For EJ DiMera, the sight of his wife Nicole kissing her ex-husband Eric was the last straw. He could no longer stand idly by while the mother of his child pined for another man. With calculating determination, EJ set in motion a risky plan to secure his family – no matter the cost.
His first move was to covertly approach Sloan Petersen, the woman who illicitly adopted Nicole’s biological child shortly after his birth. Using his persuasive powers and deep pockets, EJ made Sloan an offer she couldn’t refuse. “Confess that baby Jude is really my son and disappear,” he demanded. “In return, you’ll receive enough money to start a new life anywhere you desire.”
According to portrayer Dan Feuerriegel, EJ arrogantly believes he can manipulate the situation to his advantage. “He convinces Sloan that no one will believe her side of the story,” the actor revealed. “She’s the one who committed this crime, and he’s just trying to make things right.”
Of course, EJ’s true motivations are more selfish in nature. After witnessing the crackling chemistry between Nicole and Eric, he has become obsessed with eliminating his romantic rival once and for all. “He saw how not having this child is tormenting Nicole,” Feuerriegel explained. “By returning baby Jude to her, EJ thinks it will strengthen his marriage while driving Eric out of their lives for good.”
It’s a high-stakes gamble filled with potential pitfalls. Nicole may indeed be overjoyed to finally reunite with her long-lost son. But will she be able to forgive EJ’s underhanded machinations once the truth emerges about how he reacquired the child? There’s also the very real possibility that the return of baby Jude could push a grief-stricken Eric even closer to Nicole rather than accomplish EJ’s desired outcome.
Sloan too could ultimately refuse EJ’s hush money and instead decide to reveal his involvement to the authorities. Such a public admission of his deceit and illegal actions would be disastrous for the DiMera heir. Not to mention, it could completely shatter any remaining bonds of trust between him and Nicole.
For now though, a confident EJ presses forward with his duplicitous plot, believing he’s insulating his family by any means necessary. But in doing so, he may be setting off an unpredictable chain of events that could ultimately blow up his marriage and life in spectacular fashion. In Salem, no secret remains buried forever.
