If there’s one storyline that evokes both sympathy and anger this week, it’s Chanel and Johnny.

Chanel is pregnant, and she chooses to stand her ground: this is her body, her decision, and she refuses to back down no matter how much the risk is.

Johnny, on the other hand, is so worried that his eyes are constantly on the verge of tears: he fears a repeat of the bad situation, fears Chanel’s stubbornness in her desire to hold onto happiness, and fears his own helplessness when something truly bad happens.

They truly love each other, so their arguments are painful.

Chanel feels like she’s being negated when Johnny mentions the risk, while Johnny sees Chanel’s stubbornness as if he’s walking into a fire.

But Salem isn’t just a couple’s argument. The scary thing is that the pressure outside is increasing every day, and that pressure is what could push Chanel to her limit. Sophia Choi is still plotting to escape Bayview, and those around her risk being dragged into it like pawns, especially Rachel. Just one slip-up from Sophia’s side, with the mindset of “paying her dues,” and Salem will know the truth. The problem is Sophia’s goal isn’t just to cause trouble for fun. She could target Chanel and Johnny directly, because in her mind, they have something she wants to destroy.

At this point, Salem starts to smell terrifying: Trey, the baby Chanel and Johnny are raising like their own, could become the trigger. Imagine Chanel arguing with Johnny about a prenatal checkup, only to find Trey gone. A phone rings, a short video shot in a dark corner, with no explanation, but enough to make Chanel’s heart sink.