Opal went to Linden to visit Erica, but she ended up watching Sonja. Erica said that she needed to run some errands and being that Opal was already there, she asked if Opal could do some babysitting. After Erica left, Opal bumped into Esther and nearly passed out. Opal remembered Esther as the woman who had been hiding in the bushes a few nights prior. Jack arrived a short time later and asked to speak to Erica. Opal allowed Jack to wait until Miss Kane returned home from her errand.
Stuart dropped by the hospital to visit Hayley. He did his best to lift Hayley's spirits, but it is beginning to look like Hayley will remain in the dumps until Mateo is back in her life. Hayley claimed that she had blown her relationship with Mateo and that they'd never get bad together. The relationship was a lot like painting, said Stuart. He said that sometimes he paints with his eyes closed. Occasionally, the paintbrush goes in a different direction that his hand, but Stuart claimed that once he's done everything blends together. His advice to Hayley was to treat the relationship like painting and take things "one brush stroke, one color, one day at a time."
Jake dropped by the hospital to let his mother know that he was leaving town. Ruth saw the determination in her son's eyes, but needed to make sure that she had not pushed him into running away with Liza. She wished she could see the attraction that Jake has for the still Mrs. Chandler and warned him not to place all his hopes and dream on one woman. On his way out of Hayley's room, Stuart overheard Jake mention that he was "running away" with Liza. Stuart warned Jake that Adam can be a very dangerous man when he's crossed and wished him well in his pursuit of the woman he leaves.
Tanner hid Earl's body in the closet and allowed Mateo to enter the motel room. Mateo blasted Tanner's chicanery and lies, but blamed himself for allowing Tanner to have easy access to Hayley. Tanner insisted that he could get any girl he wanted and denied singling out Mateo's woman. When he suggested that Hayley was the one who came on to him, Mateo's blood began to boil. He grabbed Tanner by the throat and slowly strangled the life out of him. He said that Earl had phoned him and told him that Tanner is spinning tales. Now, Mateo wants to hear Tanner admit the truth that Hayley did not willing sleep with him. Tanner laughed in Mateo's face, saying that Hayley wanted him as much as he wanted her. Earl came around in the closet and let out a loud moan. Tanner quickly chalked up the moan to a couple in the next room so that Mateo would not become suspicious. Mateo said that Earl had told him that the emergency landing in West Virginia was staged. Mateo left the motel room to search out Earl and learn the whole truth once and for all. After Matt had left, Tanner went to the closet, opened the door, and again threatened Earl's life.
Mateo ended up at the hospital where he gently stroked Hayley's hair while she slept.
Adam burned a set of divorce papers presented by his wife. He said that he was not going to agree to her "half of WRCW's worth in cash" clause. He then presented her with a set of papers that said she would be given a divorce, but could not claim any of Adam's fortune.
Outside, Erica was about to ring the doorbell when Marian raced to the door and stopped her. She said that Adam and Liza were in the process of making some important decisions on their love life. Erica raised her voice as she told Marian to move out of the way. Adam overheard the ruckus and went to the front door to quiet the two women. Marian learned of the marital strife and went upstairs to help her daughter. Marian told Liza that she is not thinking rationally. She labeled Jake as a dull man who cannot provide Liza with any of the necessities of life. She told Liza that she cannot hide from the truth that Adam is the man for her and said that Liza never gave the marriage a chance.
Downstairs, Erica told Adam that she wants to take maternity leave for her duties at Enchantment. Adam denied the leave because Erica had not given birth to Sonja. From her past dealings with Adam, Erica sensed that Adam was in love with Liza. Before Erica continued, Adam told her that her request for maternity leave was granted and ordered her to leave. Adam also ordered Marian and Liza from the house.
Erica returned to Linden House, nearly drooling with her new gossip item about Adam loving Liza. Opal and Erica giggled uncontrollably as they mused about Adam and Liza's marriage. Jack entered the scene and asked if someone could fill him in on the joke. Opal returned to Cortlandt Manor so that Erica and Jack could speak privately. Jack urged Erica to end the lies and formally adopt Sonja. This means that they will present the birth mother with an affidavit and ask for her to sign away her rights to the baby.
Jake checked into the Sleepy Hollow Inn. He paced back and forth while he waited for Liza to show up.
Across the hall, Marian also checked into the Inn. She handed the young male bellhop a large tip and made sure that he knew she was a "Ms." and not a "Mrs."
Liza told Adam that she'd send for the rest of her belongings at a later time. Adam forked over the divorce papers and asked Liza to sign them. He told her that this is his final offer: No money, but freedom. Liza said she never knew what freedom meant until she met Jake. Adam began frenzied and told Liza to "take a look around, lady! This is your life." He meant that if Liza chooses Jake, she'll end up with none of the "finer" things. Liza was outraged that Adam would expect her to stay with him in a loveless marriage. Adam told her to take a chance on him. "Who are you?" Liza asked. Adam looked her in the eyes, his hair now mussed from his feverish behavior. "Don't you know?" he asked. "I'm you." Adam reached over and kissed Liza. After a few moments, Liza surrendered to the passion and began kissing him back!
Can you imagine the mess? A very cheerful Edmund told Maria told Sam had discovered mashed potatoes and subsequently flung spoonsfull of the fluffy white concoction around the dining room. Maria had some earth shattering news of her own. Her gynecological examination showed that her body had fully recovered from child birth and she was given the green light to resume her sex life. Edmund sighed in relief. He said that he wanted to be intimate with his wife for months, but said he backed off for fear that it would cause Maria or the unborn baby unnecessary stress. Maria, on the other hand, feared that Edmund had not been touching her because he was still angry at her for her affair with Dimitri. With all of those road blocks out of the way, the couple was set for a night of passionate love making.
Marian took every chance to toy with Jake over Liza's missing in action status. She even refused to leave Jake's room because she felt that he might need a shoulder to cry on. And as we know, Marian is always eager to lend any part of her body to a man in need! Jake could see no reason for Marian's claim that Liza decided to opt for a marriage to Adam rather than a life with him. After all, he said, Liza and Adam didn't really have a "marriage," they had a scam. Marian insisted that her daughter could never be satisfied with a life without riches and urged Jake to accept his role as Liza's "mister" (or whatever the male equivalent of mistress would be). She continued by saying that Liza could not live on an intern's salary in a dingy apartment even with all the love in the world. Jake shooed Marian from his room, but Marian's words of warning remained behind. Jake took to the phone and called Chandler Mansion to check on the whereabouts of his love.
Adam and Liza were too involved in passion to let a nuisance phone call end their fun. Adam left Liza's lips only for a second while he raced to the phone, ripped it from the wall, and tossed it across the bedroom! The two then headed for the bed and began a consummation of their marriage.
Jack's insistence that Erica legalize her adoption of Sonya meant little to Erica. She felt that a birth mother would never pop up out of the blue to reclaim her child. Two words: Kelsey Jefferson. Erica didn't like Jack's usage of Kelsey's name. She tried to change the subject by asking Jack to be the baby's godfather. Jack went along on the conversational detour, but quickly routed back to the topic at hand. Erica came clean with the truth behind her adoption of Sonya. Sonya's mother was involved with an abusive man. When the woman learned she was pregnant, she hid the pregnancy from her husband and left town. The woman knew that her baby would suffer the same abuse she had experienced at the hands of the baby's father and decided that adoption was the only way for the baby to survive. Now, Erica remained adamant that the baby would not be taken from her and given to an abusive man. Jack insisted that he cared about the infant, but said he could not change the law. Law be damned, replied Erica. She said that the law is not fair to children and vowed to do everything in her power to protect her daughter.
At The Valley Inn, Laura told Scott that she is afraid that telling Brooke of her rejection from PVU. And things were not about to get easier with the arrival of Pierce, Trevor, Brooke, and Jamie. Pierce broke the news that he had proposed to Brooke, saying that by "some miracle she said ‘yes'," and that the new family would be relocating. Pierce saw that Laura was less than jubilant after hearing the news and asked her why she was down in the dumps. Laura told everyone that she had been rejected by Pine Valley University and hinted that she had no back-up plans other than getting a job.
In the foyer, Jack bumped into Diana (the woman from the South American prison). He said that he would be willing to introduce her to Brooke and Pierce, but she refused. In a near state of panic, Diana took off.
The next morning, Maria and Edmund had breakfast at the Valley Inn. Erica was about to enter, but froze in her tracks when she saw the couple.
Jake told Marian that he was not going to give up on Liza even though she stood him up. He vowed to find her.
Adam arose earlier than Liza, but when he returned to the bedroom he was in for a big surprise. Liza had turned her head and caught sight of the clock. When she realized the time, she called out Jake's name. Adam looked on as his wife's thoughts drifted to another man.
Erica waited until Maria dashed off for work before approaching Edmund's table. She wanted to tell her co-author that Erica Kane Beyond the Pain was such a success that the printing company was going to begin a second printing on the book. There was only one minor glitch: The dedication. Erica said that she needs to change the dedication page so that her fans do not think that she appreciates Dimitri and Maria. Edmund refused to change his dedication to Maria and warned Erica that he will not make any changes to the body of the book either. The book is non-fiction and will not be changed to a work of fiction just because Erica and Dimitri are having personal differences. Edmund revealed a manila envelope from the Russian adoption agency and said he needed to deliver it to Dimitri. Erica chased after Edmund and plopped herself down at Dimitri's table. Erica asked Dimitri if he was trying to cause problems in her adoption of Sonya. Not quite, replied Dimitri. He said that Erica is not worth the trouble. Erica actually commented that she "hates" Dimitri and "cannot believe" that she loved him. But Erica was not convinced that Dimitri would not try to contact the adoption agency so she enlisted the help of her favorite District Attorney. When Jack learned of Erica's problems, he reminded her that he warned her that her adoption lies might be exposed. Erica refused to cooperate with him and went as far as to suggest that she go underground so no one would find out the truth behind her adoption. Frustrated by the fiasco, Jack said he would no longer assist Erica on the adoption and "washed his hands" clean of the matter.
Dimitri bumped into Maria on his way to a hospital board meeting. Maria said that she had learned of Dimitri's troubles in Monte Carlo and worried that his behavior is very uncharacteristic. When she suggested her speak to Dr. Tolan, Dimitri blew up. Gloria entered the scene and also asked Dimitri how he was doing. The question resulted in a tongue lashing from Dimitri who demanded that no one ask him "how he's doing." He quickly apologized for biting Gloria's head off and asked her if she'd like to join him for a cup of coffee. Gloria smiled wryly and said that she's not sure if she'd get into a car with Dimitri. After all, he might drive to some "exotic coffeeshop in Bora Bora!"
Pierce noticed that Brooke was disturbed and asked her if she is having second thoughts on their engagement. Brooke shook her head. Her less than happy attitude is from a manuscript she had been reading. Fearful that the topic of the story might bring back some painful memories for her lover, Brooke kept the manuscript a secret from Pierce. Pierce insisted that he'd be fine and asked if he could review the work. Pierce took the manuscript and returned home.
Brooke's receptionist, Alice, told her that a woman was there to see her about a manuscript she'd written. In walked Diana Martinez, the mystery woman who has been following Pierce around town. Brooke praised Diana for her captivating story and said that she'd love for the story to appear in Tempo in serial form. Diana wasn't sure if she wanted her story printed, but said she'd think about it. She asked for the return of her manuscript and when she learned that Brooke had given it to Pierce, Diana blew up. She composed herself and said that she didn't want someone else reading her work because she wasn't a very good writer. Brooke apologized, but again praised the woman's work. Brooke said she had been rooting for Bonita, the protagonist of the story. and her American lover. Alice again popped into Brooke's office. She wanted Brooke to know that Pierce was on his way upstairs. Diana got very nervous and decided that she had an appointment that she needed to attend. Before she left, Diana gave Brooke the second chapter to her story. Again, the woman said that she would be in contact with Brooke... rather than having someone call her. When Pierce got to the office, Diana had already disappeared. He commented that he loved the manuscript---even though it hit a little too close to home. Now all he wants to do is to meet the author.
Knowing that Pierce wouldn't be there, Diana returned to the art gallery. There, she learned that Pierce was going to be throwing a big bash to unveil some of his new artwork. Stuart invited the mystery woman to the gala, saying that it was open to the public. Diana nodded her head and said that she just might take Stuart up on his offer.
Liza had no way to explain her outburst to Adam. He warned her that their night in bed would not help her claim to any of his money because it would be her word against his. He tossed Liza the divorce papers and told her that if she signs them she'll be free to run to her lover. With tears flowing from her eyes, Liza signed the divorce papers.
Downstairs, Stuart was returning a book he had borrowed from his brother when he noticed some undergarments strewn across the floor. Stuart knew that something was going on and raced out of the mansion. On his way out, he bumped into Jake. Jake asked if Liza was inside the mansion, but Stuart repeatedly warned Jake that he didn't want to go inside. Jake didn't take the advice and knocked on the door. Adam answered the door and was, needless to say, not happy to see Jake on his doorstep. He allowed Jake inside and told him that Liza was upstairs---naked in his bed. Jake didn't believe Adam's claims and blasted Adam for trying to cause more problems. In a fit of anger, Adam stormed out of the house, upset with himself for allowing Liza to sign the divorce papers.
Liza heard a noise at her door and called out Adam's name. But the noise was not caused by Adam. Jake entered the room with a look of horror on his face. Tears still welled in Liza's eyes .
Things were really hopping at WRCW. Laura decided to take Scott up on his offer to interview for an intern position at the station. She wasn't sure that she was television station material. but Scott praised her up and down to provide some extra morale. Janet was to have spent the day with Laura, but a phone call from Trevor soon changed her plans. Janet apologized to Laura for needing to run over to the Dillon House, but Laura said that she understands and wished her well with Amanda.
Will The Cutting Edge have a new host? If Erica has her way she'll be back as the host of the television gab show. Adam was disappointed that the talk show dropped in the ratings. Tad insisted that the show was skidding because they had been airing repeat episodes lately. Erica touted her return to television as a way to boost sagging ratings. Erica wanted to discuss her return to TV with Adam, but Adam's mind was elsewhere. Erica offered to lend her ears to Adam so that he could talk about the troubles he is having with Liza, but Adam declined her offer. Adam caught sight of Laura out of the corner of his eyes and moved in for the kill. He asked her why she was hanging around the station. When she told him that she was applying for an intern position, Adam nearly bit the poor girl's head off! He told her that she is "not exactly WRCW material" because she does not have a 4.0 grade point average. Plus, he reminded her that she trashed WRCW for airing clips revealing Janet as Amanda's mother. Stuart dropped by the station to ask Adam how things were going with Liza. Adam didn't really feel like talking, but he did agree.
Tad asked Erica not to proceed with her plans to launch a mothering program at WRCW, saying there was only enough space for one talk show program. Erica took the comment as a waging of war. She smiled graciously as she told Tad that he had a battle on his hand and that only "the best show" would win. Laura was about to leave the station when Erica pulled her aside and told her not to let Adam intimidate her. She told Laura that her "spunk" is an asset and told her to stick around. Laura seize the opportunity to lobby for a job on Erica's show. Erica said she'd keep her in mind and wished her well.
In Adam's office, Stuart learned that Adam and Liza's marriage was over. Stuart said he was sorry to see his brother hurt. Adam, however, was tired of hearing people say they were sorry.
At the hospital, a local tabloid television crew barged into the hospital to press Dimitri for details on his personal life. They refused to listen to Dimitri's request that they leave. The reporter began asking pointed questions in hopes that Dimitri would explode. She commented that Dimitri and Gloria seemed awfully close and asked if there was romance in their future. Palmer emerged from an adjacent area and chimed in that Dimitri was ruining the hospital with his escapades. Gloria feared that her job at the hospital would be taken from her because of the incident and tried to convince Palmer that neither she nor Dimitri had anything to do with the TV crew's appearance. The reporters disappeared when hospital security showed up, but Palmer remained critical of Dimitri. He declared that Dimitri was a liability to the hospital and said his seat on the board will be up for vote. If the other members agree that Dimitri is not good for the hospital, his spot on the board will be taken away. Dimitri stormed off with Gloria in pursuit. Dimitri warned Gloria to keep her distance so that she would not be the target of tabloid reporters. Even Ruth asked Gloria to back off, but Gloria said that Dimitri needed her help and that she would be there for him. She chased Dimitri to the parking lot and got into his car. She was not going to let him drive off without him listening to what she had to say.
The first question out of Jake's mouth asked Liza why she was wearing Adam's robe. Liza put her hands to her face and wiped the tears from her eyes. She claimed that her bags were packed and she was on her way to the inn when "it" happened. Jake could hardly believe that Adam was telling him the truth--Liza and Adam did sleep together! So he wanted to know how much her roll in the hay with Adam would net her. After all, she had to get something from Adam, right? Not so, said Liza. She told Jake that she is free of Adam, but she will not see a penny of his money. "I care about you," sobbed Liza. "You can destroy me with this... but please don't leave me." Jake saw no other choice. He turned and walked away from the woman he had planned to sail away with.
Marian found Liza asleep in Adam's bed. She assumed Liza would be happy now that she had consummated her marriage. Marian was about to learn otherwise. Liza said she'd lost everything and that her marriage to Adam is now "null and void." Liza took the blame for the marriage's falling apart and apologized to her mother for not being able to get her hands on Adam's cash. Marian took her mind off the money and comforted her daughter. Liza asked her mother to pack her things so that they could leave. Marian agreed. A few minutes later, Liza took her bags and left Chandler Mansion.
Janet showed up at Trevor's place and learned that Amanda had a plan, a plan that required Janet's assistance. The girl's school was going to have a fair to raise money to repair the playground. For her part, Amanda wanted to have a stand at the fair where they could give manicures to the other girls. Of course Janet would be the Duchess of Nailpolish. Janet happily agreed to assist her daughter. Janet began braiding Amanda's hair as they talked about how quickly Amanda's black-and-blue eye had returned to normal. Getting her hair done reminded Amanda of Laurel. Amanda seemed uncomfortable referring to Laurel as her "mother," and then asked Janet if Laurel was really her mom. Janet's response? She said that Laurel loved her---just like her. Then Janet was the one who felt uneasy. She told Trevor that it was the first time she had told Amanda how she feels about her since the day she gave birth to the girl. Trevor had no problem with Janet's confession and said that Amanda had no problem with it either.
Janet called the school to get approval for the manicure booth. The woman in charge was confused by Janet's claiming to be "Amanda Dillon's mother." Janet clarified the situation by giving her full name. The woman on the other end of the phone became extremely nervous and said that she'd need to call Janet later to give her final approval. The woman hung up the phone and told someone else in the office about the latest developments. The other woman, Opal, said she would take out a restraining order if necessary to keep Janet away from the school's fair.
During her rounds, Maria stumbled upon Hayley having vivid nightmares. Her heart racing, Hayley said that she was having nightmares about Tanner. She indicated a strong desire to find out what happened on in cave. Maria suggested that Hayley consider hypnosis and even recommended the same hypnotherapist that had help Pierce break through with his visions of Central America. Hayley agreed to do anything that would help her end the mystery.
Mateo asked his sister if he could ask Hayley some questions about Earl. He told Maria that he learned Tanner had only come to town to make his life miserable and that the plane's emergency landing somehow figured into the plan of revenge. Maria advised Mateo to return later because Hayley was "confused" about what happened and that she needed some rest.
Hayley's hypnosis session didn't go according to Hayley's best laid plans. She begged the doctor to put her under, but the hypnosis had no effect. Hayley begged for him to do something that would make her recall what happened.
Mateo met with the owner of the plane Tanner had used to fly Hayley to Texas. The owner wanted nothing to do with Tanner. He said that the plane had been trashed---the radio was ripped from the dash and the fuel gauge had been tampered with. The indicator on the gas tank read "Empty," but the plane still had more than three quarters of a tank of fuel left. The wheels in Matt's mind cranked into full speed. When Matt asked about the bottle of sports drink that had been left in the plane, the man had no idea what Matt was talking about. The owner said that any type of alcoholic beverage would never be allowed in one of his aircrafts.
When Gloria left the car, Dimitri chased after her. He apologized for his rude behavior, but Gloria wasn't sure that Dimitri's apology was heartfelt. She told him that his volatile temper threatens to push him of the edge. Dimitri wasn't thrilled by Gloria's diagnosis and accused her of not being a friend. A real friend, he said, would get in the car and drive off with him. No way, said Gloria. She told him that he was too angry to go driving, but Dimitri sped off in his car anyway.
Erica, Esther, and Sonya went for an evening stroll in the park. Erica was slated for a Tempo interview and photo shoot. The camera people arrived and set up base for Erica's shoot, but the writer still hadn't shown. When Skye arrived, Erica was nearly tempted to call the whole session off. Skye begged Erica to give her a chance to prove herself by writing the article. They were friends once, she commented, and perhaps the article will make them close again. Erica reluctantly agreed to allow Skye to pen the article. The focus of the article would be Erica's "new life," her book, her baby, and career. Skye suggested that she'd start off the article by including quotes from the Russian adoption agency. Erica was summoned for more photos. In her absence, Skye began asking Esther questions: her name, how she met Erica, and what qualifications she had to babysit for the megastar's baby. Erica frantically dashed to rescue Esther from Skye's questions. Miss Kane nixed the interview. She said that Tempo can run the photos, but there will be no interview. Skye begged Erica to reconsider, but there was no changing Erica's mind.
Erica and crew left the scene, leaving Skye alone in the park. But she wasn't alone for long. Tanner popped out of the bushes with a new set of threats for Skye. He told her that she owes him and that he expects half a million dollars later in the evening or her paternity test swapping will be revealed. Skye said that she could not get her hands on such a large sum of money in only a few hours. She'd better, Tanner told her. He then pointed out that because of Skye's lies, Maria lost a baby in Willow Lake. Skye might as well, he said, have thrown the baby in the lake. Defeated, Skye agreed to give Tanner the money.
Skye headed to her financial advisor to withdraw the $500,000 from the bank. She was told that she could not take out more than ten thousand dollars at a time unless she had her father along. Edmund crept up behind and asked Skye if she was in trouble. Skye smiled her problems off, saying she needed money to buy a house and pay her day to day expenses.
Erica told Esther to drive home because she wanted to stroll through the park with her daughter. Esther agreed and went on her way. Erica encouraged the infant to take in deep breaths of the clean air and enjoy the fragrance from a nearby rose garden. As she crossed the street, a car burst out of the shadows and nearly mowed them down. In her attempt to get the baby carriage out of the way, Erica and Sonya were tossed to the ground.
Diana called Brooke to make an appointment to discuss Tempo's plans to publish her manuscript. When Pierce learned that the woman was going to be dropping by Tempo, he requested a meeting with her. After all, she might be able to lead him to his missing daughter. Brooke told Pierce that Diana is "hanging on by a thread" and she might go off the deep end by any outside pressure. She added that if publishing the manuscript will cause Diana any mental stress, she'll back off publishing the essay. As Pierce and Brooke kissed, Diana arrived on the scene and peered in on them through the office window.
After Pierce left, Diana entered the office and had a meeting with Brooke and Edmund. Since Pierce was not there to discuss the matter himself, Brooke asked Diana if she might know of any "Christina Vargas" from El Salvador. Diana said that the last name was quite common in Latin America and that she was not sure if she knew the woman. Brooke asked Diana where she was from, and was stunned by the response. Los Rios---the same place where Pierce was stationed.
Gloria returned inside and told Tad that she fears Dimitri is going to kill himself by driving like a "bat out of hell." At that exact moment, Erica raced into the emergency room with Sonya clutched tightly to her chest. She told Gloria that a maniac in a silver sportscar had nearly run them down. A look of horror found its way to Gloria's face; She knew that Dimitri was the driver of the car that nearly took the baby's life. Sonya was still breathing and needed to be examined by a staff neurologist. The neurologist on call was none other than Dr. Maria Santos-Grey.
