SOAP NEWS
November 2000

Living A Lie: Sneaky Sami turns on the charm to keep Austin

Day's manipulative vixen, Sami, discovers the truth about her marriage! She learns that her entire relationship is a sham when she stumbles across annulment papers.

Desperate to keep Austin (Austin Peck) from leaving her, Sami (Alison Sweeney) deals her trump card - the amnesia ploy.

"She plays the 'Oh poor me! I can't believe I've done such terrible things. How could anyone love me?' She plays on Austin's guilt," explains Days head writer James E. Reilly.

Thrown off balance by the annulment, Sami comes close to telling Lucas that he is actually Will's father.

"At this point, Lucas realizes Sami has been acting stranger around Will than usual," explains Bryan Dattilo (Lucas). "He's suspicious of the way Sami is acting, but things have nearly blown up in her face recently and he figures she's being protective of her hold over Austin. Will is so valuable in her plan to get Austin back."

Then Sami learns that Austin is neither with Carrie, nor told her about the annulment.

There's hope!

Sami plays the martyr, telling Austin she and Will are moving out, but has an underhanded plan and enlists Lucas' help.

"Sami has Lucas go to Austin and suggest they go have a few drinks together," says Dattilo. "Lucas tells him they've both lost the same woman, Carrie. Lucas says too that he's changed his ways and family is very important to him.

Lucas and Austin should be miserable together and hang out as brothers. They go for a few drinks, but in a short time, Austin realizes it's not such a great idea."

"While Lucas has Austin out," says Dattilo, "Sami goes into Austin's apartment and plants a transmitter there."

That night Austin has the first of several nightmares about Curtis and what an awful father he was. He fears that he'll turn out like Curtis. Austin's nightmares will push him to a surprising decision.

"Kate is happy Sami found out about the annulment because this happened without her saying anything," says Reilly. "Kate is hoping Sami's blackmail on Kate won't come out too."

When Kate finds out about Sami's plots against Austin, she tells Sami she's going to expose her. However, Sami asks Kate which one of the juicy secrets she should reveal first if Kate tells Austin any thing that she knows.

Sami's manipulations are finally paying off. "After plenty of emotional struggle, Austin decides to do what's right with Sami," says Reilly. "He never stops loving Carrie, but after going over all the things in his own past, with Curtis and now with Will, he decides that Carrie is better off with Mike."