Fear is temporary, regret is forever

There's a new guy in town, and he was hot on J.T.'s trail. Will Nikki, Victoria, Phyllis, and Sharon regret not revealing their secret about that fateful night to the special men in their lives? Will Lily regret not running to Australia as Cane had planned? It was all about the fear of the unknown in Two Scoops.

These days, quite a few of our lovely ladies seem to be regretting actions they did or did not recently take. While Lily felt remorse for being the one responsible for the death of Hilary and her unborn child, Nikki, Victoria, Phyllis, and Sharon were still being haunted. Only our fearless female foursome was no longer being visited by J.T.'s ghostly presence; they were tormented by the actions they had taken to cover up his demise. In fact, because they were constantly plagued by guilt and anxiety due to their actions, the ladies realized they would never be truly free.

Nikki almost envied that Lily had owned up to what she had done, because she didn't have to worry about constantly looking over her shoulder. While it was true that Lily was afraid of what the future held, she, at least, could try to move on once her fate was determined by the court. That was a luxury that Nikki, Victoria, Phyllis, and Sharon did not have. They regretted the actions they had taken that fateful night. Just as Lily would forever regret causing Hilary's death, the four women saw their cover-up was becoming a permanent thing that would follow them everywhere. But fear kept the ladies silent, even though revealing their secret would, in a sense, set them free.

However, the ladies' freedom from their secret and their guilt may come sooner than later, since there was a new guy in town. Rey was investigating the disappearance of J.T., just when the dust appeared to finally be settling. He had J.T.'s picture on a wall surrounded by pictures of six suspects -- Nick, Victoria, Nikki, Victor, Phyllis, and Sharon. If the four females knew, they would be shaking in their shoes about their secret not staying buried with J.T., because each one had something very valuable to lose.

Victoria was oh-so-proud of Reed and his accomplishments at school and with his music, but wouldn't Reed be upset upon learning that his grandmother had killed his father? Reed has been wondering why his dad hasn't reached out to him since that fateful night, so he would probably be stunned to discover that his mother has known all along that the reason J.T. never contacted Reed wasn't because he didn't want to; it was because he couldn't.

Lately, Victor had been showing Nikki extra special attention, which included massages. But wouldn't he be interested to find out that his wife knew that J.T. was no longer alive, especially since Victor has been putting so much time, effort, and money into trying to locate his former son-in-law? I can't think that Victor would be too happy to learn that Nikki covered up J.T.'s fate when Victor only wanted to exact his own personal revenge on J.T.

With trust issues already a huge issue between Phyllis and Billy, surely Billy wouldn't be amused to find out that Phyllis has been keeping such an important matter from him. And with her wedding day approaching, Sharon would not want Nick to learn of what really happened to J.T., especially since Nick just pretended to be J.T. to regain control of his life from his father. If Sharon were to disclose the truth before the wedding, there probably wouldn't be a wedding, so would she be willing to spill it all and risk losing her married life with Nick?

Even as the four women hoped and prayed that the truth of that night remained hidden, little did they know, there was actually another secret looming on the horizon, ready to torpedo Sharon and Nick's future together. Seriously, how did Nick ever believe his little one-night stand with Phyllis would never come out in the open? Even paying off Summer to keep her quiet won't stop this volcanic explosion from erupting, which is rather an appropriate description, since it was referring to Phyllis. But on the other hand, what choice did Nick have but to keep their horizontal tango in the sheets under wraps or lose the woman he loved? Really, Nick was in a no-win situation.

Sometimes it's the lie -- not the actual dirty deed -- that breaks a couple up, but in this case, Sharon probably would have dumped him if he had told her about his romp in the sack with his ex-wife. After all, Phyllis was the one who had caused Sharon so much grief by pursuing her husband when Cassie died. Learning about Nick's transgression with Phyllis would be like rubbing salt in an old wound. Nick pretty much has to lie and hope that it stays hidden forever to ensure he won't lose Sharon. But lies always have a habit of coming out. So, either way, Nick is sunk.

However, no one seemed to be too concerned about the damage Phyllis' secret could inflict on her relationship with Billy. But then again, Billy always forgave Phyllis for whatever she did in the end, anyway. Those two love the fire they each bring to their relationship, but that kind of intense heat can only combust and burn out in the long run. Summer was right when she said that Jack was a better fit for her mother, because Phyllis' loose cannon needed a stable influence to help keep her grounded. Yes, Mariah, Snowflake was actually right about something. Go figure.

Besides, Summer had a bet to win, and she was finally armed with the ammunition to do it when she and Kyle finally put two and two together and deduced that her father was the man who had slept with her mother. It's weird that Summer didn't care that breaking up Phyllis and Billy could really hurt her mother. Billy just seemed to be a challenge for Summer, and the more he played hard to get, the more Summer desired to have him. If she won, once the chase was over, would Summer still find Billy desirable? Yet Summer never pretended that theirs would be the greatest love story of all time. The pursuit must really be exciting for her.

Kyle also believed Summer would get bored with Billy if she were able to land him, so what was her reason for going after the one guy who should have been off limits? It's not because Summer has suffered the hard knocks of life. On the contrary, she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and has always had everything she ever wanted. So, why would she reveal her mother and father's night of whoopee, knowing that she would be blowing up both of her parents' love lives, just to win the trophy of a man who's always been a screw-up? Nick and Phyllis have always been totally devoted to their Supergirl, so it somewhat baffles the mind.

Phyllis and Nick were wondering the same thing, and Summer really only had a flimsy excuse. When she left town a year ago, Summer was a hot mess, so she had to take back control of her life. So, that's a good reason to totally wreck your parents' lives? Actually, I think Phyllis hit the nail on the head. Summer wanted Billy, and she didn't care whom she had to hurt to get him. She was still that spoiled little girl who was used to getting everything she wanted. Plus, Summer is turning out to be more like her mother than anyone thought, which should scare her dad. Summer decided she wanted Billy, so Billy was going to be hers, come hell or high water.

Nick was thoroughly disgusted with himself for having to play the Victor card to keep her quiet. And he was disappointed in Summer because she would seal her lips for money but not for him. Summer mentioned to Kyle that her father's payment was just the first monthly installment, but really? Would Nick keep paying her indefinitely to buy her silence? Victor wouldn't even do that, and he wouldn't have to. But at the pace Summer is going, Kyle should not be too worried about losing his classic car. Billy couldn't appear to be less interested, whenever Summer is around. Since she established a time limit, Summer had better get busy and find some way to get his attention.

And Billy again needs some sense knocked into him, before he completely destroys Jabot. I don't blame Lauren at all for contemplating to sever ties between Jabot and Fenmore's. Jaboutique would be in direct competition with Lauren's company, which was a breach of contract. Ashley's only regret was that she wasn't a blood Abbott, so she couldn't stop Billy from demolishing their father's business. It's nice to see Ashley, Kyle, and Jack on the same side for a change. I've never been much of a Kyle fan, but this version is growing on me. He's trying to mature and to do right for the company, so I give him credit for that.

Cane sure had a boneheaded idea of having Lily run away from the consequences of her actions, which also would not be setting a good example for their kids. Fear caused him to take such extreme and drastic measures, but Lily wouldn't let fear get the best of her. She was ready to own up to her actions and face her punishment. Hopefully, Lily won't regret not fleeing when she had the chance.

I sure feel for Lily, and I can't believe that Devon's grief would cause him to be so cruel to her. Deep down, he must know that his sister never meant for Hilary to die. Lily and Devon have always been close, and it's painful to watch him tear her apart anytime he is near her. If he were being rational, would Devon truly wish for Lily to get the maximum punishment of twenty years in prison for her unintentional act? Somehow, I doubt it. And hopefully, once he is more clear-minded, Devon will regret saying such harsh things to Lily for something she never meant to happen. They say that time heals all wounds, but in this case, probably not. Nothing or nobody will ever bring back Devon's two loves, and time will never completely heal his broken heart from his loss.

Sure, siblings don't always see eye to eye, but that doesn't mean they wish each other ill will. My brother, sisters, and I have all battled it out in the past, usually over trivial matters, but that's just the way it is, even in the best of families. But we still love each other, even if we don't always like each other. And that would be the same between Devon and Lily, I am sure. The love will eventually shine through for them. So, even if time can't mend the hole in his heart, Devon will still have a place in it for his sister.

And although Phyllis did, at one time, feel the same way as Devon does, she observed that Lily was punishing herself more than any legal system could. But I don't know. It's one thing to torment yourself in your own home, if Michael is able to get her a more lenient sentence of home confinement, but it's another to be in prison for years, remembering that you were the reason why two innocent people died. (Well, as innocent as Hilary could be, anyway.) It would almost be cruel and unusual punishment for someone who felt remorse and who was willing to pay for the consequences of her actions to constantly be alone with those thoughts, day after day, year after year, with few distractions. That really would seem unfair.

At Sharon's girls' night out of "cheap wine, tacky dresses, and a whole lot of delusional women," didn't Summer, Victoria, and Mariah look stunning in their bridesmaid gowns? Styles sure have changed since the last time I was a bridesmaid. It's nice to see that a bridesmaid's gown can possibly be worn again after the happy event and not just languish around in a closet, forever gathering dust.

It was interesting to compare Victor and Nick's philosophies regarding business. Nick wanted to run his business and not let his business run him, and he believed he could balance his life and his work. Victor's strategy for business was to "eat it, live it, sleep it, breathe it." Maybe that's why Victor was at odds with his family most days.

Isn't it a shame that music really can't cure all that ails you? Jazz sure was the perfect antidote for Neil during his romantic night with Ashley.

The one-year anniversary of Hurricane Harvey's devastation to my community will be on August 25th, and our town will be celebrating our survival in grand style with a Harvey Block Party. Although some people moved away and some businesses had no choice but to close, many stayed to rebuild and to flourish once again. Even after losing several historic buildings and with some businesses, including franchises such as Burger King and Popeye's, just now beginning to rebuild, our community forged a bond that will never be broken. Our recovery has taken time and tears, but our community has remained strong. Our real-life drama has proven we are the stuff soaps are made of.

Until next time, please stay tuned -- and keep on buzzing.Teddi

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