Monday, March 19, 2007
When Tad asked exactly what he thought he knew, Adam exclaimed, “Look around, you idiot! Everyone in this room knows you had sex with my wife.” Tad called it a huge mistake, and he was deeply sorry, but he was dead wrong about that baby. Adam gestured at Krystal, Babe and J.R. as he said they were all in on it. His beloved Dixie learned it from Krystal's own mouth. And his cherished stepson, J.R.? He knew, and used it to blackmail his wife. They all said it could be a family secret, and he didn’t ever have to know. Tad was stunned when Krystal admitted, “The baby is yours.”
Adam left the room, and J.R. went after him. Tad confronted Krystal, furious that she’d lied to him and made him doubt the truth Dixie had told him. Dixie died thinking he didn’t believe in her, because of Krystal, and there was no way he could go back and fix it. Krystal said she’d made a choice for herself and her child, and she chose Adam. When Dixie finally got the confirmation from her, she didn't go to him with the truth because she knew that he didn't want just any child. He wanted Kate. Tad angrily told her not to dare put this off on her, make it look like her decision! She came to him time and time again. She begged him to listen to her, and every time he shot her down, “Because of you.” He accused her of being worse than Greg Madden because he trusted her, “He took one of my children, you took the other.” He called her selfish, but Krystal insisted he didn’t want this baby. Her baby was Charlotte Carey Chandler, and she was Adam’s daughter in every way that counted. Adam loved this baby—could he honestly say that he does, too? Tad coldly replied, “You never gave me the chance.”
MOST OF ALL, FOR YOU…
Babe found Colby in the library, and asked if she was happy now that the big secret was out? To her surprise, Colby stood and hugged her. Babe said she wanted to make things better, but didn’t know how. Colby asked what they were now? Friends? Family? She was a real part of her life. She even started to love her. If Krystal loved her dad, how could she do this to him? Krystal came in and said she did love him, but Colby left the room. Babe asked her mama why she told the truth? Krystal said she had to, for Adam and Tad, “But most of all, for you.” As long as she was protecting her secret, she was a prisoner. Josh was right.
YOU WERE A DAMN LIE…
In their bedroom, Adam angrily pulled Krystal’s clothing from a drawer and cried that it was a damn lie, “You were a damn lie.” J.R. came in and said Krystal made one mistake. Was he going to let that wipe out all the good she'd given him? Adam insisted she didn’t mean a thing to him—nothing! He reminded J.R. that when his wife was bed-hopping behind his back and he caught her, he flew into a homicidal rage, got drunk and jumped out a fourth-story window. And now he was preaching forgiveness? J.R. replied that he thought Babe was gone forever. He wasn’t wasting any more time; he knew what mattered, and that was family. Adam said when he chose those two piranhas over his own flesh and blood, he ceased being his family, “So forget the inheritance. You're no longer a Chandler and you're no longer my son.” He picked up a drawer full of clothing and left the room. Outside, he burned all of Krystal’s things and those he’d purchased for Charlotte and cried at all he’d lost. Colby came out and tried to stop him, but he shoved her aside. Frightened, Colby called Stuart to come right away. Stuart did, and Adam cried in his arms about how he loved Krystal and she betrayed him.
SHE’D BE JUST AS ASHAMED…
Tad lashed out at J.R. for spitting on his mother’s dying wish, and said Dixie would be just as ashamed of him as he was. All that time, all those years gone, she came back to do the right thing. “And you? J.R., it's like she died for nothing.”
When Josh showed up to check on Babe, Tad said Josh hoped someone would tell him the secret. Why? Because he wanted to get to Babe? Josh replied, “Like I told you before, some secrets are better left buried.” IT WAS ME…
Krystal looked out and saw Adam torching the clothes; she cried she had a dream that David was going to try to torch their family and burn it to the ground, “But it wasn't David. And it wasn't J.R. or Josh. It was me.” Josh came in as Krystal was having a panic attack; he said she and Babe should both get out of there because the place was toxic. Krystal insisted she wasn’t going anywhere; she was going to stay and fight for her husband and her marriage. Babe thanked Josh for saving her life, “Now stay the hell out of it.”
TEXTBOOK CHANDLER… Adam poured himself a drink and offered one to J.R., calling deceit and destruction his version of love. J.R. agreed that what he did to Babe was sadistic, but it was textbook Chandler. It came right out of his playbook. They had all hurt him, but they could get through this thing together. Adam declared he did have a little bit of pride left. J.R. asked what good were pride, power and money if you’re alone?
Tad told Adam that baby was an innocent; she had nothing to do with it. Adam laughed at the irony—he married Krystal because of sex, and now he was going to divorce her for the same reason. He warned Tad if he named that baby Charlotte, he’d kill him. Adam told Krystal to get out, but she refused to leave. Adam told J.R. that the Carey women were all he had left, and they deserved each other.
J.R. and Babe got Krystal to lie down on the bed, Babe beside her, and J.R. covered them both with a blanket as he said not to worry, “I’ll protect you both.” Babe told her mama not to worry, they’d find a way, “Adam loves you. He loves you both.”
Tad sat on the stone bench outside the front door and sighed, “God, a baby. My baby. Okay, Dixie, you were right. Now what do I do?”
Adam dropped his wedding ring into the smoldering trash can as he vowed, “You will know what it is to be burned. When I'm done, you'll have nothing left. All of you will pay.”