Days of our Lives Recap for Wednesday, April 2, 2025: As the death threats mount, someone pays EJ an ominous visit 

At Marlena’s place, Belle arrived home and angrily ripped off her wire. She was greeted by Brady, who updated her on the call he’d just had with Marlena. John may have been abducted, but Brady believed that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing because it meant that his captors probably needed him alive. The news further agitated Belle, and she declared she wasn’t in the “headspace” to worry about her dad. When Brady asked her what had happened, Belle revealed she’d blown a chance to bring EJ down.

After Belle filled him in on her failed plot, Brady commended the maneuver as “pretty brave.” Belle retorted, “or pretty stupid.” EJ had caught on to her quickly and then had accused her of trying to “remove the temptation” by sending him to prison. She lamented EJ’s claim that he was in her “mind, heart, and soul.” Brady empathized and urged his sister not to give EJ’s words too much credence.

Belle clutched her head in despair and admitted EJ may have been right. When she composed herself, Brady tried to give Belle a pep talk by again comparing her relationship to EJ to his relationship with Kristen. He had once thought Kristen was an addiction he would never kick, but he had been able to move on and put her behind him. Belle said she didn’t have “an Ava” to help her in the process of letting go. Brady conceded he didn’t have someone else either because Ava and he had broken up.

Belle gave her sympathies, and Brady decided to call it a night. He urged her to do the same. She said she needed to update Jada about her “unmitigated disaster” first. After Brady retired, Belle picked up her phone.

At night in the park, JJ joined Shawn on a bench and told his partner the operation against EJ had been a “bust.” Shawn was disappointed but relieved to hear that Belle was okay. He admitted he had “other things” on his mind. After some hesitation, Shawn confided that he was concerned about the ramifications of Jada potentially disclosing the truth to Rafe. Shawn explained how Jada had feared Rafe discovering the secret from someone else, so she intended to tell her fiancé herself.

JJ believed neither Shawn nor Jada had done anything wrong. Besides, Jada might leave Shawn’s name out of it entirely. Shawn didn’t think Jada would add to the lies, and he was certain that Rafe knew his friend had betrayed him. He wouldn’t blame Rafe for thinking that his “crappy friend” had taken advantage of his “jilted ex.” JJ again reminded Shawn of the “extenuating circumstances” and offered to find out how much Rafe knew when he visited Gabi; Shawn thanked JJ for the support.

At the police station, Jada pleaded with Rafe to give them another chance. Rafe said he “needed space,” and he wanted to go home…alone. When he left, Jada broke into a sob. Later, Jada went to Paulina’s place and asked if she could talk with the mayor. Paulina invited her to sit down, and Jada admitted what she wanted to discuss was personal. Paulina assured Jada she wasn’t imposing because Abe was out of town, and Paulina didn’t expect Johnny and Chanel back for a while.

The mention of her daughter and Johnny prompted Paulina to rant about how EJ had “screwed” the couple out of adopting the baby they wanted. Paulina poured Jada a drink and filled her in on Mrs. Choi’s reaction to the Spectator article. Jada sympathized and affirmed EJ’s “specialty” for wrecking other people’s lives. The talk turned back to the reason for Jada’s visit. Jada conceded that the situation was both personal and professional, since Paulina could be asked about it in her capacity as mayor.

Jada took a deep breath and confessed she had “slept with Detective Brady.” Paulina was surprised but didn’t see the incident as something Jada should be worried about professionally. It had happened after she had been removed from the commissioner spot, and Jada had never shown Shawn any favoritism on the job. Paulina didn’t believe Jada had “cried out and dried out” her tears due to job concerns. Jada admitted she’d had it out with Rafe and that he had blamed her for not realizing Arnold was an imposter.

“That’s ridiculous,” Paulina scoffed. Jada could see why Rafe was angry. She thought she should have been able to see the signs better after Bobby, but she was having trouble trusting her instincts. Paulina demanded Jada stop trying to shoulder the responsibility, as they both knew who was truly to blame: EJ. Jada didn’t want to skirt her own responsibility, but Paulina reminded her that every bad thing that had recently happened in Salem could be traced back to EJ.

Paulina firmly believed EJ would pay, “If not in this life, then in the next.” Jada briefly got her hopes up when she received a text from Belle, but those hopes were swiftly deflated after she read the entire message. Jada explained the failed confession attempt to Paulina, then asked Paulina if she still thought EJ would pay. “Not unless someone makes him,” Paulina sighed. She supplied that the person who did take care of EJ would be “doing the world a favor.”

Later, Jada returned to the station. She got a text from Shawn asking if she was okay. “I’m far from okay,” she said aloud. She put the phone away without answering the text, and her hand settled on her gun holster.

Meanwhile, Rafe arrived home to find Gabi working on her laptop at the table. He immediately went for a beer. Gabi wondered why her brother was home early since she’d assumed he and Jada would be out late. Rafe took a swig of his beer and announced that Jada wasn’t coming home. “She cheated on me,” he added.

Gabi felt sorry for Rafe, as she didn’t know Jada and he had been having problems. Gabi’s sympathy somewhat dissipated, though, when she found out that the “cheating” had occurred during the time Arnold was believed to be Rafe. Gabi defended Jada’s reactions to the events because she had been there to witness the impact. Rafe couldn’t comprehend why Jada would ever believe he would treat her that way. Gabi reminded him that she, too, had been fooled, and she had known Rafe her entire life.

Jada and Gabi had known something was off and had even suggested that “Rafe” get checked for brain damage. Gabi wondered how Rafe could blame Jada for anything that had transpired. “There’s one person to blame,” Gabi affirmed, “EJ DiMera.” Rafe didn’t think it was that simple, but Gabi worked herself up into a fury as she detailed how the chain of events had all been started by EJ. The man had ruined Rafe’s life just like he had ruined hers.

“I could kill him for it,” Gabi vehemently stated. Rafe cautioned Gabi not to make death threats as she’d just regained her freedom. He didn’t believe his sister capable of cold-blooded murder. Gabi reminisced about threatening to blow EJ’s head off and then mused, “We’ve both been pushed to our limits by EJ. Who knows what we’re capable of?”

Later, JJ arrived at Rafe’s house. He knocked on the door and called out to Gabi. When he peeked inside the window, he observed that the lights were off, and no one was home.

In Horton Town Square, Johnny checked on Chanel, who had gone to work to distract herself from the adoption disaster. Chanel bemoaned Mrs. Choi reading the newspaper article and finding out about EJ. Chanel suggested Johnny and she take a quick trip out of town to clear their heads. Johnny thought it was a nice idea, but he needed to get in touch with Roman since he knew his grandpa was worried about him. When Johnny left, Chanel looked after him, concerned.

In Ava’s room above the Brady Pub, Ava read the Spectator article detailing EJ’s misdeeds. She mused to herself that EJ had caused “trouble, heartache, and misery” for Salem. “But what goes around comes around,” Ava pronounced. She considered it bad enough that Kristen and Rachel Blake would get away with what they had done, but EJ hurt people “for sport.”

Ava strolled over to her bag and removed the gun Melinda had given her. “There are other ways for justice to be served,” she said. Ava recalled her last encounter with EJ, then pledged EJ wouldn’t get away with it. “Not this time,” she emphasized while tapping his newspaper photo with her gun.

Downstairs at the pub, Johnny approached Roman at the bar. He apologized for not reaching out sooner and told Roman about the failed adoption. Roman was sorry to hear it, especially since Johnny was still dealing with the fallout of learning about his conception. Roman tried to explain why he had kept the secret, but Johnny was having a harder time grappling with why his mom had covered for and even married EJ. Roman had hope that, in time, Johnny could understand Sami’s actions.

As far as EJ went, however, Roman was with Johnny. He admitted that he sometimes had to stop himself from taking his gun out of its lockbox and disposing of EJ for good. Both Roman and Johnny eyed the lockbox. Roman explained he kept the gun for protection since he was a small business owner. Johnny understood and also expressed gratitude for Kate and Roman telling him the truth; he considered it a benefit that he finally knew his father was “a monster.”

Roman accompanied Johnny to a table and asked his grandson if he’d talked to Sami. Johnny thought his mom was avoiding him. Roman defended that Sami was probably afraid of what finding out the truth would do to Johnny’s relationship with his parents. A part of Roman knew that Johnny should try and work things out with his father, but a bigger part was irate, especially after EJ had threatened Kate. Johnny was aghast that EJ had sunk that low in his name.

Johnny admitted that he, too, had considered ending EJ when EJ had shown up at Paulina’s place to beg for Johnny’s forgiveness. Johnny and Roman's conversation was interrupted when Ava emerged from upstairs and stormed past them, out the door. She failed to acknowledge Roman’s greeting. He responded, “I know a woman on a mission when I see one.”

Roman excused himself from the table to take a call from Kate. When he went into the back, Johnny slipped behind the bar, searched the shelves, and found the key to the lockbox. He quickly unlocked the box and retrieved Roman’s gun. Outside, Ava lurked with her own gun.

At the DiMera mansion, an upset EJ thought back to his confrontation with Belle about the wire. He heard footsteps approach and sighed, assuming it was Kristen. As he told the visitor he wasn’t in the mood, Chanel strode into the room and immediately laid into EJ for “sabotaging” the adoption. A resigned EJ asked that she get it off her chest quickly since he’d already had an “earful” from Paulina.

Chanel said she hadn’t driven there only to unload on him. When he asked what she did want, Chanel replied, “I want you to answer one thing: Why do you insist on ruining people’s lives, especially those you claim to care about the most?” EJ blamed his “idiot brother” for publishing the article, but Chanel attested that it all came down to EJ’s own “actions and choices.” EJ offered to talk with Mrs. Choi and make the woman see that his actions were not a reflection of Johnny’s ability to be a parent.

Chanel said Mrs. Choi was “terrified” of EJ’s influence, and Chanel couldn’t really blame her. EJ thought it was for the best, then, that Johnny had declared EJ “dead” to him. Chanel wasn’t surprised, given what Johnny had discovered about his father. EJ claimed he’d spent decades trying to right his “terrible wrong.”

Chanel amended his statement: EJ had spent decades covering up his crime, and he had done it to protect himself, not Johnny. Chanel didn’t know why Sami had forgiven EJ, but she considered it between Sami, EJ, “and God.” While Johnny might have been able to move past it, too, EJ had ruined that possibility by teaming up with the other man who had assaulted Sami. Chanel believed EJ showed a clear “pattern” of remorselessness.

“You don’t deserve forgiveness,” Chanel concluded. EJ admitted his son’s hatred was “very painful” for him, although he doubted Chanel “gave a damn.” She confirmed that she didn’t and warned EJ not to ask her to “intercede” with Johnny on his behalf.

EJ requested that Chanel at least deliver the message that EJ loved his son. She promised she would, even though “It’s the last thing he wants to hear right now.” Chanel then left EJ to ponder his crumbling life.

Later, Chanel returned to Paulina's place and saw her mother asleep on the couch. She woke up Paulina and asked if Johnny had been home. Chanel was worried about him.

After time had elapsed back at the Dimera Mansion, EJ poured himself a drink and turned to Stefano’s portrait. He asked his father for advice about how to get back in Johnny’s good graces. “I am my father’s son,” EJ said with a smile. “You were always one step ahead, and so am I.”

EJ chuckled, downed more of his drink, and declared, “I win.” Suddenly, an unseen person who had entered the room caught his eye. “What are you doing?” he demanded of the visitor.

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