Confusion, illusion, and delusion

Chloe's delusions gave her a false sense of security, thinking she could live a normal life as Kevin's wife. Will Chloe's Adam bombshell cause Chelsea's entire world to explode into a million pieces, as the cabin did? Confusion over Chloe's return lurks in Two Scoops.

I am so confused! So, Chloe was brought back to Genoa City just to kill Adam? Seriously, anybody could have done that. It's not like Adam didn't have his share of enemies who would have had great pleasure in taking his life. That's why this is so perplexing. Why paint a vivid, colorful, and complex character like Chloe into a corner that could have no other consequences than to eventually lead to her exit? Where could the writers take her after she killed Adam? I have never been silent about not being a Chloe fan, but even I was waiting for her to be redeemed. I thought maybe we would hear about some Adam sightings or learn that some other nasty thug had blown up Adam's life -- literally. But that's not to be, so we eventually must say farewell to Bella's mother again.

The only upside I can see to letting an actor go from a soap is that, hopefully, the fans may finally get a resolution to a storyline that had been put on the back burner for months. And months. And that's if we are lucky, because sometimes, as we all know very well, there is never a conclusion to a story. It just vanishes into thin air, never to be seen again. However, it appears that Chloe's Adam bombshell will, in fact, see the light of day, when her explosive hit on her BFF's husband finally bombs with Chelsea. And you know it will.

How could Chelsea ever forgive her supposed best friend for taking away the love of Chelsea's life and her son's father? She couldn't, but Chloe apparently didn't think that far ahead. Or she didn't care. Or both. Since Chloe's so self-centered, she probably couldn't see what would have been plain on the nose of anyone else's face. Chelsea was in love with Adam and could never forgive anyone who took him away from her and her family. Chloe, as usual, only thought about Chloe and Chloe's wants and needs, which didn't include any feelings Chelsea had for Adam.

But why did it take so long for Nick to start figuring it out? It was almost like turning on a faucet. Drip, drip, drip, until it was decided that Elizabeth Hendrickson and Y&R would part ways, and then the flow came gushing out. All of a sudden, out of the blue, Nick began questioning the night Adam died and almost immediately concluded that Chloe had something to do with it. Chelsea instantly remembered about the hidden passageway to get out of her apartment, which Chloe had known about.

I guess Nick and Chelsea needed six months to clear their heads so they could start putting two and two together. The pieces of this jigsaw puzzle were starting to fly into place. Chloe was the only one who could have put the GPS tracking device into Dino, the stuffed dinosaur. And look how quickly Chloe copped to doing it. Her speedy admittance almost made Chelsea's head spin.

So, right after Adam's death, Chloe had no problems sleeping like a baby, but six months later, she was plagued by endless nightmares of the explosion? I doubt if Chloe has felt guilty about anything else she has done in her life except for letting Billy take charge of Delia the night her darling daughter died, but that would be more about blaming Billy than holding herself responsible. Why the guilt trip now, when Chloe finally has everything she wants? She wheedled her way back into Chelsea's life and got her forgiveness. Check. She then had to eliminate Adam so she could hang onto her dear, dear friend. Check. She seduced Kevin, so he would be back under her spell and therefore, wouldn't do any more research into Bella's paternity. Check. Kevin even proposed to her, which she accepted, just to try to chase away the nightmares, so she could have the illusion of a normal life. A huge check. But what's normal for Chloe is totally abnormal for anyone else. She just can't see that.

If Chloe truly loved Kevin, she would let him -- no, encourage him to go as far and fast from her as possible. But she has never loved Kevin with the same kind of intensity that he loves her, yet Kevin has always known that deep down. He was willing to take any crumb she was willing to throw his way, just as long as she kept him in her life. It's so pathetic, and Kevin's so much better than that. Chloe's like a noose around his neck. One jerk of the rope, and he could be left hanging, high and dry, again. But Chloe would only care that he would be of no use to her anymore. All Kevin has been to her is a steady rock she could always count on to support her. But without Kevin as her anchor, Chloe sails away at breakneck speed. If only Kevin could have cut the ties that bound him to her.

But somehow, Chloe deluded herself into believing that Kevin would be her savior again, and she promised Gloria she would never hurt Kevin again. I had to laugh when Gloria asked if she was supposed to just take Chloe's word for it. Hey, it's about time someone was questioning Chloe and her motives. It's just bizarre that the voice of reason ended up being Gloria. Shoot, Esther and Chloe were trying to rush "Prince Charming" to the altar of their fairy tale wedding, while Gloria was desperately trying to stop it. Kevin needs to see Chloe the way she really is, not his vision of her, because his view just doesn't exist. It never has. Kevin's prince has been walking around with rose-colored glasses on, and there's no optometrist in the land who can correct his distorted eyesight.

It's funny when you think about it. Almost nobody was willing to give Sharon a chance, even after she saw a psychiatrist and went on medication for a diagnosed mental disorder. Yet every person in town fell for Chloe's fish tale -- hook, line, and sinker -- that she was all better, no more issues, no more craziness. Chloe didn't seem to be continuing with any kind of therapy nor was she subscribed any kind of medication to help her with her past irrational behavior. Chloe appeared to have had a miracle cure that chased all her blues away. She was completely fine. Everything was hunky-dory. And not one single person questioned it. Weird.

So now, will the paternity of Bella get a satisfactory resolution before Chloe is off the G.C. map? Is Bella really Billy's daughter? Again, my confusion over Chloe's delusion of producing a Delia 2.0 grows if the story is dropped flat as a blueberry pancake. The writers had a terrific tale in their hip pocket with two somewhat damaged characters having another go-around with an adored daughter. But the story got lost in the lint,once Chloe became a cold-blooded murderer. What a waste! The viewers could have watched a different kind of tug-of-war between Billy and Chloe for Bella's affection. Without a resolution to this, I wonder what will happen with Bella, once the truth about Adam's death comes out.

Anyway, Nick was ready to check into Chloe's cell phone records to see if an app existed for the GPS tracking device. Why didn't he do that ages ago? Now we have to zip through the findings, rather than having the story build up to a satisfying conclusion. And in the meantime, Chloe was going through her bag of tricks -- I mean, weapons -- that she had hidden under her bed. After all, no one would think to look for them there in a "party shoes" box under the bed. That's not the least bit suspicious.

And Nick was pinging closer and closer to catch Chloe in her murderous lie, which had Chelsea shaking in her shoes. You can't blame Chelsea for being frightened. How will she feel finding out that her best friend killed her husband, all for Chelsea's protection? She would have to wonder what kind of sense she had to have picked a friend as unbalanced as Chloe. Chelsea may not be able to trust her own judgement ever again. When others try to keep their loved ones safe, Chelsea would almost feel like she had put Chloe in her universe, which had caused Adam to be like a lamb led to the slaughter. With Chloe toting her tranquilizer dart gun, Adam never really had a chance.

Nick suspected that Chelsea had probably turned a blind eye to what was right in front of her face, and Chelsea still appeared to want to keep the blinders on. She begged and pleaded with Nick to just let it all go. But how could Chelsea, when it looked like Chloe was the person who had killed her beloved husband? Ignoring the truth won't make it just go away. Hurray for Nick! He refused to drop the whole thing and even went so far as to put a GPS tracker in Chloe's vehicle. I loved it when he found the weapons bag Chloe had put in the Dumpster. Since the police report stated that the explosion at the cabin was from a propane tank, it wouldn't be too difficult for Nick to know how a large wrench could have contributed to that.

Chloe had some nerve -- even when she felt trapped and was trying desperately to find a way out. Or maybe it was because of it. After Chloe lied her way out of her supposedly best friend's accusations, Chelsea asked for Chloe's forgiveness. Chloe could have just said, "Oh, there's nothing to forgive," which actually would have been the truth. But since Chloe honestly doesn't know honesty, she simply said, "Always." Like Chelsea always has something to be forgiven for. I actually can't wait for Chelsea to find out the truth about her dear so-called friend. I even laughed when Chelsea claimed that Chloe was the best friend she has ever had. If Chloe's her best friend, that can't say a lot about Chelsea's other friends.

But Chloe was determined for her wedding to happen sooner rather than later and even got down on one knee to propose to marry Kevin "tomorrow." She must have really felt the walls closing in on her, although I don't really see how a quickie ceremony will postpone the inevitable. Being a married woman may paint Chloe as respectable, but those splotches will never dry. She killed a man in cold blood. Being a newlywed (again) won't erase what she's done. But Kevin was ready to look forward -- not back -- to the future. That's too bad. It would have been neat if Michael J. Fox or Christopher Lloyd were to pop in as unexpected plus ones.

Nick was seeing Chloe's true colors more and more when he turned to his ex-wife for advice. Wow, who would have thought that would ever happen again? At one time, Sharon's advice was worth less than a phony three-dollar bill. Nick just couldn't get past Chloe's earlier remark to Scott that she had gotten back control of her life six months prior. Killing Adam would have been the obvious way to do that. After Sharon told Nick that Paul could be the key, Nick requested that the police commissioner reopen the case. You know, Nick, a little incentive for Paul to do that could be to show him Chloe's bag you retrieved from the Dumpster.

Victor is another one who has always seen Chloe for the person she really is; however, he has never bothered to let anyone else in on his little secret. Okay, I'm confused again. Victor knew how much Chloe hated Adam, which was why he enlisted her help to get even with his son. So, why has he never suspected that Chloe might have murdered Adam? Victor knows she's "a monster" and admitted the sight of Chloe gave him "a queasy feeling in the pit of his stomach." You would think the Mustache would have called on his private goons and bloodhounds, with trumpets blaring, to find out the truth about what happened to his beloved son. Come on, even Victor believed Chloe was delusional in thinking she could have a happily ever after with Kevin. Our dear Vic may not want to tangle with this mentally unstable vixen.

At work, Victor was caught in the middle between his two loving daughters during a meeting, and his focus seemed to be entirely on Victoria. Hmmm...maybe Victor is finally emerging from hibernation. He almost seemed to be pitting Abby against Victoria, all within the bat of an eye. It just comes so naturally for Victor. He doesn't even have to make an effort. His daughters know their father very well and can see when he is favoring one over the other. Sadly, Abby may have hit the nail on the head when she pointed out to her mother that Victor may harbor some resentment over his youngest daughter because she was half Abbott. Victor may love her Newman side but could still detest the Abbott blood coursing through her veins. He may have unintentionally hammered that truth deep into Abby's heart. I wonder if Victor will include that little tidbit in his memoirs.

I guess I always looked at the advantages of being both an Abbott and a Newman, so I was surprised to hear Abby tell Scott during the interview that she had always felt like an outsider who had never felt accepted by either side. How sad and lonely. It could explain why she always feels like she in competition with Victoria for her father's attention though. Ironically, the best advice was given to her by her father -- "follow your gut." Abby just needs to be herself and let her loved ones accept her for who she is. She can't be anyone else.

Victoria was quick to accept Tessa as a good and upstanding person who only wanted to help Reed. Gosh, you would think Reed's mother would want to know more -- much more -- about Tessa, especially in this day and age, when technology makes it easier for one to check a person's background. So, since Tessa's a young female, that makes her okay? That logic seems a little flawed. Reed is "some rich kid" with "family connections off the charts." That's what makes him all the more vulnerable. Reed would be an excellent road to take to get to the Newmans.

I knew it! I knew Juliet was going to hold a one-night stand claim over Cane's head in order to get what she wants. How did Cane not see that coming? Juliet's been as subtle as a freight train. It's possible that nothing really happened, but how is Cane supposed to know that, considering how blitzed he was that night? Men tend to have a problem performing in the sack when they are very drunk. But poor Lily will eventually hear that her amazing husband cheated on her and did the dirty deed with Juliet. It reminds me of when Chloe accused Cane of the exact same thing, which had never been true. Hopefully, there won't be a baby at stake this time.

Luckily for Cane, Victoria didn't hire Juliet as the manager in Japan, so Cane would no longer have to deal with her. Oops, but Victoria then decided Juliet would be a perfect fit for the marketing division right there in Genoa City. Oh, dear, what's the possible cheater going to do? What can he do? As much as Juliet kept insisting she loved Japan and wanted to live nowhere else, you know she will decide to stay in town, just to be a thorn in Cane's side. She will probably enjoy the sport of continuously dangling their "little secret" in front of his face.

It didn't take long for Hilary to move on with her new business and with a new fella. And Devon wasn't crying too many tears in his pillow over his loss, either, as he began dating Mariah. I know they are friends; I just hope Devon's main objective with the redhead isn't to find a way to stay in Hilary's zip code. As her co-host, Mariah will have up-to-date knowledge and information on Hilary's goings-on. Was Devon just keeping tabs on his ex-company -- and his ex-wife? Hilary loves playing games, so was she seeing Jordan just to make Devon jealous? I actually like Mariah and Devon together, as long as she doesn't end up looking like a fool. Mariah had enough of that with Kevin. But it's about time Devon saw how attractive Mariah is.

Devon and Mariah's first official date was sweet, and so was the kiss. Sharon had her reasons for being concerned about her daughter's love life, though, since that's not exactly Mariah's strong suit. Seriously, Mariah just went through pretty much the same thing with Kevin. Mariah and Kevin started out as friends, and then it seemed to escalate into something more, which was all a mirage. Once they both decided there wasn't even a spark between them, it secretly broke Mariah's heart, although she insisted on remaining Kevin's best friend and "gal pal." I can see where Sharon would be leery of her daughter being with a man who could hurt her again.

However, nobody ever has to worry about Hilary landing on her feet. Hilary tends to plow ahead and not think about the consequences of her actions. I have a funny feeling she is going to regret having Jordan take those nude pictures of her somewhere down the line. No matter how much the photographer insisted that the pictures were classy and artistic and for her eyes only, you know darn well that at least one of them will somehow appear online for all the world to see. But I'm not sure having that kind of publicity would necessarily hurt Hilary's on-screen image. After all, it's not like she's Miss America or some model figure that all the young girls would want to emulate. Of course, these days, the female youth might want to be just like Hilary's type of lady.

Scott saw Sharon as a bright, determined, and capable woman who, when she found herself overwhelmed, should find a nice, quiet spot where she could relax and unwind. Wow, that would be great advice for anyone, but really, who has the place -- or the time? Things seem to be heating up between them though, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out. Sharon and Scott might just make a cute couple, even with the age difference. Hey, if Ashley can "date" Ravi, I see no problem with these two. However, Sharon will definitely fill some chapters in Victor's book, no doubt about it.

It's pretty apparent that Jack and Ashley should both review Jabot's policy on in-office romances.

I couldn't help but notice that, after Mariah pointed out that even though Hilary had lost Devon, she had gained something way more valuable, which was GC Buzz, Hilary never disagreed.

When Chloe noted that everyone thought of her as "crazy, party of one," Kevin stressed that she was rational and balanced. Apparently, Kevin also suffers from delusions if he thinks those words describe Chloe.

"Heels-over-head, faceplant Mariah" remarked about her zero talent in singing to Tessa, "Yeah, when I look at sheet music, the notes jump off the page, because they're scared I'm gonna sing them." Ha, that makes me want to hear her sing, just out of curiosity. But I know that curiosity killed the cat. Fingernails on a chalkboard? Meow!

If there's really a truthful, no-holds-barred autobiography about Victor Newman, I'll be the first one to buy it.

I found it interesting that, at practically the same time Chelsea was telling Nick she was good at reading people, Nikki was insisting she was a good judge of character. Really? It seems they both have more misses than hits.

Abby's fond memory of Victor's little "princess" meeting the Queen of England at Buckingham Palace was so appropriate for the story of the "king" of the corporate world.

Until next time, please stay tuned.Teddi

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