Victoria Newman has had a troubled past with men, and even though things were looking up for her when she reconnected with her ex, J.T. Hellstrom (Thad Luckinbill), it was anything but a fairytale. Slowly but surely, J.T.'s obsession with taking down Victoria's father, Victor Newman, consumed him and became his entire identity. Unfortunately, Victoria ignored all the red flags that suggested something wasn't right.
J.T. started to abuse Victoria both verbally and physically, but she withheld the truth from her close friends and family. However, at a girl's night gone wrong, Nikki, Phyllis Summers, and Sharon Newman (Sharon Case) witnessed his abuse firsthand. Nikki reacted instinctually when she saw him attacking Victoria, picking up a fire poker from the fireplace and striking him on the head with it — seemingly killing him. Afterward, the group of women worked together to bury J.T.'s body.
J.T.'s death haunted Nikki more than the rest because he had actually survived the ordeal and was playing mind games with everyone involved — including planting the clothes he was wearing that night in Nikki's bed. That, combined with Tessa Porter (Cait Fairbanks) blackmailing her after discovering footage of the burial, Nikki became increasingly paranoid. Eventually, things went to trial, and Phyllis sold everyone out, getting a slap on the wrist while the others were sentenced to prison time.
