Dani is on the phone, she tells someone that she needs them at her house ASAP. Andre knocks then comes in telling her she looks just as beautiful during the day. He says the previous night was amazing.
At Le Faux, Hayley is gushing over the house. She wants to have a party to show it off, but no one will come. In her delusion, believes the worst is behind her. She reassures Bill that Dani and her family have already done their worst—there’s nothing more they can do to harm her and Bill. Oh, sweet summer child.
Meanwhile, Smitty comes home to find Martin sitting on the couch, flipping through his planner with an attitude. Smitty wants to know why Martin stormed off that morning, but Martin is in no mood to talk. Smitty tries to communicate, but Martin remains stubborn. Finally, Martin snaps, demanding to know when Smitty planned on letting him in on what he had been up to. He accuses Smitty of being inconsiderate, pointing out that if he truly cared, he would have told him about his plans to go back to work.
At the hospital, Ashley receives flowers as a thank-you for delivering a baby. Shortly after, Derek arrives with flowers of his own, just for her.
Over at Nicole’s office, Kat and Ted bicker over his outfit choice for the gala honoring Nicole. Kat insists he wear the black suit and make his ladies proud. Meanwhile, Eva, eavesdrops, seethes with jealousy as she listens in. Unable to contain herself, she interrupts them.
Ted, ever the gentleman, asks Eva if she has met his daughter. Kat, without missing a beat, lies and says they are practically BFFs.
Andre tries to get romantic with Dani, but she shuts him down, telling him it can never happen again. He smirks, repeating, "You mean ‘again, again.’" She insists that she’s serious. Still, they talk about her new image—how she’s gained a little fame for being a badass at the wedding. Before leaving, he gives her a hug and a kiss. She warns him to go because her daughter is coming over. Not even a second later, Chelsea rushes in.
Meanwhile, Hayley and Bill sit down for a drink. Bill suggests that she quit her job—she doesn’t need it. There’s plenty for her to do as Mrs. Bill Hamilton. Hayley teases, asking if he wouldn’t miss seeing her at work every day. But she stands firm—she’s keeping her job. Ever the charmer, Bill hands her a credit card with no limit.
Derek waits for Ashley to clock out at the hospital, but she’s swamped. She mentions that she feels guilty that Andre hasn’t received any gifts. Clearly irritated, he refers to Andre as "the photographer," his jealousy showing. Shanice steps in, asking Ashley to stick around because an influx of patients is coming in.
Dani and Chelsea sit down for a talk. Dani shows her a page someone created about her, but while Chelsea finds it creepy, Dani doesn’t seem bothered. Instead, she’s redirecting her focus to Chelsea and her career, which makes Chelsea visibly uncomfortable.
Meanwhile, Ted and Nicole go over their plans for the gala. As they share a kiss, Eva watches from a distance, her expression twisted with disgust.
Over at the house, Martin snaps at Smitty, who is busy working on an article. Sarcastically, Martin asks if he’s working on his resume. Smitty clarifies that he’s actually writing an article for Martin. But Martin isn’t interested—he bluntly tells Smitty that he doesn’t like it, and that’s the end of the discussion.
But this time, Smitty doesn’t back down. He stands up for himself and then walks out. At the station, Naomi arrives and watches Jacob as he helps someone struggling with addiction. She approaches him with a cup of coffee, sensing something wrong. Without hesitation, she tells him to start talking. Jacob finally admits what’s been weighing on him—how he feels about what happened at the wedding.
Meanwhile, Hayley is online shopping for jewelry when she sees a picture of Dani. Frustration flashes across her face just as she gets a notification that someone is at the front door; it is Dani.
Kat FaceTime’s Chelsea, who is getting ready for a date. Kat, frustrated, needs to vent about her mom and goes off about Eva. Chelsea’s expression says it all, and Kat immediately calls her out for thinking she’s being a snob. They joke back and forth, teasing each other.
After her call with Chelsea, Kat overhears Eva and Ashley talking. As Eva walks away, Kat follows, and her suspicion grows.
At the station, Naomi reassures Jacob, telling him she hates that he feels guilty. He did what he did for her, and besides, the family drama is finally over.
Meanwhile, Chelsea is on her date with a tech guy who’s completely down on himself. He calls himself boring—which, unfortunately, he is. He tells her he’s too ordinary to be with her. His vibes are completely off.
Back at Hayley’s, Dani faces her. She immediately reassures her that she’s unarmed. Hayley, unfazed, replies that Dani doesn’t need a weapon to be dangerous. She warns Dani that Bill is right upstairs, to which Dani scoffs, “Daddy to the rescue.”
Dani doesn’t hold back. She lays out just how much Hayley’s betrayal hurt. They had thought of her as family—as a daughter. And yet, through it all, Hayley never let on. She never distanced herself, never pulled away. Instead, she sat at her table, smiled at her, hugged her—all while sleeping with her husband. Dani tells her that what she did to her was bad enough, but what she did to Naomi was even worse. She became her stepmother. Then, Dani hits her with the question that lingers in the air—“Are you ashamed yet?” Because she should be.
Hayley insists she asked Bill to back off because she never wanted to hurt them. Dani, unimpressed, tells her to spare her the crocodile tears. Dani acknowledges Hayley’s words but clarifies that she will be sorry. Fairytales never tell you what happens after the ring is on your finger. Dani says she is moving on from her and Bill, keeping her distance. That’s the best offer Hayley will get—she should take it. Dani leaves.
Just then, Bill comes downstairs saying that he had to be imagining things. Hayley tells him that he wasn’t. She tells him Dani was there and that she had just extended an olive branch in her own way. But Bill isn’t buying it—he warns her not to trust Dani.
At Uptown, Jacob and Naomi meet Ashley and her dull husband, just as Chelsea is still enduring her date. As they talk about Ashley delivering a baby, Andre happens by. They invite him to join them.
Meanwhile, at home, Martin is about to head out to look for Smitty—only for Smitty to walk in before he can leave. Martin immediately reaches for his hand, apologizing for being insensitive. He tells him that he knows he loves him.
Smitty, however, isn’t sure. He admits that Martin sees a stay-at-home parent as the best optics for his career. They have to be extraordinarily ordinary.
But Smitty is done with that. He tells Martin that everything is about his needs and his goals—and that is no longer good enough for him. Martin asks what happens when he stumbles across a good story. Smitty tells him that he needs this. Martin asks what about his needs. He tells him that he will stick to the role that he promised. He doesn’t budge, and Smitty reluctantly relents.
Bill says he will do anything for Hayley, even giving peace with Dani a chance. At The Uptown, they tell the story of the delivery again, and I am over it. Eva is back to snoop in Nicole’s office, this time sending files to her mother. Kat comes in, saying that it is becoming a habit.
Chelsea wraps up her date and he asks why she is leaving so soon. She asks what does he suggest, he says my place and they meet his wife outside then leave together. Jacob and Naomi affirm their commitment.
Hayley makes a call to set up brunch, I am guessing at the country club. They mention Dani and she says no more worries there. Bill comes up behind her to kiss her. Andre watches as Dani dances in her kitchen. She sees him and smiles, she lets him in and they get straight to business.
Bill has a flashback of Dani with a gun then calls someone saying he needs to see them right away.
Comments