Loyalty and livers can be bought -- for the right price

Nikki, Victoria, and Sharon faced spending years behind bars, and Kyle's marriage threatened to be a prison of his own making, while Jack's heart was imprisoned by an unknown adversary. Will an alive J.T. return in time to free our ladies? Will Summer renege on her deal after Kyle "put a ring on it"? The verdict's in.

Phyllis, Phyllis, Phyllis. Her selfishness and self-preservation had to catch up with her one day, and finally...finally, Nick called her out on her all-things-Phyllis attitude. It would almost be unheard-of for Phyllis to actually believe that Nick would be perfectly fine with throwing his mother, his Guilty! Nikki, Victoria, and Sharon were found guilty of all charges and given steep sentences with no leniency for extenuating circumstances. In a way, it's a surprise, but in another way, it's not. Although Nikki hadn't meant to kill J.T., the continuous cover-up by the four ladies made them look guilty as sin -- of more than just an involuntary manslaughter. They threw the chance to claim self-defense out the window once Phyllis convinced them to bury the body themselves. Yet Phyllis got off scot-free, while the future of Nikki, Victoria, and Sharon appeared to be dark and gloomy behind bars -- unless, of course, J.T. wasn't really dead.

As Michael had pointed out, since there was no body, there was no crime, and there couldn't be a body if J.T. was still alive. Billy really was off base with Michael when he ranted that Nikki and Victoria's attorney hadn't done his job. I mean, the two women hadn't been honest with Michael from the start, and he had constantly been blindsided with the truth during the entire trial. The poor lawyer's hands had been completely tied. As the judge pointed out during sentencing, the ladies had come off appearing arrogant and callous about taking a life by thinking they could outsmart law enforcement. (Which, in Rey's case, had been very easy for them to do.) They must have appeared ruthless to the jury when it was revealed that they had kidnapped Tessa. Yes, Nikki, Victoria, and Sharon sabotaged their own case, and only a living J.T. could free them at this point.

After all, Nikki couldn't have committed the crime of murder if there was no dead body. And since we all know that Thad Luckinbill is returning, the only hope for our ladies is that J.T. will arrive in Genoa City, breathing and very much alive. It would be no shock to learn that he was the intruder who had burned down the stables, messed with Victor's security system, and set up cameras to spy on them, since J.T. had both the experience and the know-how to arrange that. It would be the ultimate revenge for J.T. to get back at Victor and Victoria by sending his ex-father-in-law's family to prison for many years for something they didn't even do. Victor may have truly underestimated him if J.T.'s been one step ahead of him this entire time.

And Victoria was right. J.T. was probably laughing his head off, believing he had succeeded in making Victoria and Nikki pay with years of their lives. So what if Sharon was collateral damage? I doubt J.T. would have any sleepless moments about that, given the little respect he showed to women, anyway. Of course, the ones who will pay most are Victoria and Sharon's children, but why should he care about them? J.T. never really gave Reed too much of a thought when he was mentally abusing Reed's mother. Plus, J.T. could correctly point out that the troubled trio had never seemed too concerned about Reed not knowing about his father's supposed fate.

I sure hope Victoria's right, also, about Phyllis getting what she deserves. Phyllis can backstab and lie to her heart's content, and still, she always comes out smelling like a rose -- only she's one rose with some heavy-duty thorns. It's got to be killing Phyllis, though, that her act of betrayal has actually helped Victoria lean more on Billy. And because of Phyllis, Sharon and Nick are close again, which took some doing. See, Phyllis has done some good, after all. Gee, she should feel so proud.

Nick's support of the three main women in his life was so sweet, and Billy's words for Victoria showed his love and his pride in her. I was a little confused by Jack as a character witness for Nikki but not for his ex-wife Sharon; however, I get it that they each had one witness to speak, plus they all had Nick's declaration. Mariah said the nicest things about her mother -- that Sharon had fixed the damaged and broken girl that she once was. It was truly tear-jerking. The judge's heart must be made of stone, since nothing any of them said mattered one bit.

Talk may be cheap, but the price of Summer's liver skyrocketed into a marriage with Kyle, which, in Summer's mind, would lead to an eternity of bliss between the two of them. For some crazy reason, Summer believed Kyle's love for Lola would suddenly disappear after Summer made the ultimate sacrifice to save Lola's life. How could Summer not see that Kyle would do anything, even give up his own happiness, to ensure that his beloved would have a long and healthy life? Of course, Kyle acted like a man in love with Summer in the public eye. What else could he do when Summer literally held Lola's life in her hands?

Kyle was still hoping for another match for Lola shortly before the wedding. Summer's "best version of myself possible" would have let Kyle off the hook. I mean, it's probably never a good thing when the bride has to call and leave a message threatening her groom to show up at the altar. I give Kyle credit for trying to be sincere and for promising to stay by Summer's side throughout the surgery. But marriage and life only get tougher after the "I do's" are said, so it seems that Summer and Kyle can only go downhill from there. Shoot, the honeymoon phase can't even have time to wear off if there is no honeymoon phase to begin with. Oh, yes, Summer was definitely a wrecking ball, but she looked beautiful on her wedding day. She had that going for her.

Summer only proved that her selfishness really was mind-boggling by insisting that Kyle marry her before the surgery, so he could be at her side as her husband. Hey, I could see that coming a mile away. But who's to say that Summer will fulfill her end of her deal with Kyle once he signs on the dotted line of their marriage license. She's been so skittish about the surgery all along, and vanity will surely play a part in her not wanting to be cut open, especially if it helps her nemesis. Even Kyle has already questioned if Summer will back out, but she didn't want to lose her hold over him. Once Summer decided that she wanted Kyle, she was going to get him, no matter how high the price.

If Summer really sticks to her deal with Kyle and donates part of her liver to Lola, she should be worried about forever playing second fiddle to the feisty young chef who stole Kyle's heart. So, Lola would have Summer's liver and Kyle's heart. It's almost like a game of Operation, only Lola would be the one left with a "broken heart," especially if she ever caught wind of Kyle's deal with Summer. And Kyle would feel as if his "funny bone" had been removed, because being apart from Lola would be no laughing matter for him. Of course, he could risk getting "writer's cramp" by penning his feelings for the lovely lady in a secret journal. I tell you, removing that pesky pencil from that little Operation was the most difficult part of the game.

Under normal circumstances, once Kyle placed the ring on Summer's finger, she would get bored and would be ready to move on to another challenge in lickety-split time. However, Summer will soon realize that the ties and legalities of marriage won't ensure that she will have Kyle as hers forever. Kyle will still be "passionately devoted" to Lola and will have goo-goo eyes for her anytime she is nearby. Summer will surely notice. Summer likes to win, and she will have to see that she is still not the champion, which will keep her flames of desire burning hot for Kyle.

Summer was the same way when it came to Billy. She loves the chase, and her favorite target always seems to be the very thing she can't have. Billy was her mother's boyfriend, which made him extremely desirable in Summer's eyes. The more he ran from her, the more she chased him. Summer would probably pursue Billy again if he showed her even the slightest interest. But because she figured he's a lost cause, she went after Kyle, but only after Kyle had a new lady in his life. Summer didn't give a holy ding-dong about Kyle until he had a new love, and then it was game on.

But ironically, Kyle's love for Lola will keep Summer glued to his side. Summer is just like her mother. They both want what they want, and, by golly, no one will stop them from getting it. Oh, yeah, like mother, like daughter. So, unless Nick can convince Summer not to go through with it, Kyle seemed to be doomed to a loveless marriage. Okay, sure, Summer's strategy could work and maybe she could win his heart away from Lola. But if that happened, more than likely, their future as a couple would be over because Summer would then need a new game to play along with a brand-new partner. The "wish bone" in her operation to have Kyle's love would then be broken.

When Lola woke from unconsciousness, Kyle was by her side. She must have felt his presence and his love flowing in the room. It was terribly convenient for Mia that Lola didn't remember the attack, but Lola never saw who had pushed her, anyway. But it's possible that Lola may remember something that points to Mia as the culprit, such as a scent or fragrance she would normally wear. (We know that aroma couldn't be from Jack of Hearts.) But Kyle should have filled Lola in about his marriage before he got hitched. She is going to be so devasted once she learns, but it will be far worse to hear it from someone else.

Poor Lola may soon find that she no longer has a boyfriend or a new career on the horizon after Devon told Abby, in so many words, that they could not afford to put their restaurant on hold. Actually, those were pretty darned close to the words he used. But I can't blame Devon, since he was thinking in terms of business. Nobody has any idea how long it will take Lola to recover. However, Abby will drag her feet to find a new chef, you can be sure, hoping to give Lola enough time for her recovery. While Devon was being led by his head, Abby was following her heart. Hey, maybe they should join Kyle and Summer in their game of Operation.

Kerry was another woman who showed that she could be bought if the price was right, or so it appeared, anyway. But in reality, she was playing both Jack and Phyllis against each other, even if they didn't know it. Because, somehow, that put the two of them exactly where Kerry -- and a mystery person -- wanted them. Hmmm...let's see. Who in Genoa City could possibly have something against both Jack and Phyllis, enough to make sure they had the potential to lose everything? It's such an enigma. Could Kerry's partner in crime be someone we all know and love to hate (or hate to love, whichever applies), and who walks around with a continuous smirk under his signature mustache?

That sounds like something Victor would do, doesn't it? Pitting Kerry against Jack and Phyllis to get the upper hand over the Abbotts and Jabot? I have to admit that Kerry's been pretty darned sneaky to first get Jack to fall in love with her and also to have Phyllis believe that Kerry is her true friend and confidante. If Victor was the one calling the shots, Kerry learned well from the master. How clever of Kerry to use the fragrance Jack of Hearts to target Jack's heart.

But wait...Ashley's another one who would have a vendetta against her brother and the current CEO of Jabot -- and I read that Eileen Davidson is on her way back, also. Since Kerry believes in woman power, the two of them could very well be thick as thieves. Ashley would love nothing better than to have the woman Jack loves betray him, since she still felt betrayed by him. "The Jabot war has begun." Yep, the mystery person must be Ashley.

Rey is becoming more and more sickening all the time. The garbage he spewed to Arturo had Mia being at fault for Rey's continuous pursuit of Sharon, even though he was a married man. Rey justified his inappropriate feelings for Sharon by practically saying that Mia had made him do it. Honestly, Rey's not the white knight rescuing the damsel in distress that he seems to think he is. But his claims just seem to be typical of Rey, so they were no surprise. In fact, the only shocking thing was when he deduced that Summer had to be Lola's donor, since Kyle would be marrying the person who could save the woman he loved. Really, I didn't think Rey had it in him to figure that out.

Tessa was arrested for extortion, and it was Mariah to the rescue. Mariah must enjoy the misery of Tessa's wrong choices, but I have to feel for her, anyway. Mariah's comment about pulling the tag off a mattress just so she could be with her loved ones in jail was pretty funny, even if it was sad.

Wow, the real mystery is how Ana could have a squeaky-clean credit report yet always be strapped for cash, because she was always flying through her money. Please, Ana, fill us in on your secret.

Victor asked Summer, "Now, is Kyle the kind of man who will make a sacrifice for the woman he loves?" Oh, Victor, if you only knew just how far Kyle would go to make the ultimate sacrifice.

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