1983 (#20) - The relationship between Eric and Ashley, the disclosure of Dina's identity

Following John's heart attack, the whole Abbott family reunited and reunited around his patriarch. Jack regrets his behaviour which has disappointed his father, while Ashley and Jill put aside all animosity towards the boy and decide to pray with him that John will overcome this critical moment. During this period, then, Eric is also strongly affected by the tragedy touched, being more and more close to Ashley and soon begins to feel important feelings. It's precisely the closeness between the two that puzzles Brian, who wonders if Ashley is still his girlfriend. The many arguments following the man's requests for clarification are certainly not appreciated by the woman, annoyed by the not even veiled accusations of betrayal that Brian throws at her at this very difficult time. And when Eric and Brian almost get into a violent fight, Ashley takes a stand on Eric's side, leading Brian to the decision to distance himself from the woman. Meanwhile, as the weeks went by, John's health improved dramatically and he regained consciousness. And it's John who respectfully observes the real change that occurred during his illness, the blossoming of love between Eric and Ashley, a true feeling. And so, when Ashley confirms to her father that she's now in love with Eric, John, feeling too weak and old to lead the company, and certainly not wanting to entrust the fate of Jabot to Jack alone, begins to seriously reconsider the possibility of selling; selling the company to a large company like Mergeron Corporation, making sure that Ashley and Eric would be at the head of the company, could really be a good move after all. John then decides to accept Mergeron's proposal and close the negotiations. Eric thus announces the arrival of Mrs. Mergeron, the recent widow of the head of the family Marcel Mergeron, for the final signing of the sales deed and to close the deal personally. When Mrs. Mergeron arrives, John almost has another heart attack when he sees that this one is none other than Dina, his first wife who had left the family several years earlier!