Salem is buzzing with the dramatic love triangle between Gabi Hernandez, Philip Kiriakis, and Stefan DiMera.

After much turmoil, Gabi tries to forget Stefan – who is presumed dead – and start over with Philip, who patiently waits for her and always protects her.

But the latest spoiler reveals: Gabi’s heart never truly belonged to Philip.

Things take a turn for the worse when Gabi receives information that Stefan is dead, but the evidence is contradictory.

Some say his body was never found. Others swear they saw him in Prague. The more Gabi investigates, the more she feels Stefan is still alive – and that Vivian Alamain might be hiding him for her own purposes.

Philip begins to sense Gabi’s growing distance. She stays awake all night, dreaming of Stefan, calling him by the wrong name even when she’s with him. In a scene that went viral on social media, Philip bitterly exclaims, “I’m tired of living in the shadow of a dead man.”

If Stefan were truly alive, everything would be turned upside down. But if he were truly dead, Gabi would have to face the truth that she had lost two men at once – one by fate, one by obsession. Salem has never lacked tears, but Gabi’s pain this time is perhaps the tragic climax of the season.