"Hayley warned Ryan that he'd only make himself more miserable by denying his true feelings for Gillian. "Either get back with her or get a life," Hayley said rather icily. She didn't mean to sound unsympathetic, but she worried that Ryan would drive himself crazy by not making up his mind one way or the other. Ryan rose from his seat and said that he had something to do. Hayley looked up at him and begged him not to run away. "So I'm a loser?" Ryan snapped. Hayley shook her head. "I never said that," Hayley sighed. She explained to Ryan that it was unfair for him to continually beat himself up over his failed marriage to Gillian. Ryan received yet another scolding when he tried to tell Hayley that he was to blame for all the problems he and Gillian were having. Hayley ordered Ryan to stop blaming himself and take a risk at admitting his feelings to Gillian. For the first time Ryan seemed willing to admit that he would like to get back together with Gillian.
Dixie continued her efforts to calm Marian, but still it did no good. Marian was beginning to think the worst. "What if David had taken Liza hostage?" she said worriedly. She remembered that the doctor had had feelings for Liza and feared that he might have kidnapped Liza to prevent her from marrying Adam. Dixie assured Marian that Liza and David were having a friendly chat when she left. Marian then worried that Liza and Adam's marriage would be doomed if Adam saw the bride before the ceremony. Dixie reminded Marian that she and Stuart had seen one another before their wedding. "Yes, but I married the good brother," Marian replied. Dixie nodded her head slightly and said that she'd head off to Chandler Mansion to check on things.
Gillian remained uneasy by watching Ryan and Hayley chum it up and decided that she should leave. Scott stopped her and told her that she should not run away because of Ryan. Gillian was miffed that Ryan had found happiness without her. In her words, someone who was laughing could not have a broken heart. Scott mentioned an old saying that it's possible for someone to be "laughing on the outside and crying on the inside."
As if Marian's nerves were not already shot, the reverend approached and told her that he could only stick around for a few more minutes before he had to leave to attend a funeral. Marian begged the minister to reconsider, saying that "the corpse" wasn't going to go anywhere. With this fate as CEO of Cortlandt Electronics hanging in the balance, Palmer tried to buddy up to as many of the board members as possible. After the last had left, Palmer called Opal's attempt to oust him a "pathetic attempt" that was "doomed to failure." Belinda mentioned that an infusion of new blood was just what the company needed. Palmer, however, fumed that he had not been informed of the secret board meeting. Opal claimed that she'd sent Email to Palmer to alert him to the meeting. Since he'd apparently never received it, Belinda mused that Palmer must be having troubles with his "outdated computer." Adrian stepped in and snarled that they would send him an engraved invitation the next time they planned a hostile takeover. Palmer was confident that he would emerge victorious. Sure, Opal held an equal amount of Cortlandt Electronic stock, but in order to succeed with the ouster Opal needed the support of the other stockholders. Both Opal and Palmer laid claim to Erica's proxies. Trevor, who sat in again while Erica tended to other matters, said that Erica was in the game to make money---not to vote in favor of an ineffective CEO. Opal knew that her friendship with Erica had been strained and wondered how she could be certain that her one-time gal pal would back her up. Belinda suggested that Adrian take his case to Erica and attempt to garner her support. Palmer asked that Opal speak to him in private. He demanded to know why she was attempting to have him overthrown. "Somebody's got to teach you a lesson," Opal growled. She explained that there was a time when she "used to like looking up" at Palmer. Never did it occur to her that while she was looking up at Palmer, he was looking down at her. "Cortlandt Electronics is my dream!" Palmer yelled through gritted teeth. "The sun," replied Opal coldly, "has set on your empire." The group left, allowing Palmer some time alone to weigh his options and mull his future. The potentially overthrown leader picked up his cellular phone and called in a favor to a friend in Congress. He told the Senator that he wanted a former operative to be reinstated. He was sure that there was some world hotspot that could use Adrian's expertise. "If it's a suicide mission," he chuckled. "All the better!"
"Prove your mother right," Erica said continuing to egg David on. David confronted her comments with a cold stare. Suddenly, he through his arms in the air and said that "the game's over." To marveled glances he added, "I'm all played out." He turned to walk away, but Jake and Tad blocked his path. The Martin brothers refused to budge until David told them the full story. Liza also agreed that David was holding something back. "I think it's better that you don't know," David replied. While no one was looking forward to the secret being revealed, David's announcement was somewhat of a disappointment. For months he'd tailed Liza around town promising to ruin her life with a big secret. David recalled the exact moment that he'd decided to turn Liza's life upside down. "February 1998," he stated. "You and Jake set me up." Jake quickly noted that David was engaging in revisionist history. David had set himself up for a fall by mis-medicating Adam and then framing Jake for the mix-up. Again Jake demanded the truth. "Don't tempt me," David growled. David said that the letter he'd written to Liza contained more of the same troublesome lies that he'd dished out before. He refused to reveal exactly what lie he'd concocted in the letter. Dixie arrived and stood next to Tad. David beamed proudly as he explained that the letter he'd filed with Leslie Coulson was nothing more than "a red herring." Tad continued to argue that David was holding back. Erica sensed that David might be getting close to the breaking point and jumped in to rescue the doctor. She told Tad that David's story made perfect sense to her. "He's a career liar," she noted. Some people, she said, create crossword puzzles in their spare time. David, on the other hand, tries to find ways to torment people. Dixie approached David and told him that she no longer wants him as her doctor. This was a crushing blow to David who was now getting punished for doing the right thing. Everyone filed off to attend the wedding. Meanwhile, Erica congratulated David for having done the right thing. She surmised that Adam must have had something really big on David. David, though, said that Adam had nothing on him---and that he wasn't quite sure why he'd chosen not to tell Liza. "A pang of conscience?" Erica asked. Erica praised David for having acted like a man. But only time, she noted, would tell how long David's transformation would last.
With Mateo by her side, Raquel struggled through weight lifting exercises. "Do you think it's too late for me to qualify for Wimbledon?" Raquel jested. Mateo was surprising at Raquel's interest in tennis. Raquel smiled slightly and told Matt that there was a lot about her that he didn't know. For so long all Raquel had talked about was Max. Mateo seemed pleasantly surprised by Raquel's candor. Max scurried into the room and asked his father if they could play ball. Mateo didn't want to step out because Nurse Kelly wasn't there to watch over Raquel. Then he came up with an idea to make everyone happy. He put Raquel in a wheelchair and wheeled her into the courtyard. From her vantagepoint at the "sidelines," Raquel was going to preside as "empire," as Max said, for their baseball game. Max tossed three consecutive strikes---or at least they were strikes in Raquel's book. Mateo puckered his lips and pretended to be upset by the call. Mateo suggested that the next time they play ball they ask Hayley to play catcher. Raquel said that she liked the idea. There was time for one more pitch. This time, Max hurled the ball through the window to Mateo and Hayley's condominium. There was no apology and no reaction from the miniature pitcher. Mateo asked his son if he'd broken the window on purpose. Max still said nothing. Raquel ordered her son to answer his father---but Max remained silent. Mateo ordered Max to get a broom and clean up the mess. While Max was gone, Mateo and Raquel agreed that it was time to put their collective foot down and punish Max for misbehaving.
Liza and Adam finally arrived at the Wildwind chapel. Marian was moved to tears upon seeing her daughter. Liza pleaded with her mother to smile before she made her and Colby cry too! The Wedding March played and Stuart walked Marian down the aisle. Shortly thereafter, Liza strolled down the aisle toting Colby and a bouquet of flowers."
- Soap Central
