It was a Marquita and Hayley month for September—and we here at Soap Opera News are proud to highlight (and name) Marquita Goings as our Star of the Month!
When Beyond the Gates launched back in February 2025, we knew Hayley Lawson (soon-to-be Hamilton) was trouble. After all, she did steal somebody’s husband. What we didn’t have on our bingo cards was that Hayley would turn out to be a master con woman. But boy, are we glad she did.
Because watching Marquita Goings sink her teeth into this story has been one of the highlights of September.
What she pulled off this month elevated her straight into the daytime villain hall of fame (for playing Hayley, of course!). She didn’t just deliver great scenes—she owned them.
Let’s talk about it!
Key Takeaways
- Marquita Goings owned September as scheming Hayley on Beyond the Gates.
- Hayley’s poisoning plot against Bill finally began falling apart.
- The mansion showdown with Dani delivered one of the month’s biggest moments.
- Hayley’s mugshot wink became an instant classic.
- Goings made Hayley dangerous, funny, messy, and impossible to ignore.
Why Marquita Slayed September
When the truth about Hayley finally started coming out, we learned just how deep the con went. Hayley, whose real name is Val, is an experienced scam artist who targets wealthy men. However, she doesn’t pull it off alone. She works with her cousin, Randy Parker, who supplies her with fake identities and helps her put these long-term schemes together.
And Bill Hamilton? He was just the latest target.
Hayley had worked her way into Fairmont Crest, married the wealthy lawyer, and set an entire plan into motion. Drain his accounts. Fake a pregnancy. Poison him. Then cash in on a $10 million life insurance policy.
Clearly, Hayley wasn’t playing around.
Of course, even the best-laid soap schemes eventually start to unravel. Hayley knew that at some point the truth will come to light, which is why she kept those recordings that later became her ticket out when she needed to blackmail Bill into dropping the charges.
And that’s where September really got good.
Then Everything Started Falling Apart
Let’s backtrack a bit! Bill knew something wasn’t right with his health, and he turned to his ex-wife Dani Dupree Richardson. He confessed that he thought he was dying, and shortly after, he once again lost consciousness right there in Dani’s living room.
Once Bill was rushed to the hospital, Dani started putting the pieces together. She replayed everything he had told her and came to the horrifying realization that Hayley had been poisoning him.
Dani went into full sleuthing mode, with Naomi’s help. After getting the code to the mansion from her daughter, she headed over there to start looking for evidence—safe and all.
And then Hayley came home.
She knew immediately that something was off. There was the phone on the table. Then she looked around and spotted Dani, hiding right there in plain sight.
Hayley Meets Dani With a Gun
Dani didn’t waste any time, though. She made it clear that the gig was up for Hayley.
Well, at least she thought it was.
Hayley did what Hayley does best—she tried to talk her way out of it. But when Dani started mentioning the receipts, the situation quickly escalated, and suddenly Dani was the one staring down the barrel of a gun.
Listen—this is what soap fans live for.
It was pure soap gold. Well written. Well directed. And well acted. Right in the middle of it all was Goings, giving us a Hayley who was arrogant, desperate, scared, and still somehow convinced she could get herself out of the mess.
That is what made those scenes so good.
Goings didn’t suddenly turn Hayley into a panicked mess just because she was caught. Even with the walls closing in, there was still that confidence. You could see her thinking, calculating, looking for an opening. She made you believe Hayley was already searching for her next move while everyone else was still processing the last one.
And the scenes with Dani? Whew.
Goings and Karla Mosley play off each other beautifully. There is a real tension between them, and you never quite know which way the scene is going to go. Throw Timon Kyle Durrett into the mix as Bill, and the whole thing gets even better.
Then Came That Police Station Wink
Then came the police station.
And Marquita had fun with that one.
From the weeping crocodile tears when Bill confronted her to that signature opening-credits wink while getting her mugshot taken, Goings gave us drama, comedy, and just enough Hayley audacity to make you laugh even when you probably shouldn’t have been laughing.
That wink? Come on. Only Hayley.
And that’s another reason Goings has been so much fun to watch. She understands that Hayley isn’t just your typical type of soap villain. She’s entertaining. There is a little bit of ridiculousness underneath all that scheming, and Goings knows exactly when to let it peek through.
Just when it looked like Hayley was finally stuck—with no bail money and no attorney—Leslie Thomas came through. The woman who had been working overtime trying to become Hayley’s bestie paid the fine and got her “friend” released.
And what did Hayley do with her newfound freedom? Go to the hospital. Because apparently, laying low was never an option.
Hayley Finds Another Way Out
She went straight to see Bill, and once again, Hayley had something up her sleeve. This time, it was leverage.
Confronting a recovering Bill in his hospital room, Hayley revealed a recorded family secret and used it to blackmail him into getting her charges dropped. And keeping the payout!
Just like that, she had another card to play.
And honestly, that moment summed up what makes Marquita’s performance work so well. Hayley can be cornered. She can be exposed. She can even end up behind bars. But somehow, she always makes you wonder if she’s about to pull something else.
And then there are those facial expressions. Those deserve their own paragraph.
Seriously.
Marquita has made Hayley one of those characters you can watch without her saying a word. The look. The smirk. The little pause. That wink. She can be having the worst day of her life and somehow still look like she has a plan.
That’s a gift.
She has also managed to walk a very fine line with Hayley. We can be horrified by what this woman has done, yell at the television, and still find ourselves thinking, “Okay, but what is she going to do now?”
Marquita Goings Wins September
That’s Hayley.
And that’s Marquita.
She has made the character a vixen viewers love to hate, yell at, and, yes, sometimes even root for. Not because Hayley suddenly became a good person, but because Goings has made her the one to watch.
September gave her some seriously juicy material, and she took every bit of it and ran.
From the mansion showdown to the police station, from the crocodile tears to that mugshot wink, and finally to the hospital blackmail, Marquita Goings gave us a Hayley who was messy, dangerous, funny, desperate, and always looking for a way out.
So, for the schemes, the close calls, the gun, the blackmail, the tears, the expressions, the wink, and all those oh-so-Hayley moments, we are thrilled to name Marquita Goings our September Star of the Month.
Congratulations, Marquita!
You absolutely slayed September—and if Hayley has taught us anything, it’s that being counted out is never really an option.
Keep that wink ready, Haylster. We have a feeling you’re just getting started.
Which Marquita Goings-as-Hayley moment was your favorite in September? Tell us in the comments!
Photo Credit: CBS Broadcasting Inc.
Follow Soap Opera News on Google News to stay up to date with all the latest news, spoilers, recaps, interviews, and more.
Leave a Reply