Ashley Phones Home — and Tucker Gives His Side of the Story

Kyle walks into the club and is surprised to see Audra and Tucker together. Audra explains they’re old friends. Kyle is surprised because Tucker’s supposed to be on his honeymoon. He barks, “Why are you back in town so soon, and where’s Ashley?” Tucker says he came back to take care of some local business and then leaves. Kyle tells Audra they have time before their meeting, and he can think of a great way to fill that time. Audra begs off, saying she has calls to make. She reminds him that since they are supposed to be keeping a secret, they should probably stop meeting in her suite. She waltzes out as Billy enters. He tells Kyle he needs to talk to him about something, “Audra and Tucker McCall.”

At the Abbott mansion, Diane marvels to Jack that they’re right back where they started worrying about Tucker and his agenda. Talk turns to Kyle and Summer splitting up and Diane changes the subject to planning their reception. Jack vows they won’t let Tucker ruin their happiness. They kiss. Jack wonders if perhaps Tucker isn’t really a threat and he and Ashley are just having marital issues. If he wants to make a move, so be it, but he won’t mar their happiness. Diane hopes Jack knows he can count on her. He does. They embrace.

At the Chancellor Estate, Abby tells Devon she still hasn’t heard from her mom. She fears something is really wrong. Abby has to go to Society, but Devon reassures her and reminds her Tucker will be there soon and he’ll find out what he can.

Tucker arrives and Devon tells him about Abby’s concerns. Tucker asks if she’s there. Devon says it’s just the two of them. He’d like to know what happened in Paris and this is his chance to tell him. Tucker flashes to sitting in the café with Ashley, who is talking about how much Jabot meant to her growing up. Tucker thought she was in a place where she didn’t need it anymore. Ashley was trying to convince herself, but she and Jack reconnected and now it’s not that simple. Jabot is her life blood and it’s more important to her than she even realized. She always goes back; Jabot calls to her. She can’t break that tie. Tucker asks if she’s trying to tell him something. Is she going to throw away their plans and their future? In the present, Tucker sits on the sofa, sighs, and tells Devon, “Everything went wrong.”

Tucker explains that Ashley decided that she could no longer turn her back on Jabot. They had plans for a new company, so they fought. “It was a bad fight. Things were said, accusations were made. I don’t think we can roll it back.” Devon thinks he’s blowing it out of proportion. Tucker assures his son he’s thinking rationally, but Ashley’s not. Devon feels there has to be more to this story, “Did you do something to Ashley you’re not telling me about?”

Tucker says he didn’t realize the hold the Abbotts had on Ashley. He thought he would be enough for her, “I guess not.” He flashes to Ashley telling him they’ll still be husband and wife, just not business partners. Tucker fumes about her leading him on to believe they’ll be working side-by-side. Where was he in this decision-making? It just took one conversation with Jack for her to trash the plans they’d been making for months. Devon still doesn’t understand why he’s not in Paris working this out with his wife. Tucker says there’s nothing to work out. He can’t compete with Jabot. “I offered her a new life free of perpetual conflict with Jack, free of constant presence of Diane, who she despises. She’s just not interested.” He flashes to Ashley asking why she can’t have him and Jabot. Tucker shakes his head and marvels at her being the one who can’t commit and is walking away from him. Their life together has just begun and she’s already a different woman than the one he married. In the present, Tucker hopes this won’t affect their relationship. Devon says if it’s just a fight between married people, that’s fine. If he did something he’s not telling him about, that’s a different story. Just then, Abby returns looking miserable.

At the Abbot mansion, Jack gets a call from Ashley and frantically asks if she’s alright. Ashley asks him to calm down, “I’m fine, all things considered. I’m OK and I’m in Paris.” He asks why she’s there and her new husband is here. She says things have changed, “Everything’s changed.”

Ashley tells Jack that after she got to Paris she realized she couldn’t walk away from Jabot and her family again. She tears up, “I can’t let Jabot go, I can’t let my family go, I don’t even want to.” She tried to make Tucker understand that, but he got so incredibly angry, he was angrier than she’s ever seen him before. He accused her of pulling the rug out from under him. “I had this moment of clarity. I mean that charming, easygoing Tucker that made me fall in love with him again, I think it was a façade.” She just can’t live with that.

At the club, Billy tells Kyle that he doesn’t trust Audra or Tucker. They clearly have some kind of relationship and Tucker’s here while Ashley’s still in Paris. He seems agitated and off-kilter, so they all need to be on alert. Kyle agrees he seemed on edge. He asks why Billy’s coming to him about this, “How do I fit in?” Billy’s hoping he can do a little digging with Audra to find out what he can about Tucker’s state of mind. Kyle says it’s not happening.

Billy warns if Tucker’s upset and out for revenge, he could target the company. He may be coming after Jack, Kyle, “Me, all of us.” It could impact his mother. Kyle thinks this is vague and hypothetical. Billy asks why he thinks Tucker and Audra are hanging out. Kyle concedes that bugs him a bit. He doesn’t see a way she’d confide in him though. “She’s my boss. I can’t push her too hard.” Billy says that’s too bad. He’ll have to find out what he needs to know from someone else.

At the Chancellor Estate, Abby informs Devon and Tucker that she heard from her mother, who told her she and Tucker got in a fight and he disrespected her and didn’t consider her feelings or anything that she wanted at all. Tucker says she doesn’t have the total picture. Abby says the marriage is over and Ashley warned him that Tucker is hurt and angry and can be unpredictable. She sneers that he completely broke her mom’s heart. Tucker says it’s the other way around, “But I’ll never convince you, will I?” He declares that Ashley’s right about one thing, “It’s over. I’m done.” With that, he walks out.

At the Abbott mansion, Jack tells Diane he just got off the phone with Ashley. He updates her on her sister’s second thoughts about leaving Jabot. He just hates how Tucker reacted to the change of heart. “They had quite a fight. He went ballistic, accused her of being a traitor.” He fumes, “He scared the hell out of her.” Jack declares that Tucker is trouble. He’s been trouble since he landed that helicopter on their lawn. At least now Ashley agrees. Diane tells Jack she’s rooting for his reconciliation with Ashley. Jack is too. Their relationship has always been complex; it would always take some wake-up call for them to remember what they mean to each other. The last time, it was when Neil died and they sat mourning together. He doesn’t blame Diane’s return for his latest rift with Ashley, he blames Tucker. Besides, Diane saving her life has made this reunion possible. He’s absolutely certain who he wants in his life. They kiss.

Tucker walks into the club, where Billy confronts him. He can understand why he’d be pissed off about his wife and says his sister can be unpredictable. Tucker asks if he has a point. Billy says Jack turns the other cheek when she gets volatile, but him not so much. Tucker interrupts, “What do you want, Billy?!” Billy worries that Ashley will come back to town and want to come back to Jabot. Tucker chuckles, “Always looking out for number one.” He’s surprised he’s not making accusations right now or upset that he told Jack their plans for him to run Jabot. Billy still believes he’s the most level-headed person to run that company. Tucker snarks, “Good for you.”

At the Chancellor Estate, Abby admits to Devon that she wasn’t expecting this to happen with Ashley and Tucker. Devon replies, “Neither was I. He seemed to be in real pain.” Abby asks, “What did he tell you.” Devon says he told him that they had a fight over Ashley not wanting to let go of Jabot. Abby says Ashley told her he went into a rage, and she realized that he hadn’t changed at all; he just got better at hiding it. Devon’s sorry. Abby supposes it’s good that Tucker showed his true colors sooner rather than later.

Abby thinks she should have trusted her instincts. Tucker was just using her for her money and business instincts, so they could start an empire. He lost his mind when she dismantled his plan. Devon feels Tucker seemed genuinely hurt and wonders if maybe they just need time to cool off. Abby doesn’t think her mother’s coming back to Genoa City anytime soon. Devon says she wants to have a bigger part in Jabot, so how’s that going to work? Abby doesn’t know, but she said if she came back, it would just inflame Tucker more. She wants her mom there but she needs time and space. “My mom did say she thinks Tucker is plotting some sort of revenge… against the family.” Abby knows that he’s Devon’s dad, and he’s been a terrific grandfather to Dom, but… That’s why Devon wants to try and give him the benefit of the doubt.

In his suite, Tucker calls Ashley and tells her he just came from talking to Abby, “How dare you tell her that I am the problem here.” He offered her the world. At first, she was so excited and so on board with the future they planned together, and on their honeymoon, no less, she changes her mind. She chose Jack over him. “I’d like to hear you deny that you lead me on.” She dangled this beautiful future and then pulled the plug. Now she has the gall to paint him as the bad guy?! “Really, Ashley?!” he hollers. Tucker disconnects, throws the phone on the bed and fumes. Agonizing, he grabs the phone again, calls back, and says, “What the hell happened? Where did we go so wrong?!”

At the Abbott mansion, Jack tells Diane that Billy’s on his way. He arrives and updates them that he ran into Tucker at the club. It was very difficult to get information out of him. Jack says Ashley called and she’s OK. She wants to come back to Jabot. When she told Tucker about it he lost his mind. Billy says Tucker was restrained but you could tell he had a lot of anger. They agree he’s got an agenda. Tucker is a legitimate threat. Jack declares they have to stop him from destroying everything they love.