The show opened with a replay of Friday's incestuous kiss between Sharon and Victor while Nicholas watched through the window. Unfortunately, Nicholas turned away before seeing the rather forceful push-away by Victor. He immediately told her she was not thinking, she was having a bad day, and that she should not give in to her feelings of desperation. Mortified by what she had done, she apologized, telling him he had been so kind to her that she just got carried away. He strongly urged her to put her life back together with Nicholas, and to put an immediate stop to the divorce. Sharon told Victor she felt he was placing too much of the responsibility on her and pointed out that Nick was the one who moved out. While she was talking, he sat down, obviously in pain. She asked if he was all right, and also asked why he had a drink before coming down there. She correctly guessed that he and Nikki had been arguing about him, but he told her he didn't want to talk about him. Again, he reiterated that she should try to put her marriage back together, and that she had to learn that just because she feels lonely, doesn't mean she should throw herself at other men. She tried to defend herself, saying it had been so long since she'd been with a man, and that she was feeling unwanted and cheap. She also said she was feeling terrible about kissing him and asked if his feelings for her had changed. He reassured her that they were O.K., and that no one must ever find out about their kiss.
Meanwhile, upstairs at the Main House, Nicholas slammed down a shot of liquor and shoved Sharon's flowers in the trash. Nikki came downstairs and asked if he was there to see Sharon. Obviously upset, Nicholas told his mother he must be the biggest fool who ever lived. When she started questioning him about what he meant, he ignored her, instead asking his own question. He asked her how she could stand living the way she did---how could she take it? Not knowing what he was talking about, she turned the conversation back to Sharon. She told him she didn't agree with Victor that the best thing would be for them to get back together. She went on to say she didn't understand why Victor was so hell-bent on being supportive to Sharon. Seeing the very angry face of her son, she asked if there was something she needed to be aware of. Instead of answering, he just stomped out of the house. She walked over to the bar, smelled the liquor in the glass, and looked very concerned about her son.
Dr. Walker told Ashley and Brad that it was very important that Ashley take care of herself, especially now. When they both looked at him with puzzled expressions, he asked if Olivia had talked with them yet. When they told them she hadn't, he urged them to do so before they left. Brad asked if they were free to go, and the doctor told them yes, and reiterated they should speak with Olivia. After the doctor left, Ashley expressed she didn't want to speak to Olivia, but was sure that Brad probably did. He told her Olivia had backed off, but Ashley told him she knew Olivia's sights were firmly set on him. She also said that Olivia seemed very confident and asked Brad if he knew where that confidence was coming from. Trying to turn the focus off of he and Olivia, Brad said he wanted to talk about their impending separation. He wanted to establish that they weren't closing any doors. She stopped him and told him she wanted a legal separation; in other words, one step short of a divorce. When he expressed surprise, she told him she just didn't know if there was any hope left for their marriage. She also said she had to pay closer attention to her health, and having him out of the house to avoid any more big, emotional confrontations was for the best. She also told him it would give him an opportunity to explore his relationship with Olivia, especially since she was so determined and focused on being with him. He tried to assure her again that Olivia had backed off, and she surprised him by abruptly asking him if they had slept together. Caught completely off guard, he didn't deny it, and Ashley completely broke down. She told him at that point, they should stop talking and just let their attorneys speak for them.
Drucilla walked into Olivia's office asking about Ashley's condition. Not in the mood to talk, Olivia abruptly told her she couldn't discuss her patient's condition, and that she was call her later. Not falling for that, Dru told her she was worried about her, to which Olivia replied to back off. Dru told her she would not back off, and in fact, if she didn't talk to her, she would get answers from Brad. Not wanting that, Olivia told her the relationship with Brad was about to become a moot point. Just at that moment, he knocked on the door and said Dr. Walker urged him to talk with her before they left. After Dru left, Olivia told him there was something she needed to tell them, and that they needed to be told at the same time. Caught up in his own emotions, he wasn't paying close attention to what she was saying, and told her he and Ashley had decided to legally separate.
At the Chancellor estate, Jill and Larry were having a good time in her bedroom. Downstairs, the doorbell rang, and when Katherine answered the door, she was surprised to see her old friend Elizabeth Foster—and Jill's mother—at the door. After they reminisced for a few minutes, Larry and Jill came downstairs. Very surprised and happy to see Elizabeth, Jill embraced her warmly. Katherine asked Larry if he would drive her into town and they both discreetly left the two of them alone. Elizabeth sat Jill down and explained that she was ill and had to have an operation. She explained there was a tumor in her head that needed to be removed and the prognosis wasn't necessarily good. Jill got very upset, and told her mother she was afraid and that she would drop everything to help her through it. Very unemotional about the situation, Elizabeth pooh-poohed the idea, and told Jill she had made peace with the situation.
She went on to say she had something else to tell Jill. She told a story of how much she wanted a little girl after having her two boys, but found out that she was unable to have any more children. A little surprised, Jill gently asked her if she was confused; after all, she was the youngest of the three children. After a moment, the lightbulb went off, and she asked if she was trying to tell her she was adopted or something. Elizabeth, not directly answering, told her that as soon as she was brought home to her, that she was her little girl, and that nothing else mattered.
Due to CBS news coverage of the memorial service for the fallen Columbia astronauts, today's show will be pre-empted in most parts of the country. In others, CBS will air a classic episode. The episode originally scheduled for today will air tomorrow, Wednesday, February 5th.
John took Ashley from the hospital to her house, where she promised him that she would take better care of herself and avoid stress. When he wondered why Brad hadn't brought her home, Ashley admitted that she was going to file for a legal separation. John was disappointed and hoped this was something that could be resolved. Ashley didn't give him much encouragement.
While Olivia was talking to Brad, Dr. Walker called and reminded her that she needed to let Ashley know as soon as possible that she was pregnant. Frustrated, Olivia assured him that she would take care of it. She then resumed her conversation with Brad, who was sadly telling her about Ashley's desire for a legal separation. At first, Olivia promised not to put pressure on him. But when she realized that Brad was less enthusiastic about the separation than Ashley, she demanded to know where things stood between them. Brad said that he wasn't resolved to giving up on his wife and daughter. He asked what news she was supposed to give him and Ashley, but before she could answer, he got an urgent call to handle something for work. After he left, Olivia went to see Ash, who didn't want to let her inside. When Olivia finally persuaded her to, Ashley told her to say what she had to and then leave. Olivia bluntly told Ashley that she was pregnant, so her symptoms had not been caused merely by low blood sugar. Ashley finally mused that it made no difference. The core problems between Brad and her remained the same. Olivia told Ashley that although she herself had feelings for Brad, she still felt if Ashley told him the truth about the pregnancy, it might make a difference in how he felt about their marriage.
Jill couldn't believe the news she'd received from her mother, Liz Foster. Finding out that she'd been adopted made her question everything about who she was and where she came from. Liz assured her that it made no difference. Jill was the person she'd grown into. She'd been with Liz since she was only a few days old. Even her brothers Snapper and Greg didn't know she was adopted. But Liz believed Jill came from a good family, possibly from a young woman who'd gotten in trouble, because Jill had been healthy and well taken care of when Bill Foster brought her to Liz. Jill was overwhelmed by the double blow of Liz's illness and imminent surgery, with a chance that Liz wouldn't survive, and this news about her birth and adoption. She asked her mother if she could have some time alone to think about it all. Liz said she'd go to a hotel, but reminded Jill to thank Katherine for her invitation to stay there. It was obvious that Jill was torn between her love for Liz and her mixed feelings about what she'd just learned.
At Gina's, Brock listened to Katherine complain about Jill and the negative impact Jill had had on her life. He reminded her that Jill had been only seventeen when Katherine met her, and had come to her as her paid companion. But Katherine wanted to remember only that Jill had stolen Phillip from her and driven her to drink. When Brock protested, Katherine admitted that she was drinking long before Jill came along. But she still couldn't forgive Jill for all she'd done. Brock told "the duchess" that all this negativity wasn't good for her. She should just get herself a place in town and let Jill have the estate. Katherine said that would never happen.
Victoria was shocked and intimidated by her brother's foul mood when she went to see Nick at Crimson Lights. She urged him to talk to her and tell her what was going on, but Nick refused. He said that his marriage was over; there was absolutely no hope of saving it. Victoria tried to figure out if he and Sharon had fought again when he went to the ranch, but Nick finally admitted that he hadn't talked to Sharon. When Victoria, mystified, continued to harass him for answers, Nick finally yelled that he'd seen Sharon and their father kissing and it was obvious they were about to have sex. Victoria expressed revulsion and said that Nick had to be mistaken; it just wasn't possible.
Victor and Nikki once again fought about Sharon and Nick after Victor admitted that he'd been to see Sharon. Nikki couldn't understand why Victor would support her after all the things Sharon had done. Victor reminded her that Nick wasn't guiltless. It was his hope that their son could put his marriage back together, not only for the sake of the children, but because he didn't believe Nick would be happy without Sharon. Nikki didn't agree. She said sometimes love didn't conquer everything. Nick had been there earlier, and she'd never seen him so upset. Although he hadn't told her what was wrong, it was obvious it had to do with Sharon. And he had said one thing that puzzled her. He'd wanted to know how she put up with the lies, deceptions, and constant turmoil. After Nikki went upstairs, Victor slowly made his way to the bar, still suffering a great deal of physical pain. As he got a bottle of water, he noticed the flowers Nick had thrown in the trash. He then pulled out the flowers, along with a wrapped present and a card. When he read the card, he realized that Nick had come to the ranch to reconcile with Sharon. He crept to the couch and sank down, weeping and praying that Nick had not seen Sharon kiss him.
Neil, Lily, and Dru enjoyed a friendly breakfast compliments of Neil's feeble attempts at cooking. They joked about his burnt muffins and Lily seemed to be actually acting like a human being for once with her family. Then Wes came to the door – her ride to school. Neil was disappointed that he hadn't been told of those plans, but didn't hold it against Dru because Wes was Lily's friend, and he had other things on his mind. He asked Dru if they could do something about their sleeping arrangements – he was getting lonely in that bed alone down the hall from her. He held her shoulders tenderly and started to kiss her – but she put a stop to it before it really started. Neil left for work, but forgot his project folder on the coffee table. . .
Wes and Lily stopped in at Olivia's apartment to get something that she needed. He wanted to stay and talk for a minute. He asked if Lily was happier with her parents and she seemed to be. He was genuinely glad for her. She questioned him, though, because she saw how he looked at her mother and could tell that he was wishing to be with her. He didn't divulge anything to the girl, and they left for school.
Later, Dru was on her way out, when a knock came at the door. Wes rushed in, showering her with kisses and wanting to make love to her on the spot. She was consumed by him, telling him how wonderful he was being patient while they had been in Genoa City, and wondering what he wanted to do for her. Just as things became hot and heavy on the couch, Neil walked in looking for his folder. Dru screamed in surprise, and Neil said that he was glad to stop what was about to go on. . .
Jill was crying in her office when Larry appeared. He could tell something was very wrong and insisted on knowing. She told him the story about her mother's operation and being adopted. He sympathized with her, but tried to assure her that she was still the same person that she always was and that it didn't matter. She was not convinced. What she was really questioning was the hurtful part of her personality – and where that had really come from.
At the Chancellor Estate, Elizabeth told Kay everything. Kay was stricken by the news of the tumor and Liz asked her to not make a fuss. Kay offered to pray for her and Liz accepted. They talked of the adoption issue and Kay wondered how Jill had taken it. Elizabeth made excuses for Jill, but Kay warned her of Jill's hurtful and selfish nature. Liz asked Kay to be gentle on Jill in spite of that.
Kay appeared in Jill's office minutes later. Larry went off to his duties and Kay wanted to tell Jill what she knew. She wanted to make sure that Jill did not hurt her mother – Liz was a saint who worked her fingers to the bone for her family. Jill could not make her mother think that she didn't love her anymore. Jill stopped to think on that one – but ended up kicking Kay out of her office in a rage.
Nikki found her son asleep at his desk at Crimson Lights. She was worried about him and his state of mind the night before. He spoke about his father in cryptic messages once again, and Nikki continued to wonder what was going on. They talked of the lost fantasies in life and hugged each other in understanding.
Victor paid Sharon another visit. He brought the gift bag with the flowers and note and told her what he thought that Nick had seen. She was crushed and truly knew that what hope may have been was now gone for sure. She couldn't understand why she did these things to herself and her loved ones. Victor told her that he was going to do some damage control – he would talk to her soon.
Within minutes, Victor was entering Nick's office. Nicholas demanded to know what the hell he was doing there and Victor answered that he had something important to say to him. . .
Neil was furious, when he returned to his apartment for a folder he needed for his meeting at Newman Enterprises, to find Drucilla and Wes engaging in heavy foreplay on the couch. Flustered, Drucilla tried to get dressed and leave with Wesley while Neil berated them for their behavior. He pointed out that it could have been Lily who came in and found them. At first, Wes tried to apologize for things getting out of hand and promised it wouldn't happen again. But as Neil got angrier, Wes had enough, pointing out to Neil that if he didn't want to be exposed to the passionate love Wes and Drucilla shared, maybe he shouldn't have insisted on their new living arrangement. Tension escalated between the two men until Dru had to come between them. As they continued to taunt each other, she managed to get Wes out the door. She then accused Neil of overreacting out of jealousy, which Neil denied.
After Andy walked into Paul's office, he was somewhat evasive when Paul asked him about his trip to Pittsburgh and whether he'd seen Faren and Betsy. He was more concerned about what was going on with Paul. Paul told him that he'd admitted the truth to Isabella about having sex with Christine on the night of Ricky's christening, although he hadn't told Isabella the part about "practically forcing" himself on his former wife. His life was now a shambles. Isabella had moved out, and he couldn't forget the look of pain and betrayal on her face. Andy pointed out that at least Paul had taken action and been honest.
Michael was annoyed when Isabella showed up at his office, reminding her that no one could see her visiting him if they wanted to keep their secret. He then realized that Isabella was not herself and told her she looked like hell. She told him she hadn't been sleeping, and Michael assumed that she'd been keeping Paul busy in bed to protect herself from the threat of "Kelly Simmons." Isabella confessed that she hadn't been thinking of Kelly. She told him that Paul had admitted to having sex with Christine. At first Michael didn't believe the news, but once she mentioned the night of the christening, the pieces began to fall into place for him. Although Isabella said that Christine had probably left town in shame for the destruction she'd caused to Paul's marriage and family, Michael said that if anyone was at fault, it was Paul. He then took something from his desk drawer and tried to leave the office. Isabella grabbed him when she assumed he was going to see Paul, reminding him that the last time the two had tangled, Paul had half-killed him. Michael furiously told her to take her hands off him.
Lynne brought Christine some early-morning coffee and noticed that Chris had been sleeping on the couch and not in the bedroom. She tried to get Christine to tell her what had happened the night of the christening, but Chris refused to discuss it. When she told Lynne about running into Paul and Michael at Crimson Lights, Lynne figured the two men knew she was back in town. But Chris told her she'd been in her "Kelly Simmons" disguise, and had only exchanged a few words with Paul after he introduced her to Andy. She was more puzzled by Michael's interest in her. At first she'd thought he was hitting on her, but the more she thought about it, the more it seemed that he was just trying to get information, almost as if he knew about her visit to Isabella. Lynne reminded Chris that the two had been friends at one time, but Chris said that should have stopped after Isabella lied to Michael about her baby's paternity. Lynne said that she had never trusted either of them, and the reason she and Mary had broken into Michael's office was to try to uncover a link between them.
Nikki was upset and confused to see the tension between Victor and Nick. When Nick asked her to leave so he could speak to his father about something personal, Nikki reminded them that whatever was wrong, they were still father and son. She then left Crimson Lights and went to see Sharon, who was in no mood for another of Nikki's attacks. Nikki said she was there to urge Sharon to go through with the divorce. Although the children would be hurt, they would be more hurt by living with parents who were always tearing at each other. Nikki thought a divorce would be best for Sharon as well as Nick, who was distraught by whatever latest interaction he'd had with Sharon. When Sharon reacted badly, reminding her that Victor didn't share her opinion and was supportive of a reconciliation, Nikki called her insolent. Sharon said she thought Nikki was the one who was insolent, coming into her house to give her biased advice. Not only was Nick not blameless, but Nikki had never really supported their marriage from the beginning or thought Sharon was good enough for Nick.
Nick described in great detail for Victor what his plans had been, and how he had felt, regarding a reconciliation with Sharon. He said it had felt good to swallow his pride and know that he was going to patch things up with his wife, telling her how much he loved her and how he wanted their marriage to last. Victor said that he was glad Nick had been listening to his advice. Nick said that of course he had listened; that's why he'd gone to the ranch with flowers, a gift, and a card to declare his love to Sharon. When Victor said nothing, Nick wondered if his father didn't want to know what had happened to change everything.
