Ashley Suzanne Abbott

Actor History

1982 to December 11, 1986 [contract]; May 25, 1988 [guest]; March 19, 1999 to January 11, 2007 [contract]; December 28, 2007 to January 3, 2008; February 27 and 28, 2008; March 25 and 26, 2008; June 19, 2008 to June 23, 2008 [guest]; March 9, 2007 to August 2007 [contract, on The Bold and the Beautiful]; August 2007 to July 4, 2008; November 25, 2008 [recurring, on The Bold and the Beautiful]; September 26, 2007 to June 23, 2008; September 26, 2008 to August 3, 2012 contract; March 18, 2013 to March 19, 2013 guest appearance; October 25, 2013 to October 29. 2018; contract; March 29, 2019 to Present; recurring

Brenda Epperson

December 12, 1988 to December 1995

Shari Shattuck

March 1996 to February 22, 1999

McKayla Dunne

Other Names

Lifeline

Residence

Occupation

Marital Status

Past Marriages

Relatives

Children

Flings & Affairs

Health and Vitals

Crimes Committed

Brief Character History

In 1982, Ashley returned home from college and Traci from boarding school to find Jill Foster putting the make on their father, John. Both their father and brother Jack seemed to favor Ashley, the beautiful and brainy sister, more than the shy and overweight Traci. Their mother Dina had abandoned them for Europe when they were children, leaving them to be raised by John and his housekeeper, Mamie Johnson. Ashley began working as a chemist at Jabot Cosmetics as "Susan Ashley" to keep from being labeled the boss' daughter, and a romance developed with fellow-chemist Brian. Later that year, Ashley found Jack in bed with his lover Diane Jenkins, and hauled him to the church for his wedding to Patti Williams. During Jack's absence from Jabot, after Patti shot him for his philandering, Ashley was named president of the company, though always maintained her presence in the Jabot lab creating new fragrances.

Ashley's next romance was with Eric Garrison. Eric proposed, and when his belongings arrived from Paris, Ashley found among them a painting of her estranged mother, Dina, signed, "All My Love, Eric." Ashley broke it off with Eric and soon fell in love with Marc Mergeron, who turned out to be her mother, Dina', stepson! Then former country club tennis pro Brent Davis returned to town and began an affair with Dina's friend Katherine "Kay" Chancellor. When he found out he was dying he wanted to reveal to Ashley that he had been Dina's lover and was Ashley's real father! Dina and Kay tried to talk him out of it, but Ashley was traumatized by the news when he told her, and ended up with no memory at a roadside diner where she took the name "Annie" and worked as a waitress. When Brent and Kay returned from a vacation together, Dina confronted Brent about what he had done. Dina shot Brent but missed and Kay was shot instead. Jack figured out what had happened, and he and his then-lover, Jill, confronted Dina. Dina and John began a search for Ashley. A truck driver saw one of their fliers, figured out who "Annie" really was and offered her whereabouts to John for ransom. Victor Newman ended up finding her at the diner, and took her home to recuperate with him and Nikki at the ranch. Ashley forgave her real father just before his death, and vowed that John Abbott would never find out. Only Dina, Jack, Jill, Katherine, and Victor know the secret of Ashley's real parentage to this day, and John never found out before his death.

Ashley moved from the ranch when she found her and Victor being drawn to each other. Nikki discovered it and retaliated by having an affair with Jack Abbott. Deciding to fight for Victor, she tried to pair Ashley with Victor's brother Matt Miller. It was too late. Nikki and Victor separated, and Ashley and Victor were in love. When Victor learned that Nikki had an incurable disease, he returned to Nikki to try to make her remaining days happy. Ashley discovered she was pregnant then found out about Victor and Nikki's reconciliation. Although Matt volunteered to marry her, Ashley decided the only solution was abortion. Meanwhile, Victor found out Nikki was in remission yet still faking her disease so he filed for divorce, intending to return to Ashley. Finding out about the abortion, he berated Ashley and caused her to have another nervous breakdown. Ashley found herself without her memory again in a New York City mental institution. John eventually found her there and returned her to a posh private institution near Genoa City. Her New York doctor, Stephen Lassiter, had fallen in love with her, followed her to Genoa City, and became a resident psychiatrist there.

Ashley recovered thanks to Stephen's devotion, and they were married. During their honeymoon in Hawaii they were stalked by Leanna Randolph, a former mental patient of Stephen's who fantasized that they were lovers. After Leanna made several attempts to murder Ashley with a poisoned lei, Ashley spent most of her honeymoon sick. Ashley never found out about Leanna's connection to Stephen nor that she tried to murder her. Leanna followed them back to Genoa City and became the infamous, wacky Leanna Love, aka Nora Randall, author of "Ruthless," the expose on Victor which included a chapter on his affair with Ashley and the resulting abortion. Stephen and Ashley's marriage was short-lived when he was murdered by another deranged former patient.

It wasn't long before Ashley was actively pursued by her sister, Traci's, ex-husband, Brad Carlton. Before Ashley could give an answer to his proposal, Traci returned to Genoa City, determined to win back Brad. Torn between her feelings for her sister and Brad, Ashley returned to her cottage in the woods for solace. Hurting due to Nikki's recent marriage to Jack, Victor also turned up at the cottage pining for his lost love with Ashley. Victor and Ashley convinced themselves that they were still in love and impulsively married. Victor's daughter Victoria returned as a teenager from her Swiss boarding school, determined to break up her father's new marriage. When Victor discovered Nikki was drinking and suffering from chronic pain, he slowly fell back in love with her. Victoria felt sorry for Ashley and told her everything. Ashley moved out, and she and Victor divorced.

Next, the unlucky in love Ashley became interested in Jabot's mysterious new photographer Blade. They fell in love and married. Determined to cause trouble, Blade's former lover Marilyn (Mari Jo) Mason, accused Blade of fighting with his twin brother Rick and leaving him to drown. Both were quite surprised when Rick arrived in town, quite alive, but bent on revenge against Blade. Rick ended up holding Blade hostage and taking his place as Ashley's husband. Even after Blade escaped and resumed his role as her husband, he never told Ashley of the deception. Blade was killed by a train as he rushed home to rescue Ashley from a returned-for-revenge Rick. It wasn't until Blade's funeral that Mari Jo told Ashley via Jill that for months she had been living as Rick's wife. Devastated, Ashley ran off to live in Paris.

Years later, after Ashley's return, she was attacked and nearly killed by two thugs while walking through the woods. She was rescued by the mysterious Kurt Costner, whom the thugs shot and left for dead. Ashley and Kurt were rushed to the hospital. They became attracted to each other, and Kurt's haunting past turned out to be that he had thought he had killed his wife and daughter in a car accident. Ashley found the evidence that proved Kurt was not at fault. Saving Hope's life convinced Kurt to return to his career as a doctor, and he became close to Hope. Ashley forced him to choose one of them, and Kurt chose to escort Hope and Victor Jr. back to Kansas.

The following year, Ashley agreed to let Cole Howard write his new novel based on her. Cole's wife Victoria, who was Ashley's former step-daughter, had abandoned him for Europe for months with no word. Victoria came home unexpectedly and found them together kissing on the bed. Victoria and Ashley competed for Cole. Cole and Victoria divorced and Ashley and Cole married. Then Ashley disappeared to Madrid, Spain, where she got involved in rescuing her step-brother, Rafael. She sold some stock to buy back paintings he had forged and sold. Because Cole was following her around Europe, always a step behind, he assumed she was having an affair with Rafael. Victoria, bent on breaking up their marriage, joined them in Europe and hooked up with Rafael. When they all finally returned to Genoa City, Victoria left Rafael with a ticket to follow them. In a last ditch attempt to save her marriage, Ashley decided they should have a baby but Cole took a teaching position at University of Oxford and divorced Ashley.

To help her get over Cole, Jack paid for Ashley to go on a cruise for Christmas. She returned pregnant. Ashley was determined to raise the baby herself, feeling guilty about the one she aborted. She refused to name the baby's father, and after being badgered by Jack, she said the father was her friend Christian in order to stop the questions. Ashley briefly fell in love with Victor Newman again, until he decided to end it due to too much bad history between them and the continual animosity between their families. Brad Carlton came to her rescue, wooed her, and talked her into marrying him, and letting him raise the child as his own. Ashley went in to labor, leaving Brad and the wedding guests waiting. Victor rushed her to the hospital, Ashley gave birth to a baby girl, and Brad and Ashley were married in her hospital room. Brad adopted the child, Abigail "Abby." Brad's troubled, teenaged daughter, Colleen, from his marriage to Ashley's sister, Traci, returned to Genoa City and lived at the Abbott Mansion.

Brad and Ashley allowed Colleen to babysit Abby to show they trusted her. Not long after they left, Colleen walked outside to smoke when baby Abby choked on a button and Colleen ran to her aid, saving her life. She was commended for her efforts after Brad and Ashley realized that Ashley had dropped the button. Colleen realizing how different things could have ended if she had been stoned, flushed the marijuana, vowing never to smoke again. With the help of her new friend, J.T. Hellstrom, Colleen tried her best to stay out of trouble. Though she worked hard to stay clean, Colleen found herself in trouble again when shefell in love with J.T. Their tumultuous relationship ended with Colleen coming to live with Brad and Ashley.

With Brad by her side, Ashley faced the biggest crisis of her life: the discovery that she had rapidly spreading breast cancer. She underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatments and lost her hair. The stress affected their relationship, especially when Ashley's former husband, Victor Newman, was always right there to support her. Ashley and Brad seemed to have gotten things back on track, but only after she drove him into her best friend Olivia's arms. Brad was wise enough to stop it at one kiss, but Olivia had a hard time forgetting, especially once Olivia uncovered Ashley's secret that Ashley's daughter, Abby, was fathered by Victor Newman's stolen sperm. Olivia and Drucilla coerced Ashley into telling Brad the truth. Brad was furious and left, and days later, he and Olivia made love. When Ashley discovered she was pregnant with Brad's child, they reunited and Olivia was left out in the cold.

Several months later, the Cosmetic Wars began between Newman Enterprises and Jabot Cosmetics. Tensions rose as nearly everyone's mate was the enemy. Victor headed up Newman, and his wife, Nikki, worked for Jabot. Jack was Jabot, and his wife, Phyllis, worked for Newman. Neil worked for Newman, and his fiancé, Drucilla, worked for Jabot. Victoria and Nick were in the middle with their parents on opposite sides. Victoria was resentful that Victor passed her over and mentored Nick to take over Newman one day, while Nick was unable to forgive Victor for being too close to his wife, Sharon. Newman Enterprises outbid Jabot to buy out Satine Cosmetics for Women of Color due to inside information that Drucilla let slip to Neil. To compete, Jabot decided to resurrect a similar shelved project of Ashley's called Tuvia. Drucilla got her payback when she found out that Newman was trying to woo Satine creator, Damon Porter, as the chemist for the newly named Safra line. Drucilla stole him away to work for Jabot during Ashley's maternity leave. Jabot was still hurting financially, but saw Tuvia as their savior. Jabot was depending on their reputation and fine product to put them back in the black, but Victor could not let Jabot win the war, so he blackmailed Michael Baldwin into paying off large retailers to give Newman the prime shelf space normally held by Jabot.

With both product's rollout only a day away, Victor felt the need to find the very pregnant Ashley where she was nesting at a resort just days away from delivery. He came there to tell her not to worry, which only made her worry. The next day, Newman's Safra was selling like hotcakes and finished a close second to Jabot's Tuvia. The Abbotts were shocked; the Newmans jubilant. Nick smelled a rat. Ashley, convinced Victor pulled a fast one, decided to drive to Genoa City to convince him to stop whatever he was doing to Jabot. Ashley's sport-utility vehicle was broad-sided just outside Genoa City, and Jack and Brad were on the scene as she was cut out of the vehicle and rushed to the hospital battered and bruised. As Brad held the hand of the unconscious Ashley, the fetal heart monitor stopped. Ashley was rushed into surgery, but baby Robert, named after John's father, died. Nearly everyone blamed Victor Newman. John went out to the ranch and punched Victor in the face. Ashley blamed herself, especially after Olivia delivered the news that she couldn't have more children. When Victor came to see Ashley, she told him to go away. Brad went gunning for Victor to even the score. Later Ashley had another breakdown and happily showed people her newborn son which was nothing but a baby blanket, and refused to allow Brad to hold a memorial service. Ashley got the help and medication she needed and returned home.

Ashley spent a few months nearly catatonic until they realized she snapped out of it whenever Victor's name was mentioned. They got Victor to speak to her, and she eventually came out of it. Convinced it was caused by her untold secret, Ashley decided to tell Victor that her daughter Abby was his child by stolen sperm sample. Nikki begged her to let her tell Victor, but Abby beat everyone to it by telling Victor "Momma says you are my daddy." Victor confronted Brad, Brad told him it was true, and Victor was livid with all those involved. Victor wanted unsupervised visitation with Abby. Ashley wanted to allow it, but Brad was against it.

Nick found out about Victor's dirty tricks concerning Safra/Tuvia, and turned him in to the FBI. Victoria was so disappointed with her father that she left town. Victor felt Nick had betrayed him and disowned him. Nikki confronted Victor saying that his tricks had lost her her $35 million investment in Jabot, but Victor claimed he did nothing wrong and that was how business was done. Unlike the rest of the Abbotts, Ashley let Victor know she was ashamed of him, but held no grudge. Victor was arrested and jailed the day before Christmas, but he refused bail. When Ashley found out, she visited him and convinced him to quit moping, accept bail, and go home to his family for Christmas. Although Michael offered to take the rap, Victor insisted he make a deal with the district attorney's office to hopefully save Michael's legal career. Nikki gave an impassioned speech at Victor's commercial bribery trial, and Phyllis dealt the final blow to her marriage to Jack by also testifying on Victor's behalf. Phyllis asked Nick for her job back, but he turned her down. Victor was found guilty and in a last ditch attempt to keep from going to prison, offered Jack $75 million to settle. Jack laughed in his face as it was nowhere near what they lost. Victor was sentenced to do a lot of community service. After sentencing, John and Ashley raked Jack over the coals for not consulting them about the settlement offer. They attempted to accept the settlement, but Victor pronounced the offer was down to $20 million, so they declined. Further prodded by Nikki for a reasonable settlement, Victor made his final offer -- the original $75 million with the stipulation that Jack could never work for Jabot again. Reluctantly John and Ashley were about to accept, when Jack offered to resign if it would save Jabot. He did, Jabot got the $75 million, and Jack reverted to his happy-go-lucky, unemployed, playboy self.

Ashley, living in a dream world, suddenly announced to Brad that their marriage was over because she wanted to be with her true love, Victor. When Victor heard what she did, he confronted Ashley and made her realize that he was happily married to Nikki with no romantic interest in Ashley. Ashley and Brad separated, Ashley moved home to the Abbott Mansion, leaving Abby in the house with Brad. Victor enjoyed regular visitation with Abby until she fell from a horse on the ranch, and became afraid of him. Ashley and Jack were both shocked when John and Gloria returned from a cruise and announced they were married. Ashley was convinced Gloria was a gold digger, disapproved of the relationship, and vowed to end it, while Jack was content if Gloria made John happy. When John found out that Gloria was mother to Michael Baldwin and Kevin Fisher, he was ready to end the marriage. A fall down the stairs caused John to break his hip and Gloria managed to weasel her way back into his good graces while he recuperated.

Once Jabot went through the $75 million and was teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, Ashley took Victor up on his offer to come aboard as a consultant. When John realized that Victor was making drastic cuts in the company which he could not abide by, he removed Ashley as CEO, came out of retirement, and took the position himself.

Ashley began dating Paul Williams but was also being pursued by a mysterious man named Tom Callahan. What she didn't know was that he was Gloria's ex-husband, and Kevin's abusive father, "Terrible" Tom Fisher. After witnessing a bit of his temper, Ashley asked Tom to back off and that she only wanted to be friends. Tom went to the Abbott Mansion and confronted Gloria who was shocked and terrified to see him. She held him at bay with a fireplace poker while he tried to sweet talk her in his smarmy manner, expecting a cut of her good fortune from being married to a rich man. But Gloria gave him -a piece of her mind about the kind of man he was and is and got him out the back way, just before John and Ashley returned. Tom showed up at Michael's house, and Lauren looked on in horror as Michael fought Tom, as all the years of rage came out. Gloria was still so cowed by Tom, she gave in to his blackmail demands by tricking money out of John by supposedly paying expenses for Michael and Lauren's wedding. Michael decided it was time to put a stop to it all, and tell John the truth. But Tom outwitted him by going to John himself, telling him who he really was, that his intentions toward Ashley were honorable, that Michael had known all along and Gloria didn't, and he was only there to make up for the past. John went home and told Gloria, who played into Tom's plan once again. She was free and clear with John, but further indebted to Tom, and Michael was on the spot. They told Ashley, who later slugged Tom at the Athletic Club. Because Gloria continued to pay Tom blackmail money stolen from John, Michael formed an alliance with Ashley. They planted drugs in Tom's motorcycle saddle bags, and arranged for him to be caught. But Tom pressured Gloria through Sheila Carter (disguised as Jennifer) to pay his bail. Ashley began dating Tom as part of the plot to bring him down, but Tom found out and became bent on revenge!

Not realizing that Sheila was intent on murder, Tom was conned into joining her plot to get back at Lauren, by planting a bomb on Lauren and Michael's honeymoon yacht. Michael watched in horror from shore as the yacht blew up. Lauren was not found and was presumed dead. But Tom had rescued Lauren and took her and Sheila back to a farmhouse in Genoa City where he held them in the basement fallout shelter. Lauren convinced Tom that Sheila was the "bad guy", so he contacted Gloria to arrange a deal to turn over Lauren. John overheard the phone call, grabbed his gun, and met Tom in an alley instead. During a struggle the gun went off, and Tom was killed. John dropped the gun and took off, and got into a car accident, but Ashley arrived in time to witness it. Ashley confessed to the shooting and was arrested, Michael signed on to be her lawyer. Meanwhile Lauren and Sheila fought, and Lauren broke Sheila's ankle. Realizing Tom was not coming back, they joined forces to escape. As they were almost out, Paul arrived and pulled Lauren to safety while the shelter caved in on Sheila. Sheila was not found in the rubble, but was later seen at a plastic surgeon's office wanting a new face. After recovering from the accident, John regained his memory, and confessed to killing Tom. John got Paul to help him convince the D.A. that he was guilty, and accepted a plea bargain to get Ashley exonerated of all charges. Although Colleen, Gloria, Jill, Katherine, Jack, Victor, and Ashley testified as character witnesses, they were shocked when John was sentenced to seven years in prison for voluntary manslaughter.

With John in prison and not at the mansion to protect her, Gloria grew tired of the way Jack and Ashley treated her and vowed to get even. She managed to get access to the new product Ashley was developing in the lab and compromised it with cleaning solution to make trouble for them. Gloria even asked for a sample, then used it on herself to get severe facial burns to show everyone that Ashley's cream was a hazard. Unfortunately samples had already been distributed to select people, and a woman ended up dying after using the cream. The cause of death was a bit suspicious, but the husband was paid off by Jabot to avoid a lawsuit.

While in prison John started getting into fights with inmates and having spells where he believed his first wife Dina had just left him. Jack, Ashley, and Gloria were made aware, and John's doctor examined him, discovering that John was being over-medicated. Six months after his incarceration, John was about to be released early due to ill heath when he had a stroke and was rushed to Genoa City Memorial in grave condition. The doctors explained that John would never come out of his vegetative state and had signed a D.N.R. After much bickering between Gloria and Jack, Gloria decided to use her authority in the D.N.R to allow John to die. Billy and Traci returned to say farewell to their father, as did old friend Kay, and ex-wife Jill. Jack and Ashley, who wanted a small family-only memorial service for John, over-ruled Gloria who wanted a huge lavish funeral. As the feud between them heightened, Jack made sure that Gloria had the wrong time so that she missed the memorial service where each of John's children, Kay, and Jill, gave a heartfelt eulogy.

Jack, who was legally unable to own Jabot, made an offer through a company called House of Kim, which Katherine accepted. To make matters worse, Jack financed it using a loan from Victor Newman. Ji Min Kim arrived in Genoa City as the figurehead owner of Jabot. When Victor figured out that Jack owned Jabot, he was determined to destroy Jack. Ashley was so upset by the collusion that she accepted a position with House of Kim in Hong Kong and took her daughter, Abby, with her.

Ashley and Abby ended up in France, where she soon met Rick Forrester, who was there to launch a line of fragrances for Forrester Creations. They made love on an airplane and had a one-night stand in Mexico. Ashley accepted a position with Forrester Originals in Los Angeles designing a fragrance to go with their new line of boutiques. She and Rick Forrester agreed to keep the romance they had in Paris in the past, as he was moving on with a new love, Phoebe.

Ashley set her sights on Ridge Forrester, and the feelings were returned. They grew closer and Ridge proposed. Shortly after his proposal Ridge realized he was still in love with Brooke and broke the engagement. Brooke, seeing her brother Storm alone and unhappy, suggested he ask Ashley out. She accepted and they began a casual dating relationship. Ridge went absolutely ballistic when he realized Storm was dating Ashley because he had fired Storm and forbidden him to have any dealings with anyone who worked at Forrester.

When Ridge felt Ashley and Storm were getting too close, he revealed the secret to Ashley that Storm had shot Stephanie. Ashley became paranoid and afraid of Storm. Storm realized what Ridge had done and immediately his own paranoia came to the forefront. He started acting strangely, which frightened Ashley she ended the date and asked him to take her home. Storm tried to talk to her and get her to admit that Ridge had poisoned her mind about him. He tried to explain his confused and unstable state of mind when he shot Stephanie. Ashley finally got him to leave, then Storm returned to Ashley's with a gun, a replica of the one he used on Stephanie. He said he wanted to explain what happened and the gun was a prop. Katie rushed over, and seeing their argument, Katie misunderstood, and tried to take the gun. The gun went off and Katie was shot through the heart. After Storm's death, Ashley came forward and confirmed he did not shoot Katie, that she basically shot herself when struggling for the gun.

Back in Genoa City, Jeffrey and Gloria Bardwell's latest plot was to buy up shares in Jabot to get controlling interest. They opened an account in the Caymans called Agreeing Lovers, an anagram for Gloria's Revenge. They included Jack in the plan, promising him he could head Jabot again. Jack was hesitant to trust them as they never even fully trust each other. But he convinced Ashley and Traci to let him proxy their stocks to help put Jabot back under Abbott control.

After Victor's wife Sabrina was killed, he disappeared from Genoa City with the police looking for him with unanswered questions in the death of Walter Palin, the man Victor held responsible for her death. Nikki, Victoria, and Nick were unable to convince him to return and come out of his reclusive state. Victor was hiding out in France at the chateau he bought for Sabrina, but in his depression, tearfully burned it to the ground. Meanwhile, Nikki, Nick, Victoria, and J.T. tried to lead the authorities on a wild goose chase by appearing to meet Victor in Rio. During Nikki's interrogation by Heather and the authorities, Victor made a call to Michael who was acting as her lawyer. He ended up speaking to Heather, telling her he was innocent in the death of Walter Palin, and to leave his family and him alone. He fired Michael as his lawyer, and told everyone this was the last they would ever hear from him. So Nikki called Ashley as the one person Victor might listen to. Nick received a call from a Priest in Paris concerned about Victor, who was hiding out at a monastery there. Ashley left her job in London for Paris, but by then Victor had disappeared again. After finding a prayer card for Saint Raymond in his room, Ashley ended up in front of the Saint's statue, and Victor walked up behind her. They had a tearful reunion that ended up in them sleeping together. Ashley and Victor returned to Genoa City in time for Katherine's funeral(who was not really dead, it was her doppelganger, Marge). They sat in the front row and stunned everyone, then quickly left in a waiting limo. Once Heather found out, Victor was arrested for the murder of Walter Palin and confronted with the diary he supposedly wrote about the murder.

A Jabot shareholders meeting was called, and to Jill's shock, the Bardwells and Billy Abbott, with the majority of Jabot shares and proxies from Traci and Ashley, announced their takeover. Jack was present, and Jill reminded them that he was still legally banned from having anything to do with Jabot. Total confusion about who was now in charge was calmed when Ashley arrived and announced that she was once again the rightful CEO of Jabot.

Although cautioned by Jack, Traci, Dina, and Olivia about getting involved with Victor once again, Ashley returned to London for her things, and moved in with Victor at the ranch. Not long afterward, Victor was cleared and out of jail. On Christmas day, the day Sabrina and Victor's baby would have been born, Ashley readied champagne and four champagne flutes, explaining that two of the glasses represented her and Victor, and one glass represented Sabrina, who would always remain part of Victor's life. Victor smiled tenderly when Ashley directed his attention to the drawing of Sabrina that Ashley had framed and hung on the wall. When Victor asked about the fourth glass, Ashley summoned Abby, who had grown into a teenager, and explained that the glass contained cider. Victor embraced Ashley and Abby and joyously exclaimed, "My goodness. What a Christmas present is this."

Because Gloria went against Jeffrey's demand that she not testify for River at his trial, Jeffrey retaliated by burning his face with the tainted cream so that Gloria would be discovered as the culprit. Gloria was arrested and jailed for tainting the face cream. The Abbotts tossed Jeffrey out of the pool house and sued for the Bardwells' Jabot shares plus damages. At Jabot, Ashley angrily told Jack that he needed to stay away from Jabot or people might think that he was back. Jack informed her that he was back at Jabot and that Gloria's arrest would make it clear to everyone that Jabot was not responsible for the tainted cream. Ashley felt that until Gloria was convicted, it was too risky for Jack to return fearing that Gibson might reopen his lawsuit. Ashley consulted Victor, and to her surprise he told her that Jack's return was probably a good thing because she would be able to keep an eye on him. Back at Jabot Billy, Ashley, and Jack voted, and Ashley sided with Jack to let him return to Jabot.

Jeffrey and Jill each wooed Gloria to sell her Jabot shares to them, and Jack also offered to drop the charges if she sold to him. However, she sold them to Victor instead for money deposited in an offshore account. Ever plotting against Jack, Victor offered Jabot to Jill if she would seat Billy as CEO, then all the Abbotts, including Jack, could stay on board. Jill accepted the offer and justified Billy's appointment to Cane because Billy was an Abbott.

Brad's car broke down in a snowstorm. When he got out of the car, he heard the screams of Noah Newman who had gone skating with Eden and fallen through the ice. Brad died a hero after he pulled Noah from the hole in the ice, when he fell through himself and drowned. A Jewish service was held with the immediate family, his daughters Colleen and Abby, and his ex-wives Traci, Victoria, and Ashley. Brad's mother was unable to attend, and former lover Nikki was out of town. Sharon visited the grave alone, told him she always loved him and thanked him for saving Noah's life. In the Jewish tradition, a headstone was not laid until a week later.

As part of his manipulating Ashley away from Jabot, Victor talked her into taking Brad's position on the Newman board, but Colleen showed up at the board meeting vote citing Newman by-laws that would allow her to assume her father's board seat. Victor called in J.T. to try to talk her out of it, but he failed. Victor suspected Jack was behind it, and he was, although Colleen wanted to do it to honor her father Brad, as well.

Ashley threw a party for Victor's birthday at the Athletic Club. Nick, Phyllis, J.T., and Victoria attended and gave him gifts. Ashley's gift was to tell Victor that, against all odds, she was pregnant with his child.

Jill informed Billy that she was replacing him with Cane as Jabot CEO due to his lack of maturity, although Billy could still be in charge of Jabot's international sales division, but Billy quit on the spot and told Jill that she would never see Delia again. Cane was thrilled when Jill told him she was reappointing him to the CEO position at Jabot. Later, Jill fired Jack and Ashley, telling them they were living in the past and unable to embrace new ideas. Jack told Ashley not to worry, once Katherine was proven alive she would reinstate them, and with the help of Jack's new public relations person Mary Jane, Kay did make Jack CEO of Jabot again and restored Ashley and Billy to their Jabot positions.

Ashley put on the gown and earrings she found on her bed to go out with Victor to celebrate her birthday, but it inexplicably turned out it to be identical to what Sabrina wore the night of the gala when she was in the car accident. It upset Victor. Victor accused Nikki, and Nikki accused Ashley of having mental problems while pregnant again and wants to be Sabrina for him. Ashley found a photo of Sabrina in that gown along with her credit card, and wondered about her sanity herself. Olivia was concerned about Ashley, who also heard a baby crying in the woods, but Ashley maintained that history was not repeating itself. Ashley took a leave of absence from Jabot and was put on bed rest.

Eighty-year-old Katherine married Patrick "Murph" Murphy in the Chancellor garden in a service officiated by her son Brock. Nikki was the matron of honor, Victor was the best man (because Kevin was still locked up), and Amber and Mac were bridesmaids. Later Victor and Nikki shared a dance, and he said he was sorry that he accused her of taunting Ashley.

Adam Newman, Victor's son with Hope, who was blind, was angered when overhearing Victor talk to his son Nick into coming back to Newman as fulltime COO, saying he wants to leave Newman to his kids - Victoria and Nick. Adam was causing his own blindness by injecting his eyes with Botox, hoping his attorney, Rafe, could get him a "get out of jail free card." He lost enough weight to remove his ankle bracelet, and escaped out his window seeking revenge on Victor by tormenting Ashley, making her think she was losing her mind again. He bugged the ranch, left a recorder in the woods to make Ashley hear a baby cry, and created a phone call to Ashley from Sabrina by editing Sabrina's recorded voice from an art website that told her she was going to die, too,. His most elaborate trick was laying out a replica of the dress and earrings Sabrina was wearing in her fatal accident for Ashley to find and wear. When Ashley came down ready to go out, Victor was livid and at first blamed Nikki, but Adam set up Victor's house manager Estella, so Victor fired her. Ashley was rushed to the hospital spotting and in pain, where she found a scrapbook of Sabrina in her purse that Adam had planted. Meanwhile Adam was nearly caught missing from his room by J.T. and Victoria. Victor found a delivery receipt charged to Ashley's credit card, and asked Liv to recommend a psychiatrist for Ashley. But after Ashley took a walk in the garden and had a vision of Sabrina telling her she was fine with Ashley being pregnant and making Victor happy. Everything seemed fine again. That is until Adam pulled another trick on her, appearing as Sabrina, causing Ashley to fall down the stairs and miscarry. Adam cleaned up the mess, and coerced a Dr. Taylor head of OBGYN at Harvard to convince Ashley that her baby was fine. Ashley appeared to be having a hysterical pregnancy, as she still felt the baby move.

After Ashley's tormentor chopped the baby's head from Sabrina's statue in the garden at the ranch, Victor decided that for Ashley's sake, it was time to move on from mourning Sabrina. Still feeling guilty about the way she treated her friend Sabrina, Victoria was distressed when Victor had the statue removed and took down Sabrina's portrait from the living room. But he did ask Victoria to rebuild the Newman art collection that he had sold after Sabrina's death.

Ashley became concerned that she was not feeling her baby move anymore, so Adam arranged for Dr. Taylor to do an ultrasound substituting a recorded sonogram that reassured her. Victor surprised Ashley by suggesting they get married that very day. Adam was asked to be his best man and Abby was their maid of honor. Victoria happened by on business and was invited to stay. But Adam, in cahoots with Mary Jane, had her walk by the window dressed as Sabrina after the ceremony, causing Ashley to faint. Victor decided to send Adam to a half-way house for the blind to make it less stressful for Ashley, but that was dropped after Adam made himself look like a hero chasing Mary Jane off the property, his ankle monitor causing the police to arrive.

Thanks to a comment from Cane, Billy made Jill admit how Victor had coerced her into firing everyone at Jabot, stealing the Abbott family company away from them, and putting Billy in charge as a figurehead. Billy reacted by interrupting the Newman board meeting and exposing Victor's part in it in front of Ashley. Ashley reacted by having hallucinations of Sabrina taunting her that she would die like she did because of her love of Victor. After calling off her wedding to Paul, Nikki told everyone she had to get away, and disappeared into the dark in a hooded outfit to wait for a cab in front of the ranch. Meanwhile Ashley was driving back to the ranch, had another hallucination seeing Sabrina in a hooded outfit standing beside the road, and hit her with the car. Was it really Nikki? When Ashley realized it was Nikki's face she saw, and after finding Nikki's cell phone there, she confessed to Victor, but Victor only agreed that she needed psychiatric help. Meanwhile Adam intercepted mail from Nikki addressed from Boulder, Colorado, and did not tell Ashley or Victor about it.

Jack and Billy were concerned about Ashley's emotional condition and tried to talk her out of leaving Victor, but she refused. After they learned that Victor had brought back Patty Williams and turned her into Mary Jane Benson with plastic surgery and a new background to get back at Jack, Billy practically kidnapped Ashley, but she returned to Victor on her own. Once Ashley was finally convinced that Victor was behind Patty's reign of terror, resulting in his own granddaughter Summer being hurt, his dog Zapato being killed, Patty's fragile mental state being worsened, and her own torment by Patty, she packed to leave and wrote Victor a goodbye note. Then Billy showed up telling her that Victor had been shot by Patty, and they left for the hospital together. Victor arrived by ambulance in critical condition and had surgery to remove a bullet from his heart. Ashley confronted Victor about all that he had caused and sent him into heart arrhythmia. Paul traced Nikki to a Colorado spa and brought her back to be with Victor. But Victor's heart was too far gone, and only a heart transplant could save him. Tests confirmed Colleen was brain dead, and Traci finally made the heart-breaking decision to take her off life-support. Colleen's friends came to say goodbye including her best friend Lily. Kevin and Jana told Traci and Steve what a wonderful person she was, that she had turned their lives around by forgiving them for trying to kill her.

A broken-hearted J.T. whispered, "Goodbye Sweetheart" into Colleen's ear and went off to be with his wife, but he returned the next day and spent some time alone with Colleen. Her uncles Jack and Billy and half-sister Abby had a hard time comprehending it all. Then Traci and Steve were told that Colleen was an organ-donor, and Nikki had the nerve to intrude to request Colleen's heart to save Victor. Jack and Billy protested, then Jack reconsidered and agreed because Victor had basically saved his life. Victor and Colleen turned out to be a match, and Traci decided in favor of the transplant despite Billy's ranting about how Victor was responsible for "Cee Cee's" death and that she certainly would not have approved. Billy arranged a celebration of Colleen's life instead of a funeral with red balloons and everyone wearing bright colors. In addition to the Abbotts, Kevin, Jana, Phyllis, and Noah representing the Newman's, J.T., Mac, Kay, Murphy, and Daniel who presented Traci with a portrait of Colleen that he drew were present. "Aunt" Mamie and Dina sent flowers, Adrian and Brad's mother both unable to attend, phoned Traci. Victoria arrived and read a letter from Victor that was filled with gratitude. Traci, Jack, Ashley, Abby, Neil, Kay, Kevin, and J.T. gave eulogies about what they remembered most about her. Neil broadcasted his eulogy to Lily who was restricted to home due to her low immunity level. At the end, they all released red balloons, including Lily, to "An Angel's Lullaby" sang by Beth Maitland, who plays Traci. Colleen was buried next to her father Brad, her kidneys were donated to a 16-year-old girl, and her corneas were given to a father who had never seen his children.

Meanwhile, Ashley was convinced by Jack to check in to the same mental hospital where Sharon was. Adam followed with Dr. Taylor in tow. It wasn't long afterward that Sharon went into labor, and with no obstetrician on-staff, Dr. Taylor was enlisted to deliver her baby. Ashley went into "labor" for her hysterical pregnancy, and begged Adam to deliver her baby in her room. He gave her a drug that knocked her out. Meanwhile Dr. Taylor delivered Sharon's baby girl. Adam snatched her out of his arms, and when Ashley awoke, Adam handed her Sharon's baby as her own. Dr. Taylor was forced to deliver the news to Sharon that her baby had been born malformed and died. The baby was cremated, so by the time she told Nick there was no way to prove differently. Adam's guilt began drawing him close to both Ashley and Sharon.

After Ashley overheard Nikki and Victor talk of their undying love, she told Victor that she wanted a divorce and was keeping the ranch for their daughters to grow up there, to which Victor did not object. Ashley asked Adam to stay on living at the ranch. Victor made a rather quick recovery in time to arrive on Nikki's arm for his "daughter" Faith Colleen Newman's christening where Traci and Adam were godparents, and the baby wore Colleen's christening gown.

Billy made a surprise move by resigning as Co-CEO of Jabot and buying Restless Style magazine/webzine from Nick and Phyllis using a loan from Ashley. Phyllis was reluctant, but decided that it was no fun anymore without Nick, and she could spend more time with Summer if she went back to work at Newman. In retaliation for Colleen's death, his first issue became an exposé of Victor Newman's role in her death only to be kept alive by the donation of Colleen's heart. Victor took it rather calmly, while Ashley was livid when she realized Billy had spent her money to vilify the father of her children. Nick reacted by trying to kick Billy and the magazine out of his building, but it was illegal. Victor visited Colleen's grave, bought Nikki a ring, and left Faith a video of his version of his life, then he and Nikki said their goodbyes and left for a cardiac rehab center in Belgium. Ashley decided not to return to Jabot, but to concentrate on her daughters instead. She made a bid to buy into Chancellor Industries but was edged out by Tucker McCall.

Abby began acting defiant to her mother in reaction to the deaths of Brad and her sister Colleen, blaming Ashley for losing Victor to divorce, and hurt by the accusations at school that her father had killed her sister and was alive because he got her heart. So Ashley decided not to return to Jabot, but to stay home to look after both her daughters. Convinced that everyone did what they pleased without consequences, Abby began looking for attention in guys too old for her, like Ryder Callahan. On Halloween, Abby dressed as Amy Winehouse, and her friend Daisy dressed as Gwen Stefani, got into the party at Jimmy's Bar with fake ID's, hoping not to be discovered by Billy who was the host. But Amber and Chloe recognized them and got them non-alcoholic drinks, so when Det. Chance caught them later, they talked him into not arresting the girls and just sending them home.

Adam moved into the Carlton house with Sharon and was getting along rather well with Noah. Because Eden was seeing through Daisy's con job, Daisy set the Carlton house on fire while Noah and Eden were upstairs making love. Sharon accepted Ashley's invitation to move into the Newman ranch with her, with Adam knowing he would be uncomfortable living with the two women whose baby's he had switched. That same day Dr. Taylor showed up, telling Adam that he was going to tell them the truth. Adam followed him, and they fought in front of Jimmy's Bar. Phyllis happened to walk by just as Adam shoved Dr. Taylor, causing him to fall in front of a moving car and be killed.

In January 2010, Victor returned from Belgium with Nikki on his arm, just in time to catch Adam and Nick in a fist fight knocking his portrait from his office wall. Victor declared he was back in charge and everything either of them had done would be undone. He later showed up at the ranch to see Ashley and Faith, and let her know that he wanted the ranch back.

After some dirty dealing where Victor was able to get Jabot back, oust Jack, and install Victoria as CEO, Ashley gave Victor back his ranch in disgust.

After witnessing the death of Dr. Taylor, Phyllis did some investigating of Adam and Dr. Taylor's past in Boston, and found out about Dr. Taylor's sexual assaults of his patients. She and Ashley compared notes on Adam, and Ashley realized that he was the one who was gas-lighting her to drive her insane, then threw Adam and Sharon off the ranch. Victor and Nick began having second thoughts about trusting Adam, after he came to them threatening to expose them if they screwed him over. Sharon, despite Ashley and Nick's warnings, stood by her man, Adam. Because it was inherited by Abby at Colleen's death, Ashley was notified that the fire restoration of Brad's mansion was completed, and she and her daughters moved back in. Adam, afraid that all his lies were about to catch up with him, tried to talk Sharon into moving away, and asked Tucker to make him vice president of European Operations. Sharon was finally convinced by Skye's diary that Adam was lying, left him, and took Ashley up on her offer to move back to Brad's mansion. Then Sharon began to realize that her baby had not really died at birth, and was determined to get her back. Meanwhile Jack joined forces with Victor to take Adam down if Jabot could be returned to Chancellor. They plotted to get Sharon to lure Adam to the Abbott cabin, and with all he had wronged in attendance, including Rafe and Heather, they confronted Adam with what they knew. Adam played innocent even after Phyllis arrived with a deathbed letter Dr. Taylor had dictated to the ambulance EMT meant for Ashley. The letter told Ashley that she had had a miscarriage months before and a hysterical pregnancy afterward, so never gave birth that night. Ashley remembered meeting "Sabrina" on the stairs and falling, and realized it had to have been Adam. Everyone realized that her baby Faith was really Sharon's.

A DNA test later proved it, and Ashley reluctantly gave Faith to Sharon. Everyone went home leaving Adam with Victor, Nick and Jack, but fearing they would kill him, Adam escaped into the woods and fell down a ravine. He was hospitalized and arrested claiming insanity and that he had been kidnapped by the Newmans and Abbotts. "Emily" was assigned to give Adam a psychiatric evaluation. Because she was really Patty Williams, she knew all to well that Adam was a major manipulator, always managing to escape detection, so declared him fit to stand trial. But Adam saw through her guise, let her know that he knew she was really Patty, and threatened to expose her if she didn't help him escape. Patty arrived to give him a sedative for transport, but he used it on the guard and then on her. While Emily lay on the floor unconscious, Adam showed up in Sharon's room at the Athletic Club in costume while the annual charity masquerade ball went on in the dining room below. Sharon got him to admit to accidentally causing Ashley's miscarriage and getting Dr. Taylor to switch their babies, then Nick arrived, and Adam escaped out the window. Emily arrived late to the ball and spotted Adam among the crowd, blasting him for using the same syringe on her and the guard. He threatened her again with exposing her as Patty. Sharon and Nick rushed in to the ball telling the police that Adam was just there, as Sharon got a call from Adam demanding to meet her in the basement or "people would get hurt." Victor, Nick, Jack, Rafe, Heather, Paul, Ashley, and Patty went to the basement in search of Adam.

Then an explosion rocked the building sending everyone running for the street. Victor and Jack rescued Jill and Kay who were trapped in the restroom, and Nick rescued Phyllis, then Sharon and Faith who had gone back upstairs. It was revealed that a gas line had been cut and a body burned beyond recognition found nearby. The body was later identified as Adam, and lack of smoke in the lungs proved that he had been murdered before the fire. Suspects were Nick, Jack, Victor, Phyllis, Sharon, Victoria, Emily, Ashley, Rafe, Heather, Billy, and Nikki. Heather was suspended from the DA's office for her involvement in the incident at the cabin. Evidence collected by District Attorney Owen Pomerantz included Jack's monogrammed handkerchief found in the victim's mouth, blood on Nick's suit coat, and Victor's broken watch stained with Adam's blood. Victor told Pomerantz that he backslapped Adam in the basement after Adam taunted him about losing another child, sending his watch flying, but he did not kill Adam. Because a fancy European pen found at the crime scene was determined to be the murder weapon that stabbed Adam in the heart and was traced to Victoria, she was arrested for the murder of Adam. At Victoria's arraignment, Billy interrupted proclaiming her innocence because she was in his hotel room at the time of the murder, but Victoria refused to admit it was true.

Neil and Ashley had begun having romantic feelings toward each other, but vowed to take it slow. But once the evidence came out that Adam had been gas lighting her, and she was not crazy, she and Neil made love.

Tucker asked Ashley to be CEO of his newly acquired subsidiary, Jabot Cosmetics. She had second thoughts about working for someone such as Tucker, but she later accepted, hoping that by working there she could somehow get Jabot back in the Abbott's hands. In May 2010, as her mother Ashley was upstairs accepting the position of CEO of Jabot from Tucker, Abby was staging a protest in the lobby against Jabot for use of animals in testing. She removed her coat and exposed her nude body to reporters and photographers shouting, "My name is Abby Newman. I'd rather be naked than wear fur!" Later Abby met Kent Grazier, a guy who was helping her to get her own reality TV show "The Naked Heiress." Abby expected to get her inheritances from Brad and Colleen to finance it, but Ashley and Victor refused. So Abby charged an $85,000 piece of jewelry and gave it to Kent to hock, and hired Rafe to sue for her inheritances. Abby began working on Jack for financing and on Billy for exposure in Restless Style. Abby's lawsuit went to court and the judge, seeing what a spoiled brat she had become, gave condolences to them, and ruled in favor of her parents.

Because Tucker’s snooping was making Victor suspicious, Victoria traveled to Japan for him with a rare gift to ensure their deal with Mitsukoshi department stores remained intact, and Billy tagged along. Just before she left for her meeting with Mitsukoshi’s representative, Tucker and Ashley greeted them in the hotel bar. Ashley and Tucker got closer and ended up making love back in his room. Ashley felt guilty afterward, and once back in Genoa City, considered admitting it to Neil. But before she could, Neil suddenly sold Indigo to Jeff and Gloria, and told Ashley he felt he should spend more time with his family, and they should just remain friends.

At Kay and Murphy's Fourth of July picnic Abby was discovered surrounded by press while floating naked in the Chancellor soap bubble-filled pool supposedly to symbolize a polluted river to save the otters. Daniel covered her up and pulled her out, Ashley told her she was ashamed of her, and Kay tossed her off the estate. Abby then talked her brother Billy into a photo shoot and lead story on “The Naked Heiress” for the next issue of Restless Style. She and Daniel did the mostly semi-nude and suggestive shoot together, but Abby was livid when one of the milder photos of them made the cover, and her story was bumped for an expose on Sharon and Adam Newman. But it still got her a lot press, and Daniel to do a nude painting of her. After Kent dropped Abby’s show idea due to lack of funds, Abby was even more determined to get her inheritances, but Victor told her she was not mature enough to handle her money yet. Jack stopped her from selling the mansion she was left by Brad and Colleen, and suggested that she use her number two stockholder position as leverage. She tried, but Victor shot it down, so she staged another protest, interrupting Victor and Nikki’s engagement party by riding into the Genoa City Athletic Club dining room nude upon her horse Pericles, as Daniel recorded her on video. Victor smashed the camera and tossed a robe over her and told her it was not going to work, so she threatened to sell her million-dollar horse. The Club manager called the police and had Abby arrested. Abby was thrilled for the publicity, until she found herself stuck in jail four days awaiting her arraignment. But Daniel brought Jack who bailed her out. Abby informed her mother that the house was hers and she kicked her out, so Ashley moved home to Abbott Manor. She and Victor relented and gave Abby a substantial check from her trust, but she turned it down, demanding it all.

Malcolm told Tucker he was done spying for him, and Tucker threatened to expose their dealings if he did not continue. About a month later, Sofia Dupre arrived from Europe and revealed that she was Tucker’s “right hand” Neil took an instant dislike to her, only to find out that she was Malcolm’s mystery fiancé. Tucker then mentioned that Malcolm had quit working for him, but he wanted Sofia to remain in Genoa City and handle the deal he and Ashley were working on with Jack; whereby if he helped them acquire Newman’s Beauty of Nature Line, he could return to Jabot and run it with Ashley. Malcolm helped Sofia decide to take Tucker up on his offer.

After returning to Genoa City from Japan, Billy had found on the Internet that the gift, which he had peeked at, was a priceless antique gun. Tucker made a deal with Jill to find out what the gift was in exchange for a detective to get more information on Jill’s real parents. After returning to Genoa City, Billy found on the Internet that the gift, which he had peeked at, was a priceless antique gun. Tucker made a deal with Jill to find out what the gift was in exchange for a detective to get more information on Jill’s real parents. Guessing Billy’s password, Jill found the gun in his web search history, and gave the information to Tucker. Tucker and Ashley confronted Victor with it hoping he could leverage him into giving up the Newman cosmetics line, but instead Victor went to the authorities and explained the illegal gift.

Sofia Dupre arrived from Europe and revealed that she was Tucker’s “right hand.” Neil took an instant dislike to her, only to find out that she was Malcolm’s mystery fiancé. Tucker wanted Sofia to remain in Genoa City and handle the deal he and Ashley were working on with Jack; whereby if he helped them acquire Newman’s Beauty of Nature Line, he could return to Jabot and run it with Ashley. Malcolm helped Sofia decide to take Tucker up on his offer, and Jack talked Tucker into giving him the job right away.

Adam’s pre-trial conspiracy hearing was held with him making Vance promise not to question Sharon’s credibility. Vance did not, but he brought up Ashley’s past mental breakdowns, and the Newman’s vendetta against Adam to win, and the evidence against Adam declared insufficient to take to trial. Richard Hightower’s young son, Justin, attended, and Victor assured his guardian that he would take care of Justin for the rest of his life. Victor gathered the Abbotts and Newmans together and very un-Victor-like, told them all to let it go, that karma would pay Adam back in the end. They each were served with a summons later for a civil suit for holding Adam against his will – all except Sharon. Michael met with Vance, called it frivolous, but Vance said they would accept nothing less than twenty million dollars in damages. Skye warned Adam that he was risking the success of their hedge fund by filing the lawsuit, and damaging their relationship by always favoring Sharon, reminding him that Sharon was never going to forgive him for stealing her baby Faith. Victor arranged a settlement meeting with Adam and his lawyer Vance. Victor persuaded them to drop the lawsuit against the Newmans when he presented Skye as his star witness saying that she was ready to testify that Adam planted the ring to fake Skye’s death and disclose that she knew all about Adam’s dirty dealings with Dr. Taylor, Sharon and Ashley. As they left, Skye warned Adam that she was in control, and not to screw her over again. Unfortunately, the Abbotts had legally separated their lawsuit from the Newman’s, so theirs was not settled.

Mid-October 2010, Diane Jenkins accepted a job working for Tucker, and they went to his place to seal the deal, and ended up in bed. A tornado blew out the windows in Tucker’s apartment, and after they got dressed, Abby and Daniel arrived at the door looking for Ashley. When Ashley arrived awhile later, she overheard Abby tell Daniel that she was sure that Tucker was cheating on her mother. Abby confronted Tucker and Diane, but Ashley sent them home. When Phyllis heard that Diane was staying in town and accepting a job with McCall Unlimited, Phyllis posted a story on the Restless Style website exposing all the dirt on Diane. Once Tucker saw the story, especially that Diane was not a partner in the company she worked for in Toronto, he rescinded his job offer. Diane threatened to expose their one night stand to Ashley if she did not get the job, but Tucker told her to go ahead – no one would believe Diane. Later Diane attacked Phyllis for the article and Jack for apparently condoning it, and Diane told Jack he would never see his son again. But she was later talked out of it.

Jack, Phyllis, Ashley, Traci, Abby, and Tucker were gathered at Abbott Manor to celebrate Christmas Eve 2010. Tucker presented Ashley with a huge engagement ring and asked her to marry him, Ashley accepted, and they set the wedding date for May.

When Ashley heard that Adam and Sharon were not living together and Sharon was arrested for the murder of Adam’s wife Skye, Ashley confronted Sharon about living with and forgiving Adam after all he had put them through, saying she would never have handed over Faith if she had known that she would allow Adam near Faith. When Adam arrived Ashley left, saying maybe it was karma that people wouldn’t believe her now, just as they hadn’t believed Ashley when she was under Adam’s influence.

Instead of accepting his children's settlement offer, Victor held a press conference to announce that he was taking Newman public. The Abbotts and Newmans, plus Tucker and Kay, watched the television at Victoria's house in shock, knowing that Victor had always promised that would never happen. Katherine was there, and denounced them for causing it, saying she was ashamed of them. Nikki just wanted it all to stop, and left too. Billy left for the press conference, and arrived in time to ask if Victor had done this rather than give his kids the settlement they were granted. Victor replied that he loved his kids, but they were influenced by some unsavory characters, and that he was saddened that they were not there to enjoy the new era of Newman.

In the end, Tucker fired Jack for not bringing him Beauty of Nature, as promised, Victoria and Nick were arranging to buy up stock, as were Jack and Ashley. Abby just wanted her settlement in cash, and Tucker asked Kay to buy stock with him to stop the kids from gaining control. Kay called it a scheme, said she was not a fool, and would have no part of it. Then Kay went to Victor offering to pool her funds with his so that none of them could seize control of Newman from him. Tucker offered to buy Abby's stock options but her resentment of Tucker made her sell them to Jack. Jack later offered them to Tucker in exchange for Jabot, but was turned down. Tucker then proposed to the Chancellor board that they buy Newman stock, resell it to Tucker at a loss and take a tax write-off. When Katherine found out, she met with Victor, ready to bring Tucker down.

After repeated attempts to talk her mother out of marrying Tucker, the day before their wedding, Abby got drunk and trashed the park which was decorated for the wedding before passing out in a fountain. Awakened by a cop, Abby was arrested for vandalism. Victor and Ashley met Abby at the jail, and vowed to let her sit there as a lesson, but Tucker talked her into behaving herself, and she was released. Later a rehearsal dinner was held at Gloworm, where Abby played nice to Tucker's face, but was hatching a plot to expose him as a philanderer to her mother. She sent a text message to Diane from Tucker's phone to meet him at the Abbott cabin, and one to Tucker from Malcolm's phone to meet him there for his bachelor party. After the dinner, Abby, instead of driving her mother home, drove her toward the Abbott cabin. When Ashley realized how drunk Abby was, she attempted to get her to stop the car, but in their struggle, Abby stepped on the accelerator just as Tucker was walking across the road, and was struck by the car. Diane was behind them in her car and was first on the scene to tell the police what she saw – an apparently drunk driver who appeared to purposely run a man down. After the emergency workers pulled Ashley and Abby from the wreckage, Ashley told them that she was driving to protect Abby.

Tucker's condition was critical. With a fractured skull and subdural hematoma, Kay gave permission for surgery to relieve pressure on the brain. Afterward, the doctor reported that they had found another bruise on the brain which caused a coma from which Tucker might not survive. Ashley was fine, but Abby was still unconscious. Meanwhile Diane admitted to the detective that she was meeting Tucker, and that Ashley may have found out, so hitting Tucker may not have been accidental. Victor threatened the detective to take no further action, and confronted Diane, calling her a slut and telling her that there would be an annulment with no big settlement. Ashley was convinced that Tucker was meeting Diane, so was torn between anger and her love for him. Tucker's attorney, Nelson McGinnis, was called in to announce that Tucker had a living will stating that no extraordinary measures were to be taken to save his life. Kay refused to allow it, but following his instructions, the doctors took him off the ventilator, expecting him to die. But Katherine made Tucker breathe by shear willpower.

Abby recovered and admitted to Ashley that she had set up Tucker and Diane to show Ashley that he was not worthy of her. Meanwhile Nelson called a meeting to announce that Tucker had named Katherine to take over the company as conservator if he were to become incapacitated, and that Tucker had a son whom he had never been able to locate. Katherine took over, and she began to foil Tucker's plans to buy up Newman stock once it went public. She also hired Paul to search for Tucker's son. After Ashley was arrested for the attempted murder of Tucker, Kay got a restraining order to keep Ashley away from Tucker, and fired Ashley from Jabot to protect the company. Realizing that she had been the driver, Abby felt so guilty that she tried to confess, but was not believed. Then Abby made a Naked Heiress video confessing that she had run down Tucker, but Deacon tipped Victor who stopped it, but the tape mysteriously disappeared. Abby went to Victor and offered to give him back her settlement money, hoping it would atone for all the havoc she had caused. Instead, Victor arranged for Abby to be admitted to a rehab facility in Connecticut.

Alone with Ashley, Tucker awakened from his coma recalling that Abby had been the one who ran him down. Ashley convinced him that he was mistaken, and since he appeared to have some brain injury causing him to not understand written sentences or think straight, he went along with it and told the D.A. that he was unsure who was driving. Victor convinced Diane to change her testimony as the only witness to the accident, saying that Ashley was driving but she now did not believe it was intentional as she had claimed at the scene. The D.A. dropped the charges against Ashley. Tucker got mad when Katherine admitted that she had been compelled to fire Ashley and hire Jack rather than accept Victor's offer to buy Jabot. Not long afterward Ashley and Tucker were married in his hospital room without notifying Katherine, Jack, or Abby. Alone again with Ashley, Tucker asked her to take over his company and to not tell anyone how much his thought processes were impaired or the company would nosedive. Ashley assured him he would be back to normal in no time. They eventually had to tell Sofia about his condition.

Jabot's national launch of its new cactus pectin product line and new Jabot logo was held at Fenmore's, and hosted by Lauren, Jill and Michael. The Abbotts were represented by Jack and Abby, and McCall by Katherine. Ashley, who developed the product, was with Tucker who was being dismissed from the hospital and insisted on attending the launch party. Ashley objected, fearful that the reporters and paparazzi would ask him questions and figure out his mental limitations. But Tucker and Ashley arrived to everyone's applause in the middle of Jack's speech, and when Tucker was stymied by a question, he turned things over to Ashley. A reporter asked about their recent marriage, shocking the family and friends who had not yet been told. When asked, Abby covered by telling reporters that rehab had made her realize that her mom deserved to be happy. Later when Jack and Lauren promoted the new products on the talk show "The Talk", the hosts surprised them by including Tucker via satellite, and asking some probing questions about his marriage to the woman who ran him over.

Weeks later, as a judge was considering revocation of conservatorship of Tucker McCall Unlimited he was interrupted by Katherine, who proved that Tucker was not fully recovered. The judge decided not revoke the conservatorship until Tucker could demonstrate his competency.

When questioned by Ashley about his son, Tucker admitted that he had a lot of one-night-stands with groupies when he was on the road with his rock bands. Tucker said he received a note from an unknown groupie telling him that he had a son that he would never know, and he had figured this was payback for growing up without a father himself.

In an attempt to foil Victor and escape her mounting number of enemies in Genoa City, Diane agreed to help Adam frame Victor for Diane's murder; meanwhile she would be alive and rich in Switzerland. Ashley and Abby found out that Diane had the video of Abby's confession, and Tucker commented that Diane should have been dealt with before now. Ashley later met with Diane and Diane offered to give Ashley the video for cash. When Ashley refused, Diane admitted that she had sex with Tucker, and Ashley slapped her. Michael witnessed it and offered Diane money to leave town for her own safety. After Diane received a message that the funds from Adam had been deposited in her Swiss bank account, she sent a text message to everyone who had threatened her to meet her at the footbridge in the park. The next morning, viewers saw those same people looking suspiciously like they had just killed someone. Meanwhile Diane's body floated face down in the stream in the park. Murphy went there to fish, discovered the dead body, and called the police. The autopsy results were that Diane had been hit over the head ten times with a blunt object, an impression of a Harvard ring was found on Diane's arm, and a small key was found in Diane's mouth.

Nick recalled meeting Diane, and her threatening him with bringing the Newman family to their knees. They struggled, and his phone fell to the ground calling Ashley and recording Nick threatening to kill Diane on her voicemail.

Ashley recalled meeting Diane, and how Diane taunted her about having sex with Tucker. Diane told her she was the worst mother ever for not believing her own daughter about Tucker's infidelity. Ashley knocked Diane to the ground, and lost her cell phone, saying, "I'm not finished with you", as Ashley followed her into the bushes. The next night Ashley went back to the park looking for her cell phone, and was surprised by Nick. They shared their experiences with Diane the night of her death, but did not find the phone which could get them both in a lot of trouble. Afterward, Nick began receiving calls from a blocked number playing back the recording of his threatening Diane. Nick informed Ashley that someone had found her phone and knew that the two of them had met Diane the night she was killed. Nick changed his cell number and still received the calls. Ashley received in the mail, a photograph of herself at the crime scene which was taken from the surveillance camera that was stolen from the park. Nick had the envelope analyzed and found DNA that was apparently Adam's.

Ashley offered to sign the annulment papers if Kay would sign McCall back over to Tucker, including Jabot. But Kay wanted to sell Jabot to Chancellor for double its market value, so Neil helped convince the Board to approve it, and Katherine gave the contract to Tucker among other things to sign. Tucker made a strong showing at his next competency hearing and was declared competent to run his company again. Then Katherine divulged that Tucker had signed the contract selling her Jabot, and Tucker was put on the spot having to admit he knew what he was doing, or he would have lost his competency decision. Katherine put Jack back in charge of Jabot as CEO.

Eventually Ashley reconciled with Tucker and moved back in with him. Abby agreed to wear a wiretap for Ronan to try to prove that Tucker killed Diane, but instead he overheard Ashley tell Abby that she was with Diane in the park that night. Ashley went to the police station, and admitted that she and Diane had argued about Diane sleeping with Tucker, but when accused of murder, she told Ronan to contact her lawyer. But Ronan had Ashley followed, and the photos that she received of herself in the park with Diane were plucked out of a dumpster by the policeman after Ashley tore them up and threw them away. Ashley and Tucker agreed to be more open with each other, and told Abby to get out of their lives if she couldn't handle their relationship. After Tucker went through with his promise and sold Jabot back to Jack, Ashley agreed to marry Tucker again with a real wedding this time, Abby agreed to be Ashley's maid of honor, and Jack agreed to walk Ashley down the aisle.

One evening, a text message was sent from Ronan's missing cell phone to all the Diane Jenkins murder suspects except Adam, telling them to meet him at a warehouse. The suspects gathered and the surveillance tape of everyone's encounter with Diane in the park began to play, revealing everyone's secrets from that fateful night. They hid the tape before Ronan arrived. Adam arrived at a pumpkin patch and surmised that Patty Williams had summoned him. Meanwhile, Genevieve's housekeeper, Myrna Murdock, who had been badly burned when Genevieve's house exploded, lay in the hospital covered in bandages except for a cat tattoo; the same tattoo as Patty Williams. Patty had apparently been posing as Myrna, had been tormenting the suspects with information she had gleaned from the stolen park surveillance tapes, and the explosion at the mansion had kept her from joining them at the warehouse.

Tucker and Ashley were married again with Abby and Traci as maid and matron of honor, and Sofia as Tucker's best woman. Devon surprised them all by showing up, joining Jack, Genevieve and Olivia as the only guests. Afterward, Devon admitted to Abby that Neil had reminded him that Devon had wanted to know his father all his life, so to give Tucker a chance. Tucker surprised Ashley with a honeymoon on his private island, and they left the guests to celebrate at Abbott manor without them. Abby agreed to step in for Ashley on a product promotion tour for Jabot while Ashley went on her honeymoon.

Abby returned to Genoa City just in time for Ronan to subpoena all the Diane Jenkins murder suspects, and he and the DA questioned them about the evidence that still did not add up after it was discovered that Nikki had killed Diane in self defense. When no one would confess to taking Deacon's stash of stolen evidence or having any knowledge of the embroidered pillows found in Diane's room, the DA arrested them all for obstruction of justice. They were all released in time for Jack and Genevieve's wedding. But it was Patty who walked down the aisle in Genevieve's stolen wedding gown. Jack pulled the veil from her face, and said, "Emily?" Patty replied, "It's Patty, you bastard," and shot Jack. Patty left as the horrified Abbotts rushed to Jack. Jack was taken away by ambulance in critical condition.

At the hospital, the doctors told the Abbotts that Jack had a lacerated kidney, and the bullet was lodged next to his lower spine as he was taken into surgery. Jack's heart stopped during surgery, he survived, but was left paralyzed, just as he had been when Patty had shot him before in 1983. Abby left to go to Kyle in Lake Placid to tell him about his father. Patty was later captured, and when it was discovered that she had been the missing link in the Diane Jenkins murder, charges were dropped against all the suspects, including Nikki, once Ronan was able to convince the DA that Nikki was not responsible. Deacon remained in jail. Patty was sent to a maximum security prison hospital.

After Genevieve was ousted from Jabot after she screwed over Jack to buy Beauty of Nature, Jill brought on Cane as her marketing assistant. Cane turned out to be invaluable in keeping peace between Ashley and Jill, as Ashley was stressed out over handling the company in Jack's absence. Both Jabot and Beauty of Nature became focused on getting an exclusive deal with Mitsukoshi, the largest department store chain in Japan, but Newman got the deal.

Ashley, already upset with Tucker's underhanded business dealings, discovered that Tucker and Genevieve had a past together, but he had never bothered to tell her, so she walked out in a snit. Tucker was cheered up by Harmony, and they ended up in bed together, when Ashley suddenly walked in on them. Tucker begged for forgiveness, but Ashley told him that it was too late, he was out of chances, and that they were through. They admitted how much they loved each other, Abby intervened, and Tucker left. Tucker turned down a woman who tried to pick him up in a bar, while Abby tried to convince Ashley to take him for all he was worth. Still in love with Tucker, Ashley considered reconciling, but realized that she could never trust him. Telling Tucker, "Sometimes love isn't enough." Ashley filed for divorce.

Just before the annual gala was to begin, Tucker informed organizers Chloe and Abby that the band had been grounded in Las Vegas by a windstorm. And as they anxiously awaited tables, chairs and decorations to arrive, Carmine was sabotaging the gala by delaying the truck as revenge against Chloe. Attendees began receiving text messages that the gala had been postponed. Abby was mortified over what it would do to her image.

After taking Chloe to the alley on the pretence that he had heard the truck, Carmine locked Chloe in the trunk of his car. While he went back inside for his forgotten cell phone, Abby let Chloe out. And while Chloe went to call the police, Abby took her place in the trunk. Abby began to tweet her fans that she had been kidnapped and to call the police, hoping to take the spotlight off the failed gala. Carmine heard the news broadcast that he was suspected of kidnapping Abby. He stopped and let her out of the trunk, and offered to take her home. Abby flirted with Carmine and got him all flustered. Abby took over, threw their cell phones away so they could not be tracked, and made him check into a motel under an assumed name. Tucker came to comfort Ashley at the Newman ranch and held her while she grieved her daughter's kidnapping. But Victor was convinced that it was publicity stunt. At the motel, Carmine and Abby began calling each other names, each accused the other of pulling a boneheaded move. Abby promised to go public in a day's time. Under pressure from Ashley, Victor relented and hired a helicopter and brought in Ronan Malloy with the FBI to find Abby. After circumstances went from bad to worse with no cash and no change of clothes but the overalls Carmine had bought her, and Carmine making her feel guilty for scaring her mother, Abby called Ashley and admitted the hoax. But intrigued by Carmine, Abby decided not to tell him, and continued to stay at the motel with him. Ashley was furious, and spread the word among the Abbotts and Newmans. They were arrested when they arrived home, Abby for misuse of emergency services since she had gotten her fans to call 911, and Carmine for the attempted abduction of Chloe. Chloe, Kevin, Ashley and Victor were glad to hear that Abby had been arrested and refused to help her this time. Abby got Rafe to be her lawyer, but he declined to represent them both. Rafe, DA Michael and Ronan agreed that Abby would pay a $100,000 fine. But Carmine and his public defender got no deal. Only Kyle was there to pick up Abby when she was released, and he cheered her up by showing her the front page headline "Naked Heiress Kidnapping Hoax".

The theme of the 2012 annual Chancellor 4th of July pool party/barbeque turned out to be forgiveness. While Murphy tended the grill, Devon forgave Katherine and Tucker, with Roxanne and Ana beaming their approval. Ashley had forgiven Tucker so they attended together, and Sofia told Neil that if he wanted Harmony he needed to pursue her. Harmony tried to reconcile with Ashley, but she refused to forgive her. Although Tucker thought their renewed closeness meant a reconciliation, Ashley asked him to sign the divorce papers.

After Jack bought Beauty of Nature, Ashley and Jack argued when Jack decided to keep it separate from Jabot and be CEO of both companies. Ashley threatened to convince the board to fire Jack as Co-CEO of Jabot for conflict of interest since BON was a competitor, but Jack wouldn't budge and convinced board members to side with him. Victor approached Ashley to sell her shares or proxies in Jabot and when she refused, he egged her on to take on Jack. Jack finally decided to merge Jabot and Beauty of Nature, and offered Ashley any position she wanted with him as CEO. Instead, Ashley made plans with Traci who was in town for the marriage of Jack and Nikki, and Ashley moved to New York City.

Ashley visited Genoa City for the wedding of Victor and Nikki in March 2013, and found time to lecture Jack about her disapproval of him getting involved with Phyllis again. Then Ashley surprised everyone by showing up at the reception.

After Billy's daughter Delia was killed by a hit and run driver, Ashley returned home as the family rallied around Billy. A few weeks later she arrived for Thanksgiving with the Abbott family at Abbott Manor. While there, she sprained her ankle and met Dr. Ben "Stitch" Rayburn. Abby pushed for a romance, but Ashley reminded her that Stitch was married and had a young son.

In town for Abby and Tyler's engagement party, Ashley left early to drop by the hospital and "run into" Dr. Rayburn. But she found Victoria waiting for him to take her on a date. Ashley reminded her that she'd only been separated a week. When Ben arrived, Victoria was jealously catty, informing Ben that Ashley was her former stepmother.

In August 2014, Ashley did not show up in Genoa City after calling a meeting among the major Jabot stockholders, Jack, Billy, Traci, and Abby. Jack phoned her, and she explained that she was working on a special project, but had decided it was not yet ready to present to them.

The following month, Ashley returned and confirmed that her idea was for a revolutionary new fragrance, and she made a deal with Jack to become Co-CEO of Jabot again if it panned out. Abby had been treating Ben Rayburn nasty and spiteful ever since she found out that he had killed his father as a teen and taken someone else's identity to get his degree in medicine, and broken Victoria's heart. So Abby was shocked when Ashley hired Ben as a chemist for Jabot, despite Abby's objections. Ashley returned to New York City to wrap things up, tasking a reluctant Abby with bringing Ben up to speed on the cosmetics industry. Before she left, she consoled Billy that maybe she could help keep Ben away from Victoria for him.

On Ashley's return, she asked Ben to smell the new fragrance, he found it repulsive, but he kissed her. Ashley revealed that the fragrance contained pheromones, was a love potion, and the kiss had proven it. What she needed was his help to make the scent bearable. Later after Ben was arrested for fraud by a former patient, Ashley bailed him out. She confided in Ben, that she too had taken a murder rap for someone she loved.

Ben showed up in Ashley's office drunk after seeing Billy and Victoria snuggling with their baby. Ashley threw him in the shower to sober him up, and he pulled her in too. They had sex, and Stitch spent the night. The next day, they agreed to tell no one after Ben found out that he still had a chance with Victoria.

Victor invited Ashley to lunch and tried to get her to take a deal to leave Jabot and work for him at Newman-Chancellor. But Ashley declined and left early, arriving back at the lab in time to see her lab assistant Tobias Gray taking photos of their secret work. She guessed that he was working for Victor, and decided to let him continue to feed him bogus information.

Ashley ran into Joe Clark at the athletic club. After referring to them having a good thing going back in New York City, they made plans to spend New Year's Eve together and did.

Ashley went to see Victor who admitted to spying, but also convinced her there was another mole. She fired Tobias, then found a microphone hidden in the lab and destroyed it. Ashley, Ben, and Abby decided on Hex for the new fragrance name. But the lab was suddenly shut down and the product seized by the Environmental Security Bureau for unlawful use of a tree root which would endanger a rainforest. Since the tree root was some of the fake information she had given Tobias, Ashley accused Victor of setting it up. His response was to show her a sample of Newman's new fragrance which was environmentally safe. But after Victoria found out what he had done, Victoria threatened to shut him out of her new daughter Katie's life unless he made things right with Ashley. All samples were returned and no charges filed. But Ashley was livid with Victor and threatened to sue after she was told of Brash and Sassy's ad for their new love potion fragrance which promised, "Cast a spell on your man." Ashley told Victor that she was pulling Hex, hoping that Victor would slow down his rollout, and Jabot could get Hex out first. Victor actually pulled his product, Hex debuted, and was so successful that they had reorders after only a week. Ashley gave Victor a packaged sample of Hex to celebrate it going global.

When the Jabot computers got hacked, Ashley and Jack immediately blamed Victor, only to find him sitting in Jack's office chair. Victor claimed that Newman's computers had been hacked as well, and offered to work together to resolve it. Jack showed him the door in reply. Jack confided in Ashley that Victor might be conniving to divulge Ashley's paternity to create a scandal in exchange for Jabot. Jack promised to protect her secret.

Billy shocked Ashley with the surveillance video showing Jack using his thumbprint to enter the server room at the time Jabot's computer system was hacked. Then Victor showed them the Newman surveillance showing Jack entering their server room as well, entering the necessary code.

Jack returned from his honeymoon in St. Barts to Victor's accusation of hacking his computer system. Jack smugly suggested Victor talk to Jack's lawyer. Later Billy and Ashley tried get Jack to step down as Jabot CEO. Instead Jack fired Billy, and told them the war was over, a truce had been called, and Jack had make a deal with Victor to merge their companies into Newman-Abbott Enterprises. Victor setup Victoria as C.O.O. and she took over Ashley's office, relegating her to the lab, and reporting to Victoria. Both Abby and Ben ended up reporting to Victoria too, and Victoria began treating them all less than fair. Victoria, over Ashley's objections, pulled Hex from the market after it got bad reviews on social media.

After Jack ended up in a coma as the result of a car accident, it occurred to Ashley that she had never seen the signed agreement for the merger, and she confronted Victor about it. After some delay, Victor gave her a copy with Jack's signature. Billy thought it had been forged, but Nikki backed up Victor that she had witnessed Jack signing it, and so did Neil. When Jack awoke from the coma, he agreed that it was his signature.

Ashley admitted to Ben that she was hurt when Ben left Victoria and did not come to her, but hooked up with Abby instead. Ben discovered that Ashley was taking some serious medication. She told him it was for her migraine headaches, nothing to be concerned about, but later clutched the back of her neck in pain. Days later, after she collapsed in front of Ben and Abby, Ashley was diagnosed with an aneurysm on the base of her brain. Ben and Abby had to talk her into surgery, which she had and was back to work in a couple of days. Ben talked her into a follow-up MRI later.

Meanwhile, Jack called a meeting with Chelsea, Gabriel, Billy, Kyle, with a hospitalized Ashley to be filled in later, convincing them it was time to overthrow the king and take the company for themselves. He explained how the money that he had Kyle draw to buy a shipping company actually was transferred into a dummy account in Victor's name, and how they were going to be diverting funds to the account to take Victor down for grand larceny and corporate fraud. When Jack told Ashley the plan, she refused to be involved, calling it illegal embezzlement, but Billy talked her into it. But after Victor was arrested, Ashley had second thoughts, dropped the charges and claimed there had been a computer glitch. Gabriel later shocked Billy, Ashley, and Chelsea by telling them that he was Jack's son. Ashley insisted on a paternity test, but the test results matched Jack with Gabriel. Then Jack was shot in the park one night, and the Abbotts accused Gabriel, thinking he may have done it to inherit everything from Jack. But Gabriel had been the one to help Jack after witnessing Victor shoot him. Billy, Ashley, and Phyllis compared notes about how different Jack had been lately.

The more time Ashley spent with Ben, they both realized they still had feelings for each other. Ashley was the first person that he shared how elated he was to find out that the medical board had reinstated him, and that he had been rehired at Genoa City Memorial.

Ben was crushed when he failed to save a fellow Marine named James, a PTSD survivor, whose heart had stopped. James had mistrusted doctors ever since the war, but Ben had won him over. He promised James that he would personally track down his next of kin, and give them his purple heart. Feeling that he failed James, and Abby being out of town on business, Ben poured his heart out to Ashley, who set him straight about discontinuing being a doctor. Ben admitted that it was easier to talk to Ashley than her daughter Abby.

Victor accused Ashley of being behind the paragon project, a plot to overthrow him. Ashley was insulted to think that she would even do such a thing. Jack and Victor drew up an agreement to dissolve the merger of Newman and Jabot. Jack asked Ashley to be Co-CEO of Jabot, but she declined. Claiming that he was tired of fighting with Victor, he asked her to become CEO, and she accepted. Jack promised to stay on the Jabot board and advise when Ashley said the company wouldn't be the same without him. As the virus caused Newman subsidiaries to be put up for sale at ridiculous prices, Billy, in Ashley's absence, began buying them up. Victor reported the Abbotts to the FBI and they were arrested for introducing a virus into Newman's computers. Jack ordered Ashley to sell them back, but she refused. Jack took it to the board, but Traci's vote overruled Jack to keep the sale. And when Ashley returned, she confirmed that Billy had been following her orders and taunted Victor that she had finally one-upped him herself. It was revealed that Ian Ward and Adam Newman, still alive and passing as Gabriel Bingham after plastic surgery, were behind the Paragon project.

Out of the blue, Ben began to propose to Abby, but they were interrupted by Ashley. Abby confided in her mother, saying that she intended to accept when he asked again. Ashley confronted Ben, asking how dare he propose to her daughter when not that long ago he had propositioned Ashley for another chance with her. But in the end, Ashley gave them her blessing.

In 2015, the annual Delia Halloween costume party benefit was held at Top of the Tower, and everyone attended. Ben discovered a fire in the electrical room, and opening the door caused an explosion, knocking him out. Ben awoke to no working fire alarm, firehose, or cell phone. He managed to make it to the top floor and warned everyone at the party. Later Ben and Ashley were propelled down a hallway by a fireball, landing in a room where the ceiling fell in, trapping and injuring Ben. Unable to move, Ben told Ashley to save herself, but she refused. Ben admitted to Ashley that he loved her. They were found by Abby and rescued by Adam who carried Ben's unconscious body down the stairs and out the front door over his shoulders in a fireman's carry.

Ben awoke in his hospital bed with Abby at his side. Feeling guilty over what had happened between him and Ashley, Ben tried to tell Abby that he was in love with Ashley, but Ashley interrupted. When they were alone Ashley told Ben that they had just been overcome by their circumstances, and not to break Abby's heart, that her happiness was more important. Reminding Ben of his past relationships, Ashley told Ben, "Don’t screw this one up." Ben finally admitted to Abby that he and Ashley had exchanged I love you's during the fire, but did not mean it. Abby reacted badly and called off the wedding. But Ashley was able to convince Abby that she did not love Ben, and that Ben really loved and wanted to marry Abby.

When Jack returned from Geneva he was quite upset with Phyllis and Billy for sending him on a wild goose chase so they could do more damage to Newman with Paragon; therefore exposing Jabot to a lawsuit. When Ashley couldn't understand what would make Phyllis hate Victor, after he was the one who brought her out of her coma, Jack told Ashley how Victor had replaced him with the evil Marco fooling everyone, and especially Phyllis. Jack called a press conference to expose Victor's evil trick at last, but did not for Phyllis' sake. Instead, Jack agreed to the settlement with Victor, paying Newman five hundred million dollars.

Ashley stepped down as CEO and partnered with Dr. Simon Neville as his research chemist for his project, a new drug therapy for patients with neurological issues. Ashley had been hiding the blinding headaches she was having, so apparently is in need of the miracle drug herself. She was shocked to find out that Simon had never tested his theory before giving it to Hilary to bring her out of her coma. Devon joined them as financial backer, Neil as manager, Gwen doing the financials, Hilary as spokesperson, and Ashley convinced Jack to lease them the Jabot lab. Ashley and Simon spent Christmas eve in the lab getting drunk on beakers of green gin cocktails.

Abby's New Year's Eve wedding ceremony began with Dylan and Victoria standing up for them, Faith as flower girl, and Victor giving away the bride to flute and harp music. Ashley, who was escorted by Dr. Simon Neville, fainted into the aisle, but she came to right away. Afterward both Ben and Dr. Neville showed concern to Ashley about her condition. She admitted to Dr. Neville that what she had was not curable, telling him about the aneurysm she had survived, and now a brain tumor. Simon promised her he would save her, like it or not. Asking her 'what do you have to lose', she agreed to let him try, and they shook hands. After Billy was beaten up, hit by a car, and went into a coma, Ashley suggested Dr. Neville try his method on Billy. Billy's doctors insisted on surgery, and Ben concurred, so the family agreed to the surgery which left Billy in a coma with no brain activity. The decision was made to take him off life support, and Ashley said her goodbyes, telling Billy that with her brain tumor she would be joining him soon. But when they disconnected him, he started breathing on his own, and it was not long before Billy came out of the coma and was on his way to recovery.

The drug protocol began making Ashley exhausted and grouchy. She accused Simon of not really caring, just using her and Hilary as lab rats. After encouraging her to tell her family, Simon got her a room under an assumed name to get some rest so they would not find out. When the drug protocol showed positive signs of working on Ashley, she was so happy that she kissed Simon. Simon looked shocked, and they agreed to not discuss the kiss. Ashley agreed to go to a Valentines party at the athletic club with Simon, but fell, hitting her forehead, and ended up in the emergency room instead.

Hilary discovered that Ashley was using the protocol, and confronted her, demanding to take Ashley's job, or she would tell her family that she was dying. Knowing that she didn't have the stamina to do her job, Ashley relented. Simon tried to talk her out of stepping down, telling her she was running scared. Ashley said she knew the protocol was not working, and yes she was scared. Simon hugged her and reassured her that they were not giving up. Neil asked Ashley to join the foundation that he and Jack were setting up for recovering alcoholics, but she only agreed to be a board member. A fund-Raiser was held to support recovery centers across the country, and to provide worldwide support for disasters. Jack announced Ashley's board seat, but Hilary jealously wanted one too. Ambitious Hilary got Devon to write a check for a million dollars and challenged Ashley to match it. When Ashley suddenly exposed to everyone that she had been sick, and the protocol had cured her, everyone realized that Hilary had coerced Ashley into stepping down.

After a protocol patient nearly died, Hilary was blamed for announcing it before it was ready. They agreed to allow clinical trial only to those without other options. Hilary tried to hide the fact that she was having symptoms of rejecting the protocol herself, but Ashley was fine. When Alan James, the lab tech who did tests on the protocol was found dead of an apparent overdose, Ashley admitted to paying him to falsify the lab results to speed up the FDA approval. Telling Simon that although she had not done it, and was only buying time to fix the protocol, Ashley faced criminal charges for fraud. After further clashes with Hilary, Ashley decided to return to Jabot.

Dr. Neville came up with a new protocol and used it on Hilary and others who were regaining their symptoms of tremors and feeling sick. But Hilary still claimed to be sick, while Dr. Neville was reveling in her recovery. Hilary made it downstairs and fainted into Devon's arms, saying that something was very wrong. Tests proved that Neville's celebrating and reports to the FDA were premature. Hilary accused him of trying to kill her, with Devon lovingly at her side. Ashley blew up at Neville, but in the end said she had faith in him that he would still get it right. Hilary was brought back to health by Dr. Shelby, and she forgave Neville for just trying to save her as he had before. Neville confessed to the FDA and got Ashley exonerated, the Protocol lab was shut down, and Ashley said goodbye to Neville, who left town.

Ashley ran into Victoria's new boyfriend Travis whom Ashley had known in New York City. Ashley had first met Travis in the Hamptons playing tennis doubles with her friend Michelle. Travis had worked as a commodities broker at Hazelton and Crestwood, but had been fired after having an affair with his boss's wife who was Michelle. Michelle suddenly turned up in Genoa City, was getting a divorce, and wanted to reunite with Travis. Ashley let her know that he was in a relationship with Victoria Newman, and told Travis that he had better come clean about his past with Victoria.

Ashley was convinced by Jack to return to Jabot which was now in direct competition with Brass & Sassy, where their brother Billy was Co-CEO, and was scoring big with their new fragrance "Bare". Jabot created the 'JabotGo' cellphone app which included online ordering and the customer's own personal makeup advisor. The app creator, Ravi Shapur was an Indian geek with a crush on Ashley. After Phyllis tried to entice Ravi into working for Fenmore's, Ashley put him on contract. Valentines Day came around and Ravi had bought Ashley valentine chocolates. But after Ashley shared her dislike of Valentines Day and her bad luck with men in general, Ravi threw them in the trash. When Ashley needed to find something in his office, she discovered them, was touched, and shared them with Ravi. Later after seeing him on a date with Phyllis, Ashley warned Ravi to stay away from her, telling him that she would only break his heart. The more Ashley and Ravi were mistaken as "a couple", the more Ashley considered the possibility despite the large age difference. In fact, Ravi referred to her daughter Abby as someone his own age. When using Jack's ticket for the opera, Ashley was pleasantly surprised with how Ravi fit in with the rich crowd, sharing his knowledge about opera and other interesting things. During a business trip to New York City, they had dinner with Traci who later encouraged her to go for Ravi. They ran into businessman Benjamin Hoffman, who insisted on having dinner with Ashley. But when he rudely spent all his time on his cell phone, Ashley walked out and joined Ravi instead. When Ben ran into them and tried to apologize, Ravi told him what a jerk he was. They went to the Metropolitan Opera, and they said good night and kissed before going to their rooms. Meeting the next day was awkward, but they talked about it and decided it was very nice. Months later Ashley and Ravi went to the Abbott cabin for some R&R, sailing and paddle boarding, and became lovers.

Ashley became increasingly dissatisfied with Jack's shady business dealings, threatened to take back the presidency of Jabot, and enlisted Neil to help. But Neil had his own plans to start a new business with Devon. Then Jack suddenly bought a warehouse to convert to a lab for Ashley. Hamilton-Winters first acquisition turned out to be Ashley's mother Dina's company, Mergeron Industries, so Dina showed up in town hoping to form a relationship with the children she had abandoned. Ashley refused to forgive her, and was upset that Jack and Abby were giving her a chance. But thanks to Ravi's influence, Ashley tried letting go of the past, inviting Dina to Abbott Manor. It turned out well, a family dinner, including Traci, with laughter and reminiscing. When Dina suddenly decided to return to Paris, seemingly under duress from her younger companion Graham, only Abby was able to convince her to stay. Comments between Graham and Dina alluded it a secret behind why they were there. Ashley and Jack were concerned that Graham was only with her to get her money. Jack invited Dina to move into Abbott Manor, but they stayed at the Genoa City Athletic Club instead. Meanwhile Dina signed her new will which left Graham the bulk of her estate, and told Jack and Ashley. When Ashley realized that Dina was languishing without Mergeron, Jack knew his ever-forgiving father would have approved of his appointing Dina Special Projects Executive at Jabot. But Ashley began investigating Graham. She and Ravi discovered that Graham had applied for several jobs at Mergeron and been turned down. He met Dina at a social event and may have been stalking her. She gave Graham a job at Mergeron in finance and he later rescued the company from being lost when a senior executive sold corporate secrets. His father had left when he was very young, causing him and his mother to be homeless at one time, and both parents were now deceased. Confident in Graham, Dina have Ashley the key card to his room, where she found an $8000 bill for a Boca Point Florida senior living residence suite. Ashley called the suite and discovered it was his mother Myrna Bloodworth whom he claimed had died, and that she was from Genoa City. Traci found an old yearbook and a student named Graham Davis who resembled Graham.

Jack threw a party for Ashley to celebrate her winning the Innovator of the Year award, something John Abbott had also won in the past. Dina and Graham attended and Graham urged Dina to speak. Ashley interrupted exposing Graham as being Graham Davis who grew up in Genoa City using his mother’s maiden name Bloodworth. Dina responded, shocked, “Davis? You are the son of Ashley’s father Brent Davis?”, exposing the decades-kept secret of Ashley’s real parentage. Ashley accused Graham of stalking and latching on to Dina years ago with the intent to get her trust and her fortune. Graham told how Dina stole his step father leaving him and his mother penniless, and yes he was out for revenge. Graham made a toast to Ashley the untrue Abbott. Neil helped escort Graham out of the venue, and Jack took Dina back to her hotel room. Later, Ashley dropped by to check on Dina and coerced Graham into letting her inside, finding Dina collapsed on the floor. Dina was rushed to the hospital and diagnosed with a small stroke but expected to recover fully. Graham refused to leave, showing them the medical power of attorney he held. And when they tried to see their mother, Jack, Ashley and Traci discovered her missing. They arrived at the airport in time to see Graham pushing a drugged Dina in a wheelchair toward the plane.

Jack and Ashley found Dina in a Florida hotel bar drinking martinis with two other ladies. Dina spat at Jack that she despised him and never wanted to see him again. But the next morning Dina was happy to see him and joyful. Jack informed Graham that his power of attorney was not valid in Florida, Graham left, wishing Jack luck in dealing with Dina. Dina was happy to go home, but became upset afterward finding out that Graham was gone. Gloria let Jack know that Dina had raised all Jabot prices and was renegotiating contracts. Jack corrected Dina who yelled back at him viciously how he could never live up to John Abbott. After verbally attacking Nikki, calling her a slut and worse, Jack fired Dina. While attending a Newman party, Dina started going off on Nikki again, stabbed Nikki with a knife, and fled. Dina stowed away in a car in the parking lot and was later found by police and arrested.

After Dina was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, Jack took a hiatus to spend time with their mother and made Ashley Interim CEO of Jabot. Ashley was continually frustrated by Jack who refused to allow her to function independently. To blow off steam, she would do things like texting Ravi to meet her, telling him not to say a word, just get undressed. Ravi was pleased but baffled at her moods. Victoria offered Ravi a position as head of Newman software development, but he turned it down, staying loyal to Jabot and Ashley. But after Ashley broke up with Ravi, realizing she was just using him, Ravi accepted the job. Ashley confronted Victoria with Ravi’s non-compete clause, as Newman now owning Brash & Sassy made Newman a competitor.

Dina continued to be sharp and happy one minute, throwing very savvy zingers at “her enemies” like Gloria, Nikki and Phyllis the next, then being nasty to everyone. She even told Jack that he had always been a disappointment to his father, which cut him to the quick. When it became evident that Jack could not run Jabot and be with Dina, even working from home, Ashley called a board meeting for a no-vote of confidence. Even though Jack stacked the deck by appointing Phyllis a Jabot board member, Kyle phoned in the deciding vote, that Jack should be replaced as CEO. Jack refused to accept it, and he and Ashley exchanged vicious words about Jack’s lifelong screwups, and Ashley’s lack of being a REAL Abbott. Jack broke the news that he had added years ago to the company by-laws that the CEO position could only be held by a blood-Abbott. So Ashley made a change that the CEO must office from Jabot.

Jack refused to accept not being CEO. He and Ashley argued. Meanwhile Dina stepped out and returned with Nick Newman’s toddler Christian, calling him Jackie. Christian was returned to Nick with apologies galore. Jack and Ashley decided it was time to put Dina in a memory facility. But Graham showed up ready to use his power of attorney again, and left with a very willing Dina. When the Abbotts tried to object, Graham exposed the fact the two of them had been married two months ago when he spirited Dina away to Paris. The Abbotts and Michael were sure the marriage could be annulled, considering Dina’s mental state at the time. Graham also tried to put Dina in a facility, she objected strenuously, so they moved into a suite at the Genoa City Athletic Club

Traci and Ashley did some sleuthing and came up with a manuscript by Dina which told how she met Graham on a yacht party, but 6 months later she was determined to get rid of Graham who was only out for her money. They read how getting the Alzheimer's diagnosis led her to want to get in touch with her children and make amends.

Graham broke into Ashley’s lab at Jabot, and stole some chemicals, one of them toxic. He dumped all but the toxic one in a trash can in the park which was found by police. Graham got Ashley to come to their room at the club and hand him a syringe, leaving her fingerprints on it. Later Jack and Ashley put together that Graham intended to inject Dina and blame Ashley. Meanwhile Graham was trying to do so, Dina woke up, struggled, and Graham ended up injecting himself. They found Graham on floor, and Dina missing. Dina turned herself in to Paul for the murder of Brent Davis, who had been dead for years. Ashley’s prints were found on the syringe, but Paul believed their story that Graham was behind it all. All were summoned to the hospital, where Graham was not coming out of it. They asked for next of kin to agree to take him off life support. Dina, suddenly very much herself, stepped up, said she was his wife, and to go ahead.

Dina, back living at Abbott Manor, was again living in the past thinking Jack was John, believing Jackie was still a little boy. She was fine with Ashley and Abby, but Traci was crushed that her mother didn’t remember her at all, treating her as “the help”. Everyone was having a hard time doing what the experts told them, to just accept her reality. Abby, relocated to Paris for work, and invited Dina to Paris. Dina excitedly accepted and left on the private jet. Abby reported that Dina, back in her element, was thriving. She remembered everything, her staff who were rehired, their history, and all the Paris sites. Abby also got professional help for Dina.

Ashley hired lawyer Tony Kingsman, and Jack was represented by Michael Baldwin. During arbitration Jack accused Ashley of abandoning their mother while he forgave and took care of her. Jack won, and Ashley shocked him by resigning, saying, “You and I are done.” Going to Devon for backing, intending to start her own company in direct competition with Jabot, she was turned down. Victor and Nikki tag-teamed Ashley to get her to work at Newman. She was hired as Chief Innovation Officer, given a seat on the board, and put in charge of Brash & Sassy without telling Victoria, even expectws to share an office while Ashley’s was being renovated. Nikki let Ashley know that she and Victor had an arrangement, and it was okay if she and Victor got romantic again. Ashley let Victoria know that she intended to become CEO after Victor eventually died, making Victoria furious. Traci made Jack see the light, and he apologized asking Ashley to return, saying he would do anything, even repeal the blood Abbott amendment. Ashley told him she appreciated it, but it was too late, she no longer could trust him. Ashley got Blundons, a small east coast cosmetic chain to sell to Brash & Sassy, angering Victoria who had been working on the same acquisition. Ashley was suddenly accused by Victoria in Victor’s presence of spying at Newman for Jabot, citing confidential files with Ashley’s watermark that were found in Jack’s desk. Ashley told Victor she had been setup. Victor ended up firing Ashley, but expected her to resign. Instead Ashley gave the press a quote that she had been fired without cause because spoiled daughter Victoria could not handle real competition. Promising Victoria would destroy Newman like she did Brash & Sassy, Ashley announced she was suing Newman for wrongful termination.

Jack received a frantic call from Dina, who had taken a train to Bordeaux, France, with her nurse where they had gotten separated. Dina did not know where she was, then Jack lost the call. After much worrying, a social worker in London called Jack that Dina had been found there. Jack and Abby flew to London, and Jack returned home with both Abby and Dina. Dina turned against Ashley, distrusting her even to serve her food, accusing Ashley of poisoning her. Abby, after many successes in Paris, decided to return permanently with Victor’s blessing, just in time to witness her mother Ashley being fired from Newman. Incensed, Abby took it upon herself to find evidence that Jack and Victoria had set Ashley up to appear to be spying for Jabot. Against Ashley’s wishes, Abby took it to Victor telling him he had fired the wrong person. Victor asked Ashley to return and promised that Victoria would no longer be a problem, but Ashley agreed only if Victoria were fired. He could not bring himself to do that so offered Victoria the choice of a demotion or leaving the company so Victoria became senior vice president of Operations. But Victoria attempted to take over again while Victor was in a coma, so Nikki ended up running the company during that time.

Abby began videoing Dina telling stories of her past. Among them, Dina told how she got bored while John practically lived at the office as he built Jabot, and she admitted to “multiple affairs with many consequences”, like Ashley being fathered by club tennis pro Brent Davis. Dina disclosed another secret, that Jack was not John’s either. She said he was a man from the country club, but she got agitated that she could not remember his name, but remembered fondly their daily afternoon rendezvous at the Stardust Inn. Abby told Ashley and showed her the video. Both were shocked, yet with Dina’s Alzheimer's, who knew how much of any of it was true. Ashley found it interesting to think that Jack may not be a “blood Abbott” either. A DNA test comparing Jack to Billy proved it was true and John was not Jack’s father.

Ashley did well at Newman despite Victoria and Abby, having Victor’s confidence. But when an article was published accusing Victor of getting rid of J.T. Helstrom who had been investigating Newman for global price-fixing, Ashley confronted Victor for the truth. Victor was insulted and Ashley quit, citing not wanting to be dragged into another scandal. Ashley approached Billy, the new CEO of Jabot, about returning as COO. Billy was hesitant, but knowing he would be outvoted by the rest of the board, he welcomed her back. Ashleigh began scrutinizing everything Billy was doing, her number one red flag being the yacht Jaboat which Billy had just bought but was mysteriously absent. She realized she needed to document every plan and irresponsible decision that Billy made, hoping to get enough information to present to the board and seek a no-confidence motion. After discovering $30,000 worth of work on Jaboat that never happened, Kyle wanted to lure Billy into gambling again, but Ashley nixed the idea.

Following her resignation from Newman, Ashley tipped Neil that Newman had severed ties with the server company DigiReal, so Neil acquired it for Hamilton-Winters. Neil was shocked when Victor took it personally and ceased their friendship, and canceled Newman’s contract with Power Communications. Victor was also incensed by the sudden romantic relationship between Neil and Ashley. After an evening of jazz and dancing, Neil kissed Ashley. They found it easy to revisit the romance they had had many years prior, and after a lot of dinners and drinks, they ended up making love.

Ashley began scrutinizing everything Billy was doing, her number one red flag being the yacht Jaboat which Billy had bought but was mysteriously absent. She realized she needed to document every plan and irresponsible decision that Billy made, hoping to get enough information to present to the board and seek a no-confidence motion. After discovering $30,000 worth of work on Jaboat that never happened, Kyle wanted to lure Billy into gambling again, but Ashley nixed the idea. Kyle went ahead, had Sinead lure Billy into debt, causing him to embezzle funds from Jabot. The board voted Billy out and talked Traci into taking the CEO position, as the only remaining blood Abbott. Traci took no time in abolishing the blood Abbott clause and Ashley was elected CEO of Jabot.

Jack called a board meeting after Kyle discovered that Andrew Lynford had been blackmailing Ashley, and she had been paying him off as Type A Consulting with company funds. Ashley introduced him as Dr. Andrew Lynford a consultant doing anti-aging anti-cancer research. But Phyllis recognized him as a former coworker from twenty-five years ago at DNS Labs in New York City, and knew he was now in charge of the DNA lab at Genoa City Memorial. Jack offered Andrew double for the real reason Ashley was paying him. Ashley gave the answer for free, telling them all that Jack was really John Abbott’s son, how she had coached Dina, edited the clip in the movie of Dina’s memoirs, and had paid Lynford to alter the DNA test results. Ashley got her revenge for what Jack had done to her when he invoked the blood Abbot clause. She said had been going to tell Jack the truth as a Christmas present. Ashley was removed as CEO.

After a bad conversation with Ashley, Dina told Kyle that she had been a good mother to Ashley and there was proof of it at Jabot. Kyle took her to the CEO office that had also once been John’s. Dina located a wall safe that had been covered during remodeling, her birthdate being the combination. Inside was a document that John had drawn up assigning all patents, inventions, discoveries made by Ashley to her excluding all others in perpetuity. Knowing what this information could do to the company, Kyle tried to destroy it, but Dina pitched a fit, and Jack walked in. Once Jack saw the contract, he shredded it, ushering them out, saying it was best for the company. After Dina later related the tale to Traci, Traci found and reconstructed the shredded document. She called a family meeting and made Jack and Kyle tell Ashley what had happened that day. Ashley was both elated and furious with them. Jack tried to buy back the patents from Ashley, but she stood her ground requesting the CEO position in exchange. When that was rejected, Ashley decided to pack up her patents, move to Paris and start her own cosmetics company. She only managed to have time to say goodbye to Neil by phone, and invited him to come see her there any time.

Jack, Billy and Phyllis all vied for CEO of Jabot, but Phyllis won due to the Abbotts splitting their votes, and by hiring Kerry Johnson as lead chemist, whom both Abbotts had been trying to lure. Five months later it was revealed when Ashley returned to take over Jabot, that the real Kerry had been creating a new product line for Jabot in Paris with Ashley, and the imposter, Dominique Carroll, had been licensing the products to Ashley’s dummy company Premiere Cosmetics. Phyllis was voted out as CEO and Jack voted in. Ashley left them a contract good for 24 hours making Jabot a wholly owned subsidiary of her company, and offered to keep them all on. Later, Ashley declined Jack’s offer that Ashley develop products, and let him run the business. They decided on a challenge where each would run their company and see who turns a profit or goes bankrupt. Jack swore he wouldn’t sell Jabot to her or anyone. Ashley offered second in command position to Abby at Abbott Exchange in Paris, but she declined. But she did manage to scoop up Jack’s executive assistant, Ted.

Following the death of Neil Winters, Jack and Ashley reconciled in Neil’s honor. Ashley came to the funeral from Paris, and felt guilty about how she had just abandoned Neil to escape Jabot and the Abbott family. During the reading of the will, Ashley was left a $500,000 donation to the Alzheimer's charity of choice in honor of Dina, and Neil’s favorite jazz album. Before she returned to Paris, Ashley tipped Jack to a foreign copycat site that was launching the same day as Jabot’s.

After Dina became violet and aggressive with Traci and even more confused than ever, it became apparent that Dina could no longer live with them. The family reluctantly checked her into Bright Tomorrows Home Care Center. But when Dina realized it was time for her to leave, she locked herself in a room and climbed out a window, leaving her GPS bracelet behind. But Jack found her in Chancellor Park listening to Tessa Porter sing. Jack invited Tessa to sing at Bright Tomorrows. Dina was good with that, and left happy. Dina settled in, and now and then she would ask, “Do I know you?” and her children would reintroduce themselves.

Jack went to Paris to visit Ashley, and returned with her, and a deal which merged their two companies. Jack made Kyle and Billy Co-CEOs of Jabot. Jack and Traci decided to write the Abbott Family memoirs. While talking with Dina she started rhapsodizing about Stuart Brooks. While researching their connection, Doris Tillington came to them, admitting she had been the class gossip. She told them how Stuart had a crush on Dina in high school, quite obvious to her who saw them acting out Hamlet and Ophelia. But Dina was seriously dating John Abbott. Stuart and Dina snuck off together from a post-homecoming party at the Abbott estate and made love, but swore to each other it was a one time thing. After graduation instead of going to college, Dina spent a year abroad, never contacting her friends. Dina returned to Genoa City and to John. In stored Mergeron files, Jack found a tear-stained letter from Dina to Stuart hidden in a copy of Hamlet. It said, “I must be cruel only to be kind thus bad begins and worse remains behind.” Also a birth certificate for a baby boy. It turned out that Dina had been pregnant, and her baby boy was adopted by Margaret and Ralph Vanderway in Chicago. They named him Eric. Eric grew up to be a union delegate for the teamsters, had a family, but died from a heart attack when his son Theo was 15 years old. Theo landed in Genoa City as an adult. The Abbott family was shocked to find out that Theo was family, especially Kyle who had been buddies with Theo when they lived in New York City. After breaking the news to Theo, and getting a DNA test confirmation, Theo asked to meet Dina. Dina came out of her fugue hearing the name Vanderway, and assumed that Theo was her son Eric. Theo played along and assured her that he had been raised in a loving home which seemed to comfort Dina. Jack did his best to make Theo feel part of the family, as did Ashley, who offered Theo a job working for her in Paris. But Jack talked him into working at Jabot in Genoa City instead. Kyle and Traci were less trusting. Billy later left Jabot, and Theo was fired and went to work for Billy at ChancComm.

Dina was failing fast, not eating, sleeping more and more, she became disoriented, confused, and fearful. Warned that Dina did not have a lot of time left, the Abbotts decided to bring her home to Abbott Manor to live out her final days. In an envelope of things sent home with Dina was a note written in one of her more lucid moments of things she wanted her family to know. In addition to funeral arrangements, how she regretted being a bad mother, yet was so impressed that her children had all turned out so well. Saying she had barely known Traci, she was so young, and that it was unforgivable that she did not go to Colleen’s funeral, a most loving and caring young lady. It ended with, “Theo you are a great catch.” They prepared the room off the living room for her. Although mostly staring off into space and unresponsive, Dina still managed to be dressed up and sipping tea in the living room. Theo’s kindness or his fighting with Kyle in front of her seemed to spark her only reaction, and she called Theo Stewart. This left Traci feeling frustrated and inadequate to help. Billy and Lily convinced Traci to head serialized online fiction department of their newly formed division, Chancellor Communications. Working mostly from home, she could still be there for Dina.

Ashley shows up in Genoa City periodically for holidays and to support Abby though the supposed death of her husband Chance and to celebrate when he turned up alive, and birth of their surrogate son Dominic.