomfortably for everyone to stop singing, and Alex told him to blow out the candles. They all cheered, and Alex told Johnny that Chanel had outdone herself with the cake. “She must really love you,” Alex added. He handed Johnny a knife to cut the cake, but Chanel warned him not to trust Johnny with a knife. “He may or may not stab you with it,” Chanel added, then announced that Johnny thought she was sleeping with Alex.

Johnny tried to defend himself in front of the shocked room and singled out Seth. “I ran into you, and you said don’t go in there because Arrow and Faith are having sex in there,” Johnny said. Seth didn’t recall being that direct. He pointed at Stephanie and said she was Faith. Johnny realized he had walked in on Alex and Stephanie, not Chanel, and he didn’t know what to say. Chanel shoved cake in his face and told him not to talk with his mouth full.

At Body and Soul HQ, Abe and Kate discussed their need for a capricious, fiery actress for the show. Abe suggested they bring Lorna back and let Kate play the role, but she wasn’t interested. Abe told Kate he auditioned an intriguing young actress, Nancy Westlake’s daughter Joy.

Abe explained that Bonnie had insisted he give Joy a chance. Abe and Kate discussed Joy’s antagonistic energy and said she could play a homewrecker. Abe thought Joy was a contender but wanted to see other actors before deciding.

Paulina interrupted and told them about the surprise party that went sideways. She said Chanel and Johnny fought, threw cake, and stormed back out, and it was all because Johnny thought Chanel and Alex had an affair. It turned out he had walked in on Alex and Stephanie having sex. Kate said she would do damage control and left.

Abe felt bad for Johnny and Chanel. Paulina told Abe she wished that he hadn’t paired up Alex and Chanel. “Are you blaming me?” Abe wondered. Paulina said he was partly to blame. She thought it caused Johnny to get jealous, but Abe contended that he didn’t know Johnny had issues and would be paranoid. Paulina suggested the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. “I’m referring to that British Daddy of his,” Paulina clarified. “I always thought he was more evolved than his father,” Abe mused.

Abe thought that once things calmed down, Chanel would see it for what it was, a misunderstanding. Paulina wasn’t so sure. She said when her daughter was hurting, everyone better watch out.

Chanel went back to the exam room, and Johnny followed. He tried to apologize, but she didn’t want to hear it. Johnny implored her to see things from his point of view and understand how he drew his conclusions. Chanel snapped that he tried to connect the dots to add up to her cheating on him because he believed that she would. “You thought I could cheat on you, the man that I love more than anyone in this world,” Chanel said, wounded. She noticed that Johnny’s wedding ring was missing and asked where it was.

Johnny admitted that he had taken off the ring. Chanel reminded Johnny she had told him since day one that she wasn’t into Alex. “What, you thought I’d get so turned on I’d cheat on you because he took his shirt off?” Chanel snapped. Johnny said he felt like a fool. Chanel told him to get out.

Paulina came in and found Chanel crying. “Where’s Johnny?” she asked. Chanel told her that he was gone and cried in her mother’s arms.

Outside, Johnny had just sat down on a bench when Joy spotted him and came over. “I’m glad I ran into you,” Joy said. She pulled out his wedding ring and told him he had left it in her room the night before.

In the hall, Stephanie was shocked that Johnny saw her and Alex in bed together. Alex told her they were two consenting adults behind closed doors in a hospital room. Seth walked by, and Stephanie told him everything was his fault. “Have you seen the real Faith? How could you think I was her?” Stephanie asked.

Seth repeated that he told Johnny they were running lines. “You look like an actress, so I just assumed you were.” “I’m the publicist. I sat in on meetings with you,” Stephanie reminded Seth. Seth clapped back that Kate and Abe said they had to cut overhead and thought that they could start with a publicist who had sex with one of the show’s stars. Kate walked up as they were arguing.

Stephanie apologized to Kate for her unprofessionalism. Kate accepted her apology but noted that they couldn’t get it out that their publicist was sleeping with an actor and on the set, no less. Stephanie asked if she was fired. Alex and Stephanie were relieved when Kate told them they could keep their jobs. “Consider this your first and final warning for now. You two stay the hell away from each other,” Kate said.

Leo and Bonnie thought the cake was delicious and gobbled it down while Leo shared childhood memories of strange birthday events. “But look at me now, I’m eating cake and the head writer of a TV show,” Leo said. Bonnie thought they shouldn’t eat the cake since the baker was accused of fidelity. “Could’ve been worse. She could have actually been cheating,” Leo said with a shrug.

Leo was rambling about changing his astrology sign when Seth came by. He looked at the big sheet cake and said it would be a shame to waste. He would get an intern to take it to the break room. Bonnie said she had a better idea.

Leo and Bonnie took the cake outside so they didn’t have to share it with anyone else. Leo mused that the whole surprise party blow-up might have been Hattie Adams’ fault. “She did put a curse on the show when she got fired,” Leo explained. He noted that a woman at Whole Foods put a curse on him once when he took the last garlic hummus. “Something truly terrible is going to befall you,” Leo recalled her saying but was interrupted. “If it isn’t the little home wrecker,” Nancy said. Leo and Bonnie looked up and saw Nancy glaring at Leo. “Exhibit A,” Leo said.

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