1984 (#8) - Dina's painting and the discovery of the previous flirt with the painter Eric

While the rivalry between Dina and Jill grows out of all proportion, forcing John, already struggling with a slow recovery, to mediate continuously between his young wife, convinced that Dina wants to steal her husband, and his ex-wife, who in turn accuses Jill of wanting to take advantage of the man, the only hope to find peace and quiet in the family comes from Ashley. The woman, in fact, now seems to be increasingly involved in her relationship with Eric, Dina's close young collaborator. And Ashley, who like Traci has never been able to forgive her mother's abandonment, begins to have a dialogue with her, thanks to her relationship with Eric. Soon, Eric asked a joyful Ashley for her hand and she accepted happily; however, no one could expect the imponderable. In view of the wedding and an imminent definitive move to Genoa City, Dina and Eric moved all their belongings, personal effects, clothes and possessions to the city, bringing them from their last residence, Paris. It is among these objects that Ashley finds a painting by Dina with a very special dedication to Eric, "with all my love". Ahsley can't believe her eyes and asks the man for explanations; and when Eric begins to hesitate, Ashley realizes in amazement that Eric and Dina had an affair; an interrupted flirt, he reassures her, from the moment he met her. Eric then decides to open up completely to Ashley admitting that he is a former painter from Paris and that he met Dina in the French city, with whom he began a relationship that allowed him to enter into the company. But despite the man's assurances that the story with Dina is now over, Ashley blames Eric for keeping the truth from her and, above all, gets angry with her mother, who is accused of once again ruining her life. Eric accepts the fact that Ashley is angry with him about his affair with Dina, and asks her forgiveness for it, reassuring her of his love; however, he informs her that he doesn't understand her resistance to going on, warning her that he won't wait forever for her forgiveness.