1985 (#20) - Gina's past in jail and the missing wedding with Neil

Despite all of Lauren, Joanna and Shawn's attempts to come between Gina and Neil and hinder their love, the couple seems more determined than ever to follow their feelings and announce to everyone that they want to get married. Upon hearing the news, Lauren and Joanna are upset and try in vain to reason with an inflexible Neil. Lauren then decides to take the initiative on her own and, taking advantage of the private investigator skills she learned from her husband Paul, manages to obtain Gina's criminal record. What Lauren discovers confirms her suspicions, since she learns that she has been in prison several times, especially in New York. Lauren then decides to immediately go to the Big Apple to find out more, and here she manages to contact Frances Leighton, a former cellmate of Gina. When Lauren shows up in front of a grumpy Frances with some money she intends to give him in case he decides to go to Genoa City with her to tell everyone about Gina's past and interrupt her wedding. Frances, a woman with few scruples, immediately accepts the proposal. A very happy Lauren, in the company of Framces, immediately flies in the direction of Genoa City, where the next day the wedding between Gina and her father is scheduled, with the clear intention of doing everything possible to prevent this from happening. The following day, therefore, Lauren anticipates to Joanna and Paul that there will be great news; Lauren thus introduces the strange Frances to all the guests at the pre-wedding brunch, indicating her as an old friend of Gina's; but it is on the altar that Lauren's plan is put into action, with Frances taking the floor and revealing to everyone that she shared a cell in the New York penitentiary with Gina. Neil is shocked to hear these words and immediately asks Gina why she is not being honest. Bitterly disappointed, and unwilling to hear the woman's excuses, Neil says goodbye to all the guests and announces that there will be no wedding, which makes both Lauren and Joanna happy. Since the wedding day, Gina and Neil have not met. Only a few weeks later, Gina finds the strength to confront Neil and appear before him for the first time after the breakup. Gina, with her heart in her hands, admits that she made many mistakes in the past and that she didn't tell him about them because she didn't want Neil to judge her for what she was and not for what she is, a different person. Unfortunately, Gina says, she would like to change the past, but she can't. So she leaves the choice whether or not to continue their relationship with Neil, taking off her engagement ring and leaving it on the table. The man, however, doesn't say or do anything, suggesting that he has no intention of forgiving the woman, nor of getting back with her. It is at this point that Shawn takes action again to drive Paul and Lauren away: Shawn sends a letter to Gina, making her believe it is from Frances, where he tells her to come to New York immediately. Gina flies immediately, with the clear intention of meeting the person who ruined his life, and here Frances, astonished by the woman's arrival, confesses everything about her deal with Lauren. Back in Genoa City, Gina then hurls herself against Lauren, promising that she would make him pay for it, under Paul's somewhat astonished eyes, who didn't think his wife was capable of doing such a thing, disappointed, moreover, for having kept him completely out of it.