Days of our Lives Recap for Wednesday, January 29, 2025: Marlena catches EJ and Belle in a compromising position 

At Shawn’s place, a shirtless Shawn assured Paulina over the phone that Chanel was fine. She had stayed at his place for the night and didn’t want Johnny to know. During the conversation, Chanel – wearing Shawn’s shirt – emerged from the bedroom. Shawn started to ask Paulina if she wanted to talk with her daughter, but Chanel frantically mouthed, “No.” Shawn made up an excuse and got Paulina off the phone.

Chanel thanked Shawn for covering for her with Paulina and then stated with embarrassment that she didn’t remember much from the previous night. She detailed what she did remember, including her fight with Johnny and then going to Small Bar. She also recalled kissing Shawn, but her memory went blank after that point. Chanel directly asked Shawn if they had slept together. After taking a sip of his coffee, Shawn explained that he had brought Chanel home with him because she had refused to return to Paulina’s place.

Shawn had given Chanel water to try and sober her up, but otherwise, nothing had happened between them. Chanel apologized to Shawn for her behavior and stated that her wedding vows still meant something to her, even if they didn’t mean anything to Johnny. Shawn challenged Chanel on her assumption and told her how remorseful Johnny had seemed at the bachelor party. He also quietly reminded Chanel that she, too, had gotten drunk and almost made a mistake.

Shawn urged Chanel to focus on all of the good aspects of her relationship with Johnny. Then, she might be able to forgive him. Chanel appreciated Shawn’s input but she claimed she was equally angry at Johnny’s attempted cover-up of his actions. Shawn could empathize with Johnny and Chanel, as he had been both the cheater and the one being cheated on in his relationship with Belle. Chanel couldn’t see how she could make her marriage with Johnny work if Shawn and Belle had ultimately called it quits.

Shawn said that while his relationship with Belle was damaged beyond repair, if he had even a modicum of belief they could have made it work, he would have tried. He compelled Chanel to do the same with Johnny.

At the DiMera mansion, Johnny sent a text to Chanel asking if she was okay. He was temporarily distracted from his worries when Kristen came into the room to pour herself a drink. Johnny expressed his relief that Rachel had been found. Kristen was relieved as well but wished Rachel felt more sorry for what she had done. When Johnny asked where Rachel had gone, Kristen said her “resourceful little girl” had found her way to Kristen’s old home in Aremid.

Kristen sat down with Johnny and explained how Rachel had discovered Aremid via the family scrapbook. The conversation prompted Kristen to reminisce about all of the dramatic occurrences that had unfolded at her old home, such as Peter and Jennifer’s wedding, Andre’s framing of John for murder, and the discovery that her presumed-dead mother had been alive. Kristen brought Johnny up to speed on her mother’s time as the Woman in White when she had worn a veil and was thought to be a ghost. Kristen’s mother had lost her memory after a fire but had eventually gotten it back. Unfortunately, she had been killed again a few months after her reunion with Kristen and Peter during a confrontation with Stefano.

At John and Marlena’s place, Brady tried once again to get in touch with Ava. He left another message informing her about Rachel. Marlena walked into the room and offered Brady a cup of coffee. She mentioned that Belle was sleeping in late after the bachelorette party.

Brady filled Marlena in on Rachel’s presumed motivations for running away. The ordeal had made him even more certain that Rachel needed therapy. Marlena gave him the number of a colleague who specialized in working with children.

Later, Brady stopped by the DiMera Mansion and announced that he wanted to take Rachel to a therapist’s appointment. Kristen insisted she wanted to go, too, but Brady didn’t think it was necessary. Kristen and he began arguing about Rachel’s care, and Kristen made a snarky comment about Ava. Brady said he hadn’t been able to contact Ava.

Kristen chided Brady about Ava “ghosting” him, but Johnny interrupted and asked Brady to play his message from Ava. After listening, Johnny agreed that the call had sounded “urgent.” As Rachel eavesdropped, Brady affirmed that if he didn’t hear from Ava soon, he would call the cops. After Johnny left, Kristen begrudgingly admitted that she hoped Ava was found soon, for Brady’s sake. “You almost sounded sincere,” Brady snarked. “And I almost was,” Kristen shot back with a smile.

At Paulina's place, Chanel returned home and found Johnny waiting for her. He explained that Paulina had taken pity on him because of his concern for Chanel and had let him inside. Chanel said that other than a hangover, she was fine. Johnny hesitantly inquired where Chanel had been. “I spent the night with Shawn Brady,” she replied.

Johnny assumed Chanel had slept with Shawn, but she clarified that she had only stayed the night at his place. She did admit that she had kissed Shawn but affirmed that Shawn had only tried to help her. Johnny said he should thank his cousin, and Chanel suggested that Johnny thanked Shawn for looking out for him, too. She told Johnny about the advice Shawn had given her. “I think he’s right,” she added.

In Aremid, the Woman in White answered a call on her old-fashioned phone from Rachel. The little girl said she had wanted to check on Ava. The woman assured Rachel that Ava was fine and enjoying a “lovely little breakfast.” A still-gagged Ava glared at the woman.

The Woman in White asked Rachel if her mother and father had “fallen into each other’s arms” after being reunited with their daughter. “Not even close,” Rachel deadpanned. The woman told Rachel not to worry, as they had “the biggest obstacle out of the way.” She returned Ava’s glare. Rachel cautioned the woman to watch out for “sneaky” Ava, and the woman encouraged Rachel to focus all her attention on reuniting her parents.

After the woman ended her call with Rachel, she approached Ava and removed her gag. The woman informed Ava that it would be no good to scream since no one ever came to the house except the Parrot Man. Ava asked why Rachel had come there, and the woman responded that Rachel had needed her help with Rachel’s parents. Ava wondered why the woman cared and asked, “Who the hell are you?” The woman referred to herself as someone who couldn’t bear to see a family separated.

Ava attempted to relate with the woman by opening up about her own experiences with Tripp. She said she’d been separated from her son for years and had tried to make up for lost time. The woman admitted that she’d had a similar experience. Ava said she wanted to be with Tripp when he got married, but the woman retorted that Ava shouldn’t have been “selfish” and come between Rachel’s parents. Ava defended that she’d tried to end things with Brady, but he had refused.

The woman was unmoved and responded that Ava should have disappeared – “as you are going to do now.” Ava was tired of playing nice with the “old crone” and switched tactics. She threatened that she could have the woman killed “with one phone call.” Then, Ava proclaimed, the woman would be “haunting these halls for real.” The woman smirked and said Ava reminded her of a man she used to know.

While the man in question used to make her “cower in fear,” the woman eventually stood up to him. Only then had she realized there was nothing to fear. Ava’s threats didn’t phase her. She also needled Ava about Brady not coming yet to save the day, despite Ava's apparent message to him. The woman tried to cajole Ava into eating, to no avail. She put the gag back on Ava and fielded another call from Rachel.

Rachel told the woman what Brady had said about Ava's message. She worried that they would soon be busted. The woman instructed Rachel to wait while she moved Ava into another room. Later, the woman bragged to Ava that Brady hadn’t heard Ava’s entire message. She had since taken care of the Brady problem.

Meanwhile, back at the mansion, Brady hugged Rachel, who wondered if her dad was still mad at her. Brady stressed that while he was happy to have Rachel back, he still didn’t approve of her actions. Rachel asked if they could spend the day at the zoo, and Kristen told her they were going to therapy instead. Brady was taken aback when Rachel mentioned that she could tell the therapist how much she hated Ava, as Kristen had promised. Kristen sent Rachel upstairs and pledged to Brady that she’d only told Rachel she could talk about her feelings freely and openly.

Brady received a text, purportedly from Ava. Kristen pressed him to reveal what the message said. Brady reported that Ava had gone to Hong Kong, where Tripp and Wendy were. Kristen wondered if Ava had been decent enough to leave for Rachel’s benefit. Brady remained silent, then admitted that Kristen’s assessment appeared to be right. “Oh, dear; Ava’s breaking up with you?” Kristen sarcastically asked.

When Brady confirmed the development, a victorious Rachel celebrated from the corridor. “Mission accomplished,” she said.

In her room at John and Marlena's place, Belle awoke with a headache and a hangover. As she rolled over, she muttered that she had never felt so bad. “I stand corrected,” she cracked when she saw EJ sleeping beside her. She tried to rouse him and eventually threw a pillow at him. He jerked up in the bed and seemed confused about his surroundings.

When EJ saw Belle, he groggily asked, “What the hell?” She responded with her own question: “How did this happen?” EJ said he remembered them arguing one moment and then “ripping each other’s clothes off” the next. Belle lamented that she didn’t know how she had let it happen again after she’d just told everyone at the bachelorette party that EJ was her “biggest regret.” EJ quirked a brow at her revelation.

Belle clarified that she had been playing a party game when she’d made the confession and also mentioned that EJ had been named by Gabi as well. EJ snarked that he didn’t recall any complaints from either of them at the time of said hook-ups. The duo bantered about who had initiated the most recent hook-up and accused each other of secretly wanting it to happen. Their argument ended with a passionate kiss as they fell back onto the bed.

Later, a breathless Belle and EJ separated. “Who’s to blame for Round Two?” EJ challenged. “You, obviously,” Belle snapped back. EJ claimed he “didn’t get” Belle’s response, as they were both single, consenting adults. Belle reminded him of Sami's wrath when she found out about their first hook-up. EJ remembered that Belle and he had joked about Sami’s “ballistic” behavior.

Belle reiterated that sleeping with EJ was a “huge mistake.” EJ said since Belle was so distraught, they should call the whole thing off and got up to leave. Belle ordered him to go…just as Marlena strolled into the room. Belle gasped and quickly covered herself while EJ gaped at Marlena. EJ began dressing as Marlena demanded to know what was happening. Belle sputtered that she had thought Marlena was at work and reminded her mother that she was a “grown woman.”

Marlena angrily chastised Belle for getting involved with “this immoral man” again. She reminded Belle of how much EJ had hurt their family and, most recently, Belle’s brother. Marlena let Belle know that if she intended to continue her dalliance with EJ, she would have to find another place to do it. “I won’t stand for it,” Marlena declared and stormed out.

After Marlena left, Belle dressed and made jokes to EJ about the “awkward” moment. EJ said at least there wouldn’t be a next time. “Not here, anyways,” he added. “Not anywhere,” Belle immediately supplied. EJ grinned in response.

Later, Belle and EJ went into the main room together…and saw Shawn – who had come to drop off photos for Marlena – at the door. Belle started to explain, but Shawn stopped her and said it was none of his business before walking away.

Marlena approached Belle and stated that while Belle’s personal life was not her business either, but who came into her home was. “You’re not welcome here,” she bluntly told EJ. He said he understood and left. Marlena gave Belle a disapproving look.

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