It looks like Stephanie could easily start plotting to help Alex Kiriakis (Robert Scott Wilson) win full custody of Kelsey Kiriakis (Lena and Mira Chase) and cut Joy out of the picture entirely!
Alex’s Emotions Have Been Running Amok!
This week, Alex was thrilled when his dad called to say baby Kelsey’s birth certificate was ready-it now shows her new name, Kelsey Kiriakis, and lists Alex as her dad.
However, during a talk about custody with Justin Kiriakis (Wally Kurth), Joy firmly stated she doesn’t want Alex’s wife, Stephanie, around Kelsey.
This made Alex angry, and he left to vent to Stephanie. He had to explain why there’s no custody agreement yet. Stephanie blamed herself, saying if she hadn’t shot at Joy, they wouldn’t be in this situation.
She had been taking too much medication and left a loaded gun unsecured, knowing Joy had a key to their apartment; in a panic, she shot at Joy while groggy.
Stephanie Had PTSD, But That Was Understandable
However, Stephanie suffers from PTSD due to past trauma-but she isn’t just randomly attacking people, so, it makes sense that she made a poor choice that day, and Joy is understandably upset.
After talking to Belle Black (Martha Madison), it seemed Joy was ready to reconsider custody and allow Stephanie to see her baby.
But after Alex left for work, Stephanie confronted Joy about what she viewed as a new stunt. Things seemed to improve until Stephanie got angry and accused Joy of wanting her husband all to herself and plotting against her.
To be clear, Joy does want Alex, but hasn’t acted inappropriately with him; Alex didn’t wait to understand Joy’s concern when she called about the insurance card.
Alex Assumed The Worst And Ran Out, But Stephanie’s Not Wrong About Joy’s Ulterior Motives
At the time, Alex assumed the worst and ran out, but Stephanie’s not wrong about Joy’s ulterior motives; so what will happen next?
Alex felt a bit upset that Stephanie confronted Joy, as Alex likely knew it wouldn’t help the situation-however, it’s likely Stephanie will persuade Alex that Joy is a bad influence on him.
After that, it’s doubtful Alex will agree to scheme against Joy, regardless of what Stephanie says, because he probably realizes it would only worsen things.
Still, we can’t expect Stephanie to give up; she will begin to devise her own plans. She might do everything possible to ensure that Alex not only gets 50/50 custody but also sole custody.
There Have Been Some Hints In The Show About Future Events
Then, something intriguing occurred that could hint at future events. Rachel Black (Lorelei Olivia Mote) and Tate Black (Leo Howard) approached to see little Kelsey, and Rachel mentioned that Tate thought he had a baby too, but it turned out the child wasn’t his after all.
It was an awkward moment, and Belle called her out on it, but that’s just typical Rachel behavior.
Meanwhile, Tate was eavesdropping on Joy and Belle, and he snapped at Joy, stating that using a child as leverage is wrong and that it never ends well. It seems that the writers of Days of our Lives might be teasing what lies ahead for Joy, Alex, and Stephanie.
Stephanie Might Try To Expose Joy As A Liar
Stephanie might attempt to reveal Joy as a liar during her investigation for the custody case; she could uncover undeniable evidence, perhaps from a secretly conducted DNA test, showing that Joy manipulated the results.
Conducting such a test would be relatively simple for Stephanie-it would be shocking for Alex to discover he is not the biological father, which would undoubtedly break his heart since he loves Kelsey.
Joy takes pride in her daughter carrying the Kiriakis name due to its reputation-since Jeremy Horton (Michael Roark) brought Joy to town, he may have connections in the lab that could assist her.
In soap operas, paternity tests can often be falsified. Hospital staff have previously engaged in such actions and might accept a bribe to alter test results; so, it’s possible that the test was indeed tampered with.
What If Stephanie’s Plans Backfire, And Alex Loses Kelsey?
However, if Stephanie’s plans lead to Alex losing the daughter he has grown to love, it could create serious issues for both him and Stephanie.
On the other hand, Alex has the right to know if he is truly the father-we might also see Stephanie persuading Alex to join her in a scheme.
They could stage a breakup to uncover Joy’s true intentions; if Joy believes Alex is single, she might confess various things to him.
They could then use that information against her in custody court. Lastly, Stephanie could persuade Papa Steve Johnson (Stephen Nichols) to leverage his investigative skills to gather information on Joy-we don’t know much about her background, except that she is a savior sibling.
Joy Was Created To Save Her Sister’s Life
Joy was essentially created by her parents to donate and save her sister’s life; she has mostly been offscreen until her mother took her to Salem for a TV audition.
During that time, her mother criticized Joy for her casual relationships-this alone raises doubts about whether Alex is truly Kelsey’s father.
Additionally, Joy is unemployed and lives above a bar with her baby, which are not ideal parenting choices-this information could be used against Joy in court.
Stephanie could testify that she’s in counseling, has disposed of the gun, and is stable and safe.
However, unless Stephanie uncovers serious flaws in Joy, her act of shooting at Joy makes her a significant liability in any custody battle, something Alex must be aware of, and likely his father too.
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