In the design office, Carter insisted on knowing what had gone on with Luna and Zende, and Zende revealed that they'd slept together. "Well, I thought we did..." Zende murmured and said he wouldn't have done it if he'd understood how Luna cared for R.J. Struggling to understand, Carter asked how it had happened if neither had wanted it.
Later, Carter was trying to make sense of Luna sleeping with Zende but thinking it had been R.J. Zende explained the mint mix-up, and Carter quickly ascertained that the drugs had confused Luna. For a moment, Carter questioned Zende's story but decided that he knew what kind of man Zende was. Zende was mad at himself because of what Luna had gone through and for what R.J. would go through once he knew.
Zende asked Carter not to say anything to anyone. Carter agreed but felt that R.J. deserved to know. Zende revealed that Luna was telling R.J. at that moment, and he hoped R.J. understood.
Carter felt sorry for Luna and couldn't imagine how sorry Poppy was. Zende ranted that Poppy needed to be sorry because Luna hadn't deserved it. Zende said Poppy hadn't meant to do it, but it had been irresponsible and reckless to leave her stash hanging out.
Carter called Zende on the carpet about his recklessness. Zende claimed that if he'd known, he would have taken Luna home or gotten R.J. to do it, but it had never occurred to him that Luna would be on something. Carter yelled that R.J. was Zende's cousin, and that should have been enough for Zende to pump the brakes. Carter apologized for lecturing. Zende said he was worried about Luna's world getting destroyed, and Carter guessed Zende cared about her.
At the beach house, Luna tried to explain the mint mix-up and wished she could do it over. R.J. implored her to say what had happened to her. Luna stated that she'd give anything to have not hurt him, and as much as she hated the thought of it, she'd betrayed him that night.
While trying to explain, Luna worked herself up. Calming her down, R.J. told Luna to start at the beginning. Luna reminded him of how tired she'd been after Eric's wedding. After she'd gone outside to wait for her rideshare, she'd been thirsty and had gone into the guesthouse to drink the water she'd seen from the window. She assumed she'd fallen asleep on the bed. He asked if that was all she remembered.
R.J. became perplexed when she said she remembered him being there, and she'd said she'd been waiting for him. R.J. wondered which guesthouse it had been and who'd been there. Sobbing, Luna admitted that it had been Zende, and she'd spent the night with Zende.
Luna said it shouldn't have happened, but she'd been drugged. R.J. tried to grasp that Luna had slept with his cousin. Luna tried to touch him, but he pulled his hands back.
In Eric's office, Steffy told Finn she didn't care how many toes the body Deacon had seen had had. She insisted that it had been Sheila, and if anyone would know it, it would be Steffy. Steffy added that she hadn't imagined watching Sheila being pronounced dead, and either Deacon was lying about the toes or doing wishful thinking. Steffy had no doubt that it had been Sheila.
Steffy didn't know why Deacon was doing it. Finn tried to calm her down, saying she'd been cleared due to self-defense, and the nightmare could be over. Steffy decided that she needed to confront Deacon and that they'd all be better off once he got it that Sheila was dead.
At Il Giardino, Deacon mulled over the text message Sheila had sent, saying, "Stay away from me, Sugar." Deacon poured himself a drink. He wondered if he could be losing it. He flashed back to the events at the crematorium. "Piggies in a blanket underneath a sheet. Sheila had nine toes, but I saw ten on those feet," he said to himself. He decided he was losing it.
Deacon continued to drink and stare at the recovered text messages on his laptop. He asked why Sheila had gone to Steffy's and who Sugar was.
When Deacon saw Steffy and Finn arrive, he assumed Finn had filled her in. Deacon tried to explain, but Steffy stopped him, saying he needed to hear her. She didn't get why he couldn't let Sheila be dead. Deacon replied that he'd accepted it, "But then -- " Steffy cut him off because she didn't want to hear it. "You're dead wrong. I killed Sheila," she affirmed.
Deacon tried to get Steffy to understand that before the crematory's door had closed, he'd seen ten toes on the body. Finn tried to get Deacon to see that it might be his grief manifesting things. Deacon asked if he was expected to just drop it. Steffy replied that it was exactly what he should do. Steffy asserted that Sheila had gotten what she'd deserved, and Deacon needed to stop spreading lies. Steffy didn't want to talk about Sheila or think about Sheila. Steffy stated that Sheila was out of their lives forever.
At the beach house, Luna sobbed about her regret and about her love for R.J. "You and Zende?" he hurtfully responded. Luna summarized what had happened at the party when she'd drunk and taken drugged mints. She insisted that she'd seen R.J., but it had actually been Zende.
Upset, R.J. questioned whether Zende hadn't seen how out of it Luna had been. He gleaned that Zende had taken advantage of her. Luna replied that it hadn't been like that. "Either you knew what was happening, or you didn't. Which is it, Luna?" R.J. asked.
R.J. asked if Luna had been passed out. Luna replied that she hadn't passed out, but she'd been confused. R.J. insisted Zende had taken advantage. Luna pointed out that Zende hadn't known she'd been drugged, and neither had R.J., who she believed wouldn't have let her go home alone if he'd suspected that.
R.J. noted that she hadn't gone home. Instead, she'd gone to the guesthouse. R.J. asked why.
Luna said it hadn't been to find Zende, and he'd misunderstood why she'd been there. R.J. suggested that there had been no misunderstanding, and Zende had been after her for months, never respecting R.J., Luna, or their relationship. R.J. told her not to lie to him and say it had been an accident. She cried that it was the truth. It killed her to see R.J. in pain, but she needed him to hear that Zende hadn't taken advantage of her; it had been the mints that had made her see R.J., the person she loved.
Luna reasoned that she should have gone to R.J. after it had happened. He bit out that she'd been hiding it from him the whole time. She cried that she'd feared what it could do to his and Zende's relationship. She called it a big misunderstanding. R.J. figured that it had been for her, but Zende had known what he'd been doing and with whom he'd been doing it. R.J. grabbed his keys and strode out of the house. She screamed his name, but he slammed the door.
In the design office, Zende told Carter that Luna was confessing to R.J. at that moment. Zende had really thought he and Luna had shared something special, and he stated that if it hadn't been for Poppy and her mints, he and Luna might have had a chance at something. Poppy arrived, looking for her daughter. Zende informed her that Luna was with R.J. and was telling him about her night with Zende. Poppy learned that Zende had confided in Carter and noted that she'd told Luna to confess to R.J.
Zende told Poppy that Poppy had told Luna to confess after she'd told Luna to keep silent for weeks. Poppy elaborated that it had been because she'd seen how the secret had been destroying Luna. Zende said Luna's first instinct had been to tell the truth, but they'd warned her about the consequences. Carter said R.J. couldn't blame Luna. Zende stated that they could hope for that; however, even if R.J.'s head got it, his heart might not, and a blindsided R.J. might be unable to forgive Luna.
Poppy admitted that she should be paying for it, not Luna. Poppy had ceased taking the mints, and Zende asked how that would help Luna. Poppy replied that it might help her and her daughter get closer again. Carter asked if Poppy was quitting for herself or to win Luna back.
Poppy stated that she had to be completely present for Luna. Poppy had devoted her life to Luna. Poppy believed that nothing was more important than the well-being of her of her child, but Luna could be losing the man she loved because of Poppy.
Later, Zende was alone. He thought about text-messaging Luna but changed his mind. R.J. stormed in, shouting names and hurling accusations. Zende told R.J. to blame him, not Luna. "Damn right, I blame you!" R.J. bellowed and struck Zende to the ground.
Back at the beach house, Poppy arrived and discovered Luna crying. Luna said she'd been calling R.J. Luna was upset about causing R.J. so much pain, but Poppy insisted that it was her fault. Luna took responsibility for not telling R.J., and she was afraid of R.J. confronting Zende.
In Eric's office, Liam and Hope joked about how long the hippos had stayed beneath the water and how adorable Beth had been when the animal had finally swum up for air. Hope thanked him for taking the time to make it happen with Hope. Liam replied that he'd taken a lot of things in his life for granted, but Beth would never be one of those things.
Liam decided to let Hope get back to work, but Hope said that there was no rush. Liam assumed that was because her lead designer had gone. Hope replied that Thomas had been more to her than just that. She shared that she'd been thinking a lot about the evolution of her relationship with Thomas, and Liam wondered if he was really the one for her to confide in.
Hope stated that she was trying to see the bigger picture, since she was more removed from it. She'd been pondering how it had evolved, and she'd been thinking of her relationship with Thomas before he'd changed. "His involvement in what happened to Beth?" Liam asked.
Hope stated that she'd never deny that Thomas had lied to them and tried to keep their daughter from them, but she claimed that Thomas regretted it and that it haunted Thomas. While she got that Liam couldn't forgive Thomas, she had, and she'd believed that he'd been capable of changing for the better, which he'd done. Hope stated that she was questioning her inability to accept his proposal, and she wasn't sure what the future held for her and Thomas.
Hope said she'd been questioning everything. Liam replied that the guy she'd been defending had skipped town because she hadn't committed fast enough. She stated that she'd been questioning why she hadn't been able to commit and noted that things had been going "so well."
Hope recalled what Brooke had said upon seeing the ring on the necklace for the first time. Brooke had said Hope's involvement with Thomas had been a reaction. Hope had disregarded it until Finn had mentioned that she might have been rebelling.
"Against what?" Liam asked. Hope figured he knew her mother's history and the label put on Brooke. Hope had sworn she wouldn't be like that. "So that when I did start to feel a pull to someone else, someone who was steadfast, supportive, a one-woman man...Liam, just know I wasn't trying to hurt you," Hope stated. Liam replied that he knew it.
Claiming that she wasn't afraid to admit when she was wrong, Hope concluded that she hadn't become her mother, but she had dared to walk on the wild side. She had played with fire, but she hadn't set out to hurt Liam. She claimed she hadn't been toying with Thomas or trying to use him. She asserted that if she was certain of one thing, it was her feelings for Thomas.
Hope figured that Liam didn't want to hear it, but she did love Thomas. She added that she wanted to focus on Beth, "and then myself and the line." Liam felt as if he was going through the same thing -- kids, family, work. He put his girls as his highest priority. She asked if that was the whole list. Liam added a Spencer's need for world domination.
Guessing where Hope's questions were headed, Liam said he had to get over the thing about not having an identity unless he was with someone. He wondered if his identity was being the best dad he could be. Hope stated that they were going through the same thing at the same time. "Well, look at the two of us finding our way," Liam replied, and Hope stated that no one knew what the future held.
In Eric's office, Liam and Hope joked as they exchanged pictures of their zoo day with Beth. Hope said it had been good for them all to be together, but Beth missed Douglas -- and Deacon. Liam was glad Hope had taken the actions she had when Deacon had been with Sheila, but with Sheila gone, Liam wondered where Hope's relationship with Deacon stood.
Liam and Hope agreed that Deacon had a tendency to make troubling decisions, and Liam appreciated that Hope hadn't put Beth at risk. Hope said she and Deacon had a chance to start over. Liam asked how possible it was after all that had transpired. Hope believed they had a good chance with Sheila out of the picture.
Hope and Liam wondered what Deacon had seen in Sheila and if he'd been trying to fill a void. Hope figured she'd have more sympathy for that and noted that her mother had turned Deacon down. Liam reasoned that Brooke Logan was "up here," but then there was Sheila Carter, "all the way down here. Oh, look, six feet under."
Hope laughed and wondered why Deacon thought he and Sheila had something in common. Liam stated that their rap sheets weren't even close. Hope agreed but wondered why they were talking about the dead Sheila. Hope and Liam made a deal to never speak of Sheila again. They shook on it, and in union, gestured as if locking their mouths.
At Il Giardino, Deacon drank and ruminated on the ten toes he'd seen. He read Sheila's text messages again. He wondered who Sugar was and if Sheila was alive or in trouble. Finn arrived for takeout and asked if it had hit Deacon yet that Sheila was gone. Finn assumed Deacon thought he'd seen ten toes because he was struggling to let Sheila go.
Deacon got it that people thought he was off his rocker, but he said he'd become more convinced of what he'd seen. Deacon didn't care if anyone thought he was crazy. He asked if Sheila had ever mentioned anything about any friends or enemies -- or someone named Sugar.
Finn asked why, but when Deacon explained that he'd been investigating Sheila's communications, Finn cut Deacon off, insisting that Finn get a grip and stop wasting his time looking for signs of life. Asking Finn to listen, Deacon revealed that Sheila had been sneaking off and visiting someone from her past, and the text message he'd found from Sugar hadn't been friendly. Finn replied that he didn't know Sugar, and Sheila was dead.
Later, Deacon gave Finn his takeout and thanked Finn for listening. Finn joked that Sugar sounded like a dog, but Deacon replied that dogs couldn't text. Finn advised Deacon to stop because he'd never see Sheila again. Deacon asked if part of Finn wished she was alive, but Finn didn't think it mattered. He advised Deacon to treasure the memories and get on with life.
Finn left, and Deacon asked, "Are you still out there, Sheila? Baby, are you still alive?"
At the beach house, Luna was certain R.J. would kill Zende. She was worried R.J. would do something he'd regret. Poppy wished she could explain things to R.J. Luna said she'd told R.J., who'd felt betrayed -- betrayed by Luna, Zende...and Poppy. Luna was worried that R.J., who believed that Zende had taken advantage of her, had gone to confront Zende.
Poppy blamed herself for what had happened and promised that she'd never buy the mints again. Luna replied that what was done was done. Poppy wanted to fix it and make it better. She knew it might not be possible, but she offered to talk to R.J. Luna replied that she couldn't take it anymore and needed to go to Forrester.
Poppy tried to get Luna to slow down, but Luna said R.J. hadn't even let her finish explaining. Poppy was sure he'd realize Luna hadn't made a conscious decision to hurt him. Luna stated that she had to get through to him, but Poppy advised Luna to be patient. Poppy stated that R.J. would return eventually, but Luna's presence might upset things even more at Forrester. Luna asserted that she had to take that chance, so she could tell R.J. she loved him.
In the design office, Zende recovered from R.J.'s punch. Zende believed R.J. had a right to be upset, but Zende insisted that he hadn't taken advantage of Luna. Zende told R.J. to blame him. R.J. yelled that it was Zende's fault because he was family, and R.J. had trusted him. "Stabbed in the back by my own cousin," R.J. concluded. R.J. said Zende had gotten what he'd wanted.
Zende tried to explain that Luna had seemed into him that night, but R.J. said she'd been high. Zende contended that he hadn't known Luna had been drugged. R.J. screamed at Zende to shut up. Zende persisted, saying Luna had been waiting for him in his bed. R.J. replied that she'd been waiting for R.J. Zende insisted that there had been no indication that Luna had been impaired, and if there had been, he never would have --
R.J. screamed, asking if Zende would say that he would never have slept with the woman R.J. loved and had been in a committed relationship with. Zende replied that he was sorry and maintained that he'd thought Luna had been making the first move. R.J. replied that she'd thought it had been her boyfriend, but Zende had known what he'd been doing. R.J. asserted that Zende had never respected R.J., Luna, or their relationship, and Zende couldn't justify sleeping with R.J.'s girlfriend.
Zende admitted that he'd been wrong, and R.J. asked if it had been because Zende had wanted to stick it to R.J. out of jealousy. Zende insisted that he cared about Luna, but she'd never reciprocated. R.J. agreed with that and yelled that they'd been keeping a secret from him. Zende explained that Luna hadn't wanted to lose R.J., and Zende asked if R.J. had forgiven her.
Luna rushed in with Poppy on her heels. Poppy noticed Zende's bruised face and asked if he was okay. Poppy and Zende took the blame for what had happened, and R.J. asked how Poppy could drug her own daughter. Poppy stated that it had been an accidental mix-up of the mints, and Poppy had had no idea that Luna had eaten the wrong ones. Zende insisted that R.J. couldn't blame Luna and implored him to say that he forgave her.
In Eric's office, Finn let Steffy know that, since she was working late, dinner had already been handled. She guessed that he'd gotten Il Giardino. Finn said he should have gone to the Thai place, and Steffy figured Deacon was still going on about Sheila. Steffy said Deacon needed to stop spreading his nonsense, but Finn said Deacon was convinced.
Steffy stated that she'd been trying to understand Finn's connection to Sheila, and it was easier without having to worry about Sheila. Finn said Steffy didn't have to worry about his focus. He was focused on their family and their happiness, and he wouldn't let Sheila or Deacon distract him.
Steffy asked if Finn was okay with getting the kids. He promised to have them all ready for bed so that they could have a romantic evening. When he offered to give her a backrub, she said he was making her wishes come true. On the topic of wishes, he recalled that Deacon had asked if part of him wished Sheila was still alive. He'd told Deacon that it didn't matter how he felt because she was gone, and Deacon needed to accept it and get over it.
Steffy stated that part of her got where Deacon was coming from because Sheila had faked her death before, but Steffy claimed she'd been there and had seen it for herself. She'd seen Sheila's face, and if Deacon had been there, he'd be as certain as Steffy. There was no doubt in her mind that Sheila was dead.
At Eric's house, Eric and Lauren had tea. She figured that life was good, and they didn't have to worry about Sheila anymore. Lauren informed Eric that she'd told Steffy not to feel guilty about eliminating that monster. Eric wondered how Finn was handling it. Lauren figured Finn would be the only one mourning Sheila, but Eric mentioned that Deacon was, too.
Lauren and Eric discussed the risks Deacon had taken for Sheila. Lauren said Sheila had died before she'd upended Deacon's life. Lauren added that they'd survived Sheila, and Eric replied that the good guys always won.
At Il Giardino, Deacon looked "Sugar" up on the Internet. Pictures of processed sugar resulted. Looking at a picture of Sheila, Deacon swore he'd seen her face and had never left the room. He wondered if Finn was right or if Sheila was still out there. Deacon promised not to give up.
From behind him, Lauren advised Deacon to delete the photo on his laptop and rid himself of any other reminders because he was better off without Sheila. Deacon asked how things were in Genoa City, and she said everyone was relieved that Sheila was dead. Lauren didn't know why he'd fallen for Sheila, but she assured him that his life was safer and better without Sheila.
Deacon told Lauren to keep celebrating, but he wondered whether Sheila was still alive. Lauren called it ridiculous and said Steffy had stabbed Sheila in the heart. Lauren stated that Deacon had identified the body. Deacon began to speak, but Lauren cut him off, asking why he was holding out false hope when he'd seen for himself. Lauren insisted that he should be thankful that he'd never seen the monster Sheila had been.
Lauren became emotional about the "decades of torment" Sheila had inflicted on her. She turned to leave, never wanting to hear Sheila's name again. Deacon asked about the name Sugar. Lauren turned around and repeated the name. He asked what she knew about Sugar.
In the design office, Poppy and Zende advocated for Luna. He said that he'd been caught up in the excitement of her choosing him, and there was plenty of blame to go around, just not on her. R.J. didn't want Zende telling R.J. how to feel after Zende had stabbed R.J. in the back. Zende explained that Luna had been there, saying she'd been happy to see him, and he hadn't known she'd been under the influence.
R.J. asked if Zende had forgotten Luna had been his cousin's girlfriend. R.J. yelled that Zende had known what he'd been doing and who he'd been doing it to. Zende acknowledged that it had been a betrayal, but it had been his betrayal, not Luna's. He said R.J. was lucky and shouldn't blow it.
Luna said she didn't want R.J. to feel pressured. Poppy told him that the night was on her, not Luna. R.J. agreed that Poppy's drugs had flipped their world upside down. R.J. didn't want to hear another word from Poppy or Zende and told them to get out. On his way out, Zende asked R.J. not to break Luna's heart over something that wasn't her fault.
Alone with Luna, R.J. said he knew that she hadn't knowingly cheated on him, but it didn't make it any less painful or shocking. He didn't know where to go from there, and he wished she had told him when it had happened. She agreed that she should have trusted in them, but she'd wanted to protect his relationship with his cousin. R.J. said that was history, and he didn't care about Zende. R.J. just wanted to talk about where they went from there.
R.J. said it would be easier for him if he didn't love Luna. He said he didn't blame her that much, but he couldn't stop seeing her in Zende's bed and in his arms. R.J. needed time. Luna nodded. She told him that she loved him no matter what he decided. She tried to touch his arm, but he backed up.
At the cliff house, Hope dropped by to hand over the swim goggles that Kelly had left behind. The goggles, Hope later admitted, provided a convenient excuse for her to check on Finn. Finn, shirtless from a recent swim, put on a shirt as he thanked Hope for her concern.
Hope and Finn sat down at the dining room table, and Finn relayed the details of Deacon's close encounter with a supposedly ten-toed Sheila at the crematorium. Hope insisted that Deacon had to have been mistaken. Finn suggested that Deacon's reaction might just be part of the grief process. Hope admitted to feeling sad for her dad.
Finn admitted that it had not been easy dealing with Sheila's death, but he quickly noted that "Sheila only had herself to blame." Wanting to be optimistic, Hope suggested that "the silver lining" in Sheila's death was that Finn and Steffy did not "have to worry about Sheila Carter ever again."
At Forrester Creations, Steffy thought back to the conversation she'd had with Finn about Deacon's belief that Sheila might still be alive. She was so lost in thought that she did not hear Liam knocking on the door of the executive office. Liam sensed that Steffy's mind was elsewhere, and he asked if she was okay.
"Just when you think that you're able to move on [and] close a chapter, some idiot just chimes in and yanks you back to where you were," Steffy said with a sigh. Liam wondered who the idiot was. Steffy told Liam about Deacon's theory that Sheila could still be alive. Steffy was insistent that Deacon was wrong, but Liam appeared more perplexed about why Deacon was "stuck" on Sheila.
Steffy wondered what was more plausible: "Deacon didn't see the toes correctly, or I -- I don't know -- I just killed a stranger in my house and told everyone that it's Sheila." Liam noted that there had been an investigation into Sheila's death, and he questioned how that could be explained away. Steffy repeated that Deacon was wrong. "She's dead and gone, and she's never coming back," Steffy said defiantly.
At Il Giardino, Deacon pressed Lauren for information about Sugar. Lauren was silent, her eyes darting from side to side. After some additional pressure, Lauren revealed that the Sugar she knew of was in jail. Calling it "ancient history," a clearly rattled Lauren said that she never again wanted to talk about Sugar or Sheila. "And I strongly advise you to forget about Sheila and anyone that she could be texting," Lauren snapped.
Lauren said it was "extremely crazy" for Deacon to believe that Sheila could be alive. Lauren resented being seen as the "resident Sheila expert." Lauren noted that Sheila faking her own death was proof of how dangerous and "truly insane" Sheila was. Deacon told Lauren that he had accompanied Sheila's body to the crematorium. He shared the story of the sheet uncovering the body's feet.
Lauren begged Deacon to stop torturing himself. Deacon, however, remained insistent that he had seen ten toes on the body. Lauren closed her eyes and gasped, "Sugar." Deacon realized that Lauren did know Sugar. Lauren told Deacon that Sugar had been Sheila's warden when Sheila had been in prison. Sheila had "worked her magic" and convinced Sugar to help her escape -- and then the pair had ended up in Genoa City.
"Sheila was in the mental ward, where she belonged," Lauren added. Deacon began firing off a series of questions for Lauren. She told Deacon to stop asking questions and to start listening because he was about to be "as blown away" as she had been.
Lauren sat down at a nearby table, and Deacon took her a glass of whiskey. Lauren told Deacon that Sheila had not been the one being cared for in the psychiatric facility. She reflected on a conversation she'd had with Sheila nearly two decades earlier in which Sheila had revealed that Sugar had "sacrificed her face for the cause" in South America.
Sugar, Sheila had told Lauren, had believed that she'd be getting a facelift. When the surgery had been over, however, Sugar had learned that she'd looked exactly like Sheila. Sugar had been drugged and recommitted to the psychiatric facility because no one had believed Sugar's claims that she had not been Sheila.
"I was right! It wasn't Sheila that got cremated. She's alive. My God, Sheila's alive," Deacon exclaimed.
