Melinda struggles to break free; Days of our Lives recap for Thursday, August 29, 2024

At the Horton house, Chad called “Abigail’s” voicemail, and he let her know he was on the way home. “Who were you talking to?” Thomas asked. Surprised, Chad asked Thomas why he was awake. Thomas said he needed more water. Chad attempted to change the subject, but Thomas insisted that Chad tell him who had been on the phone. “Someone from work,” Chad said.

“If you’re talking to someone from work, why did you say you’re going back to home soon?” Thomas asked. Chad lied and said he had misspoken. Thomas noted that Chad was never there in the morning. “I’m sorry I’ve been gone so much. I promise to make it up to you,” Chad said. “Dad, I’m not Charlotte. I’m nine. I can tell something’s wrong. So, please tell me the truth,” Thomas said. Chad nodded in agreement.

“An old friend is in town. And that’s why I haven’t been here. You see, she was in a pretty bad accident. And I thought it would help her get better if she stayed at Uncle E.J. and Uncle Stefan’s house,” Chad said. “So, you’re staying there, too?” Thomas asked. Chad said he had wanted his friend to feel comfortable, since she did not know Chad’s brothers very well. “Why didn’t you have her stay here?” Thomas asked. Chad noted that the mansion was bigger and had a full-time staff.

Chad promised to return home soon, but he did not know when. “Are you okay, buddy?” Chad asked. Thomas asked if the woman was Chad’s girlfriend. Chad said no. “As much as you miss me, I miss you and your sister infinity times more,” Chad said. Chad promised that everyone would be under the same roof again soon.

From the town square, Dr. Mark Greene called Abigail at the DiMera mansion. Abigail paced her bedroom, and she assured Mark that she believed Chad had bought her cover story. In the square, Felicity overheard her brother Mark talking on the phone. Mark hurriedly ended the call, and he greeted his sister. Felicity asked about the call and why Mark had told the person that they would be in trouble. Mark lied and said he had been talking about Aaron.

“Aaron is at lacrosse camp. How can he be in trouble?” Felicity asked. “Well, because he lied. He made up a story about how he was paying for camp,” Mark explained. With a nod, Felicity noted that Aaron had lied to her before. “[Aaron] shouldn’t have lied. Aaron, you, me, we all have rules to follow,” Mark said. “But you get to make them,” Felicity countered. Mark noted that their parents would have wanted him to watch out for his siblings until they were old enough to take care of themselves.

“Who punishes you when you tell a lie?” Felicity asked. “Ask me when you catch me lying,” Mark said. With a sigh, Felicity lamented that their parents had died, and Mark agreed. “But hey, you don’t have to worry, because I’m not going anywhere,” Mark promised.

In the pub, Kristen groaned as she looked at her laptop. “Damn it, Brady. It didn’t have to go this way. I got rid of your car, and I told you to run,” Kristen grumbled. As Kristen muttered that she had Brady’s back, Ava walked over. “Another empty promise? 'Cause you sure as hell didn’t have mine,” Ava said. Kristen noted that Ava was entitled to be mad.

“I said I was sorry, and I meant it,” Kristen said. Ava swallowed her anger, and she grumbled, “Fine. We’re good. Friendship is repaired.” Ava sat down at Kristen’s table. With a smirk, Ava mockingly offered the imaginary knife that Kristen had used to stab her in the back. Kristen groaned.

“Gabi, she threatened to pull Gabi Chic from DiMera, and I could not let that happen. I need to prove myself as CEO, and the relaunch of Gabi Chic is moving towards that,” Kristen argued. “Great for you, but now I’m unemployed. And I’m certain that Gabi is gonna come after me,” Ava countered. Kristen noted that Ava should have thought of the consequences before she had slept with Stefan.

“Ava, you do have to take some responsibility. Nobody forced you to sleep with him,” Kristen argued. Annoyed, Ava sarcastically said that she was lucky to have a loyal and understanding friend like Kristen. “You are lucky to have me as a friend. Because friends tell each other the truth, especially when it hurts. And if you hadn’t have blabbed everything at the office about you and Stefan, Gabi would have never found out,” Kristen said.

In Connie’s apartment living room, Connie checked Melinda’s phone. Connie read a text from Kristen that pleaded with Melinda to contact her. “Sorry, Kristen. Melinda is all tied up at the moment,” Connie said. Connie texted Kristen back. At the pub, Kristen complained to Ava that Melinda had texted to ask for a break. “She better have a damn good explanation for this,” Kristen muttered.

In Connie’s bedroom, Melinda struggled against the ropes that tied her to the headboard of the bed. Melinda looked over at the cardboard cutout of Li. “What the hell are you looking at?” a frustrated Melinda yelled. Melinda cried out for help until Connie entered the room with a tray of food. Connie told Melinda not to bother because the room had been soundproofed.

“Just curious. Have you ever been fitted for a straitjacket?” Melinda screamed. Connie noted that she knew everyone at work had made fun of her behind her back. “Well, I’m not so simple now, am I?” Connie said. Connie sat on the bed next to Melinda with the food. Melinda refused to eat, and an annoyed Connie told Melinda that the only reason she had kept Melinda alive was because Li had asked.

“I’m trying. You see that, right?” Connie said to the cardboard cutout. “He’s dead, you psycho!” Melinda yelled. Connie blamed Melinda, Gabi, and Stefan for Li’s death. “If it wasn’t for the three of you, I never would have had to–” Connie said before she stopped herself. “Would have what?” Melinda asked. With a shake of her head, Connie noted that Melinda and Gabi had broken Li’s heart.

“He couldn’t see the real thing when it was finally there for him,” Connie said. After a moment to stare at cardboard Li, Connie smiled at Melinda. Connie explained that she had destroyed Gabi’s marriage. “What did you do?” Melinda asked. Connie said she had told Gabi about Stefan’s affair with Ava. “But I’m just getting started. By the time I’m through, Gabi will be left with nothing,” Connie said.

Melinda’s phone beeped with another text from Kristen. “Looks like she’s none too happy to hear about your leave of absence,” Connie told Melinda. “What did you tell her?” Melinda asked. Melinda argued that Kristen was too smart to fall for Connie’s ruse. With a smirk, Connie noted, “This will shut her up.”

At the pub, Kristen looked at Connie’s new text, which read, “If you must know, I don’t want to take orders from the woman who murdered my daughter. So, you can take your job and shove it.” Ava raised an eyebrow. “Melinda said that?” Ava asked. With a shake of her head, Kristen told Ava that she and Melinda had talked about Haley’s accident. “[Melinda] said she was able to handle it,” Kristen said. “She basically said the same thing to me,” Ava said. Confused, Kristen wondered aloud why Melinda had changed her mind.

“Melinda is competent. She came on board as chief counsel, and she never looked back. I came in early the other day, and her car was parked in its spot, and the engine was cold,” Kristen said. Kristen asked Ava if Melinda had confided that she was unhappy at the company. “No. She puts the company’s needs first, especially when she discovered that–” Ava started. Ava thought back to her conversation with Melinda about Connie.

“You know what? That is a DiMera problem, and I do not work at DiMera anymore,” Ava said. Frustrated, Kristen demanded to hear what Ava knew about Melinda. “Do I get my job back first?” Ava asked. Kristen argued that her hands were tied on the matter, but Ava disagreed. “It’s more complicated than that, and you know it,” Kristen grumbled. Ava refused to say anything about Melinda. “It’s not personal. It’s just business,” Ava said. Ava smiled.

In Connie’s bedroom, Melinda laughed in Connie’s face. Melinda noted that people would look for her. “I forgot about how beloved and indispensable you are to so many people,” Connie said sarcastically. Melinda pleaded with Connie to listen to common sense and let her go. Connie told Melinda to ask Li for help with dinner until she returned.

After Connie walked out, Melinda said to cardboard Li, “Know any good jokes? Besides this?” Melinda struggled against the ropes and screamed profanities. After Melinda calmed down, she looked over at cardboard Li. “Did Connie seem this crazy when you went on that one date? I’m sure she did. I’m guessing that was why there was never another one,” Melinda said. Melinda laughed. As Melinda continued to struggle, the rope on one wrist started to loosen.

In the DiMera living room, a puzzled Stefan asked why Gabi was unspooling tape. “I’m dividing the room. That’s your half. And this is mine,” Gabi said. Gabi explained that her divorce attorney had advised her to keep the mansion as her primary residence. “This is your primary residence,” Stefan noted. “For legal purposes, yes. But I don’t want you anywhere near me,” Gabi countered. With a sigh, Stefan apologized for having broken Gabi’s heart, and he said he hoped that she would forgive him one day.

When Stefan noted that dividing the house with tape was ridiculous, Gabi told Stefan that his opinion did not matter to her. “And we should settle this right now. If you bring your little girlfriend home, make sure she stays on your half,” Gabi growled. Gabi announced that she needed to divide the rest of the house, and she walked out.

Upstairs, Gabi knocked on Abigail’s door, then entered the room. “I thought I should introduce myself, since we’ll be living under the same roof once again,” Gabi said. “I’m Abigail,” Abigail said. Gabi cocked her head. “That’s what they say. But, you know, I just don’t see it,” Gabi noted. Abigail started to mention the accident, but Gabi said she already knew about that and the amnesia.

With a nod, Gabi asked Abigail to ignore any tape she saw around the house. “Long story short, I’m at war with my husband,” Gabi said. Abigail smiled, and she noted that she had met Stefan. “I’m sorry to hear it,” Abigail said. Gabi was taken aback. Gabi explained that she and Abigail had a checkered history and were mostly frenemies.

“Sounds complicated,” Abigail said. “Like everything else in this house,” Gabi grumbled. Abigail asked if their issues stemmed from Abigail’s past affair with Stefan. “You remember that?” Gabi asked. Abigail explained that E.J. had told her. “Of course, he did,” Gabi muttered. Gabi noted that Abigail and Stefan had been involved prior to Gabi’s relationship with Stefan.

“You weren’t in your right mind. Stefan was a very different story,” Gabi said. Gabi told Abigail about her history with DID. “Didn’t realize that I had two identities that I needed to remember,” Abigail said. Gabi assured Abigail that all of Abigail’s alters had been integrated. “Every time I meet someone else in this family, I feel like I owe them an apology,” Abigail said. Gabi told Abigail not to apologize for having slept with Stefan, because Abigail had been unable to consent as an alter.

“Technically, it was rape. I wonder if I could use that in my divorce case?” Gabi said. “Sounds like you’re pretty angry with him,” Abigail said. Abigail admitted that she would likely be as mad if her husband had cheated on her. “I’m really sorry you’re going through all this,” Abigail said. Gabi smiled sadly, and she warned Abigail to be careful about making friends in the family. “I basically have zero allies in this house,” Gabi said. Abigail noted that they were in a similar situation, because she did not know who her allies were. “I have a feeling I could use all the frenemies I could get,” Abigail said. Gabi agreed.

E.J. walked into the DiMera living room, and he noticed the tape. “What’s all this?” E.J. asked. “We are standing in my half of the room,” Stefan said. E.J. laughed. Stefan added that he did not know how the tape affected other members of the household. “Marriages fall apart. It happens. But you two should have at least the good taste not to include the rest of us in your drama,” E.J. said. Stefan argued that E.J. was to blame, and E.J. cackled in disbelief.

“You’re the one who convinced her to stay here yesterday,” Stefan pointed out. “In the middle of you begging her to stay. I did you a favor, not that I expect you to give me any thanks,” E.J. countered. Stefan argued that E.J. had goaded Gabi into pursuing the mansion in the divorce. With a smirk, E.J. reminded Stefan that he owned half the house. “It’s good to know I’ve got an ally as long as you have something to lose,” Stefan said. E.J. chastised Stefan for his choice of Ava.

“Leave Ava out of this,” Stefan said. E.J. narrowed his eyes, and he reminded Stefan that Ava had kidnapped and almost killed E.J.’s mother. When Stefan reiterated that Ava was off-limits, E.J. pointed out Stefan’s instinct to protect Ava. E.J. suggested that Jake’s heart still loved Ava. With a chuckle, E.J. wished Stefan the best of luck.

“You know, it wasn’t too long ago that I hoped that all these wars between us would be over. And that you and I were never going to be friends but we could at least be brothers,” Stefan said. “But haven’t you heard? Misery loves company,” E.J. said. E.J. told Stefan that he looked forward to watching Stefan and Gabi attack one another.

When Chad arrived at the mansion, Abigail was alone in her room. “Is everything okay?” Abigail asked. Chad told Abigail about his conversation with Thomas. “I really don’t like lying to him. And I don’t know how much longer I can do it,” Chad admitted. “You’re not going to tell him that I’m alive, are you?” Abigail asked. Chad admitted that he did not know what to do. Abigail pleaded with Chad not to confuse the children, but Chad argued that they could not wait for her memory to return. “I made a promise to Thomas, and I can’t go back on that,” Chad said. “Then there is only one solution. You need to move out,” Abigail said.

Gabi was passing through the foyer of the DiMera mansion when Connie rang the doorbell. When Gabi opened the front door, Connie rushed in with research for Gabi’s morning meeting. Connie said she was almost over her cold, and she would return to work. Gabi thanked Connie for her help. “I’m planning on taking Stefan for everything he’s worth. Which includes this mansion,” Gabi said. “Good for you. An eye for an eye. Am I right?” Connie said. Connie suggested that Gabi sleep with another person as revenge.

After Connie left the mansion, Gabi eavesdropped on E.J. and Stefan from the foyer. “Gabi had best rethink going after the house. But as for everything else, I hope she leaves you with nothing but your socks,” E.J. said. In the living room, Stefan noted that he was not surprised that E.J. was taking Gabi’s side. E.J. suggested that Stefan might be happier to move on with Ava.

“I don’t love her. I love my wife,” Stefan growled. “But you have an affinity for [Ava] that neither Gabi nor I share,” E.J. countered. Stefan stewed in silence. “Any enemy of Ava is a friend of mine. Which means that Gabi is my new BFF,” E.J. said with a chuckle. In the foyer, Gabi thought about Connie’s suggestion to sleep with another man.

Connie went into town and ran into Ava outside of the pub. “Oh, it’s you. The homewrecker,” Connie said. “It’s you. The looney tunes stool pigeon,” Ava countered. Ava told Connie that the affair had not been Connie’s business. “But is was Gabi’s,” Connie countered. Connie argued that Gabi had had a right to know the truth.

When Connie called Ava a skank, Ava warned Connie not to make her regress to the old Ava. “I’m glad Gabi made Kristen fire you. You don’t deserve to work at DiMera,” Connie said. “That is some loyalty coming from someone who was just let go,” Ava countered. Connie said she still worked at DiMera. “The last time I spoke to Melinda, she was on her way over to your apartment to give you the axe,” Ava said. Connie frowned.