"Gillian was blissfully trying on new shoes, amid shopping bags scattered throughout Myrtle's living room. Jake came in and told her she could stop traffic in those shorts and shoes! She admitted to using David's money for shoes, adding that even she couldn't get through all that money just on shoes - but Jake had his doubts! She then confessed that she had spilled her guts to Adam after Jake left the other day. Jake was shocked and asked her what she'd told him. Gillian hesitatingly told all, but was surprised at Jake's reaction. Waiting for him to tell her she was a money-grubber, she was amazed when he told her she should have taken Adam for more money! He admitted he came a bit strong, like the Marines coming in, when he made Adam leave, "But I didn't want to see you taken advantage of," he explained.
At the Chandler mansion, Erica was taunting Adam with David's letter to Liza. "Ohhh, Liza, look what I've got," she trilled from the foot of the stairs. As she started up the stairs, Adam grabbed at her and in the process ... her mask and bandage went flying into the air giving a horrified Adam a view of her face! Erica panicked in shame and embarrassment and scrambled to recover her mask, all the while holding her hands to her face. Liza came down the stairs and saw what had happened. "Erica, I had no idea," said a shocked Adam, as a distressed Erica rushed out of the house. Liza urged Adam to go after her and make sure she got home safely.
At the Valley Inn room where Janet had successfully scared off Vanessa's ghostwriter, Vanessa came breezing in. She scornfully mocked their "cheap theatrics" and kicked at the recumbent bloodstained Brooke "You going to off me too? she taunted the crowbar-wielding Janet. At that moment, Brooke sat up and threatened Vanessa, "Touch me and I'll bite your leg off!" She told Vanessa in no uncertain terms that she and Tempo would block any attempt to publish the tell-all story of Erica in any other publication. Vanessa scoffed at the idea she could be stopped. "I'll just take it to a larger magazine," she told Brooke. Trevor told Vanessa they have the goods on her, and to prove the point Trevor started reading the story on the laptop describing Erica's face as a gargoyle. Janet looked shocked at the ugly phrasing of the exposé. Trevor cheerfully told Vanessa, "Wait till Erica gets a load of this, you'll be out on your keister!" Janet suggested they print out a copy. Trevor spotted the printer and went to get it, as Janet eased off her black "Mean Janet Green" wig. Vanessa quickly seized her opportunity, grabbed the laptop and smashed it to the floor, with a triumphant, "Never underestimate me!"
In the storeroom of Sounds Of Salsa, a dejected Hayley had flashbacks of all the bad things that had happened recently - her and Mateo's dream of running SOS together, the good news that she can have children, the bad news that she has to wait because of Max. As she came back to reality she threw a box of colorful paper plates and ornaments at the door - just as Ryan came in. He tried to cheer her up, but she mournfully told him of the happy family scene she had just witnessed before she came to SOS without Mateo.
Erica arrived home, closely followed by Adam. Adam told her he admired her bravery. She insisted she wanted to be alone, but he persisted and held her in a comforting hug, concern all over his face. "I feel for you," he murmured. Erica went to her purse and waved David's letter at him. "I suppose this is why you followed me! Well, take it!" Adam took the letter and set fire to it with a cigarette lighter, then tossed the charred remains into the fireplace. Adam thanked her, but Erica pointed out that she didn't do it for him, but for Jake, whom she considers the perfect father for little Colby. "She deserves Jake as a father, not you!" Adam was crushed.
Meanwhile, Liza was having a little chat with the baby in question. "I hope your daddy is not up to his old tricks," she told her daughter. "I want to believe him, but I don't trust him." She picked Colby up and cuddled her. "Adam wants to do what's best," she continued, speaking softly. "And when I get hurt he tries to spare my feelings. You have to be on your guard, but you love him no matter what. You can't help yourself."
Gillian and Ryan had another heart-to-heart. Jake updated her on the recent events at Adam's house, with Derek arriving with a letter from David adding to the mystery of the missing doc.
At SOS, Hayley tearfully spilled out her feelings to Ryan about how she was upset at always having to put her needs behind everyone else's, and how she is always trying to do the right thing for everyone except herself. Ryan tried to comfort her, but added that there's no quick fix. But then he thinks of something - "Here, throw these!" he told her, holding out a pile of colored paper plates. She hurled them across the room - "That's for being on a back burner!" (No comment!) Then another - "That's for being a second wife!" The throwing picked up speed until they both started tossing popcorn all over the place, and ended up laughing, on their knees amid the chaos of paper plates, colored decorations, leis and popcorn. Calming down again, Hayley told Ryan the latest bad news, that she and Mateo have to postpone having a baby. Ryan put his arm around her in comfort.
Back at the Valley Inn, Vanessa still seemed confident that she had outwitted the Dillons. Trevor, however, decided to call Erica and bring her up to date on Vanessa's evildoing. Erica told Trevor she had already given Vanessa her walking papers. Janet and Trevor happily wish Vanessa "bon voyage" and leave. "Let's go catch Axel's act over at the comedy club," Trevor suggested. Vanessa slammed the door behind them, then took out a small tape recorder and started dictating - "Notes for a new book. What does a beautiful woman do, who loses her beauty? Ho does she survive? If she's Erica Kane, she doesn't survive!"
Erica asked Adam to leave. He told her he now has leverage against David, but Erica said she doesn't care and to leave her out of it. After Adam left, she glanced wistfully at the huge portrait of herself above the fireplace.
In the storeroom, Ryan and Hayley sit amid all the debris of their throw-fest. Hayley opened a large jar of maraschino cherries and popped one in Ryan's mouth then leaned her head on his shoulder - not noticing that Mateo entered taking in the scene.
Jake and Gillian discussed David's disappearance as they sip coffee. Jake told her he's worried about Colby being in Adam's house. Gillian admires Jake's fatherly concerns and speculates how her life would have been different if her father had cared for her. Adam returned home. Liza asked him about David. "Did you kill him?" she asked. "Did you hire someone?" Adam admitted he was tempted, but swore he knows nothing about the disappearance, and said it was Jake putting doubts in her head. "No, it's ME," she replied angrily. "It's me, knowing you better than I know myself. Tell me what it is you're not telling me. I want the truth, right here, right now!"
As Erica turned away from her portrait, her imagination took her to ... a scene where she descends the staircase in the glamorous white satin gown from the portrait, holding a long-handled mask in front of her face. Amid cries from the press, she sees David. He holds out his hand and says, "It's time to take off the mask." She hands it to him, and her face is perfect. Flashbulbs light up the room as a suave David lovingly watches. Then the dream ended. Erica returned to reality, saddened by her dream of being perfect again. As she mused, a hand touched her shoulder, making her jump! She turned around to see David smiling at her!"
- Soap Central