Previously…
– Natalie spun a series of half-truths in order to convince Helen not to reveal the truth about Peter’s paternity.
– As Jason and Natalie’s wedding began, a mysterious man arrived with an envelope for Spencer. The message inside instructed him to have Sonja check her phone and read what had been delivered to her.
– When Sonja opened the message, she also saw a threat from Loretta warning her that if she failed to read the document aloud, she would be putting her medical license in danger. Pained, Sonja read the DNA results revealing that Spencer, not Jason, is Peter’s father.
On the back lawn of Wandering Soul Winery, the gorgeous setup for Natalie Bishop and Jason Fisher’s wedding has become the setting for a tense, confusing scene. At the end of the aisle, Brent Taylor continues to hold his gun aloft, aiming it at the intimidating man who interrupted the ceremony with a special delivery; all eyes are otherwise now turned to Sonja Kahele, who stands at her seat in the second row, holding her phone with trembling hands.

 

“It’s a DNA test,” she announces with a voice as shaky as her body. “A test done on Peter.”

“Peter?” Jason asks. “Why would someone–”

“A paternity test,” Sonja says. She wishes there were some way, any way, out of doing this, but Loretta Ragan’s instructions have made it clear that the only other option is facing criminal charges and the loss of her medical credentials. “It says that you aren’t Peter’s father.”

Shocked, outraged cries go up from throughout the audience. “What?!”

“This is insane,” Jason declares, wagging his head from side to side. “It’s crazy. Loretta is crazy. Who else would be his father?” But even as he is voicing the question, the pieces begin to come together; his gaze drifts toward Spencer, still holding the card that was delivered for him by the mysterious man. “No. It can’t be.” He looks to his bride. “It can’t be. Right?”

“I don’t know what she’s talking about,” Natalie says.

Sonja manages to spit out the next statement before diverting her gaze in shame and anguish: “It says that Spencer is the father.”

Jason scans the rows and rows of guests, as if there might be a camera crew waiting to tell him that this is some big prank, but no answer presents itself. He looks to Spencer, who is slack-jawed himself.

“Is it true?” he asks his nephew.

“I…” Spencer’s mouth flaps open but does not produce words for several seconds. “I don’t understand.”

“Let’s go inside and talk,” Natalie says, gripping Jason’s hand. “We can sort this out. Loretta is up to something. She has some agenda.”

“I want to know the truth,” Jason says. Tim comes up from behind him and places a steadying hand on his brother’s back.

In the third row, Helen Chase clenches her jaw as she watches the action intently.

“Grandma, what does that lady mean?” Sophie asks from beside her.

Helen takes a brief moment to gather herself. “I’m not sure, dear. We’ll have to let everyone sort this out.”

“Police! Freeze!” a voice shouts from the back, once again stealing everyone’s attention. They all turn and see several police officers rushing out from the winery and surrounding the intruder, who keeps his hands in the air.

“I don’t know a thing,” the man insists with a note of annoyance. “I’m the delivery guy. That’s it.”

“We still have some questions to ask you,” Brent says.

—–

Inside the winery, Sarah Fisher Gray lets out a relieved exhale.

“How’d they get here so fast?” her husband asks.

“Someone else called them before me,” Sarah explains. “Maybe someone who works here. Unless Brent somehow managed to call for backup.”

“At least no one got hurt,” Tori Gray says.

Matt and Sarah both nod in agreement.

“Do you have any idea what’s going on out there?” Travis Fisher asks as he comes up behind them. “Could you hear? Was Sonja reading something?”

“I don’t know,” Sarah says, “but Jason looks furious.”

They watch as the police officers lead the man in the suit and sunglasses off. Moments later, Jason and Natalie come down the aisle and toward the building. Sarah steps out onto the patio to meet her brother.

“What’s happening?” she asks. “Are you okay?”

“Sorry,” Jason says, leading Natalie by the hand. “My fiancée and I need to go have a talk.”

Quickly the bride and groom disappear into the back hallway, and seconds later, a door closes loudly.

“Come on,” Sarah tells her husband, daughter, and nephew. “Let’s go find out what in the hell this is all about.”

—–

Outside, Tim rushes over to Sonja, as confused chaos swirls around them.

“What was that all about?” he asks.

Sonja grasps his hands but feels him stiffen at her touch.

“I don’t know,” she says, nearly overcome by emotion. “I’m sorry I had to do that — to air something so private–”

“Why did you have to?”

Sonja swallows hard. She doesn’t understand why Loretta would throw her under the bus this way after she did everything she was asked. Maybe because Sonja overstepped her bound and went to visit her. Maybe because she always intended to do so.

“Sonja,” Tim says, more insistently, “why couldn’t you just refuse to read those test results — if there’s even a speck of truth to them anyway — out loud?”

She knows there is no other way. “Tim, there’s something I need to tell you.”

—–

Meanwhile, Claire rushes over to Spencer. People are surrounding him, gawking and whispering, and she pushes through to face her son, who is still holding onto the card that was delivered for him.

“Are you all right?” she asks.

He nods weakly. “Yeah. Just…”

She waits for him to complete the thought, but he doesn’t, instead letting his mouth hang open in a stupor.

Claire hesitates, unsure if she should prod him, given their history. Eventually she asks, “Is it true?”

He stares back at her with widened eyes.

“Spencer,” she says gravely, “is there any truth to this at all? Could you really be Peter’s father?”

—–

“Do you have any idea what all of this is about?” Claudia Bishop demands as she and Henry approach their older daughter.

Diane lets out a huff. “Why would I know? This is Natalie’s mess!”

“I just thought you might have some insight,” Claudia says. “There’s no need to bark at me.”

Rather than respond, Diane folds her arms.

“I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation for all of this,” Henry says.

“The explanation is that Natalie leaves a trail of destruction everywhere she goes,” Diane replies. She looks over her father’s face, noting the ashen tone of his skin. Other than that, he appears to have made quite the recovery from the way she found him earlier, hunched over and retching.

“I’m going to go check on Bree,” Diane tells them. “This can’t be easy for her.”

“That’s a good idea,” Henry says. Diane pushes her way past them and up the aisle, where she finds her niece sitting in a chair in the front row.

“You okay?” Diane asks.

Bree looks up, her big, blue eyes full of sadness and confusion. “Why would someone say that? My mom and Spencer–”

“Because the woman who sent that note is crazy,” Diane says, deciding to stifle her own feelings about her sister right now. “However this shakes out, Peter is your brother, and Jason loves you.”

The teenager purses her lips together, clearly not convinced.

“Come here.” Diane places an arm around Bree’s shoulders. “This is all going to work out. Just wait. And in the meantime, you have Samantha and me. Okay?”

She feels Bree nodding against her shoulder.

—–

Helen has stooped down to address her granddaughter. “Everything is going to be fine.”

Sophie swivels her head around. “Where did all those cops go?”

“They’re talking to that man who interrupted the ceremony,” Don explains. “They’re making sure he doesn’t hurt anyone.”

“Boy, what a mess!” Sophie declares. “But how could Spencer be Peter’s daddy? My dad is!” 

Helen and Don exchange a troubled look. Luckily, Alex Marshall and Trevor Brooks swoop in to join them.

“What do you guys make of this?” Alex asks.

Don shakes his head. “I don’t know where to begin.”

“I guess my sister will be glad that she was too pregnant to fly in for this,” Trevor says. “Or maybe not.”

“How is Lauren doing?” Helen asks.

“She’s okay. She said this pregnancy is tougher than her first.”

“It’s good that she’s resting, then,” Don says. The attempt at normal conversation dies right there, though; none of them can even think about anything other than the scene that just played out in front of them.

Several rows back, Helen notices Sabrina Gage sitting there in her floral-print dress, practically shooting laser beams at Helen with her eyes. Helen simply gives her a curt nod and turns back to her husband. She doesn’t know how this is going to play out, but she certainly isn’t going to tip her hand to that girl. Not yet.

—–

Inside the winery, Jason closes the door to what has been serving as the bridal room. In his anger and frustration, he shuts it a little too hard and hears it echo throughout the building.

“This is not how I wanted today to go,” Natalie says, unable to bear even seconds of silence.

“Oh, but it’s an absolute dream for me.” There is a nasty edge to Jason’s voice that makes her even more nervous.

“Jason, I’m as in the dark as you are.”

“You are? This is the first you’re hearing of this?”

Natalie pauses. She knows that she has to play this just right; she already wriggled out of Helen’s ultimatum, in the face of cold, hard proof, and she can do it again if she focuses.

“There’s something I should tell you,” she begins.

“Oh my god. So it’s true?” His mouth gapes, and he throws up his hands. “How could you–”

“That isn’t what I mean.”

“Nat, there are only so many ways this can go,” he fires back.

“And I’m going to explain it. Just listen, okay?”

Jason sucks his lips together, pulling them into a tight line.

“Something happened a few years ago,” she says, treating each syllable like a patch of dirt in a field full of landmines. Every step has to be just right. “Do you remember when you freaked out and pushed me away right after Sandy and Ryan were killed?”

The memory seems to hit him like a roundhouse kick. He nods slowly, absorbing the hurt.

“I went out and got drunk,” she goes on, “and met a guy in a bar. We hooked up. You and I weren’t together — I thought you didn’t want anything to do with me.”

He doesn’t react, doesn’t do anything but breathe heavily as he takes it all in.

“Months later, I realized that guy was Spencer. I had never met this long-lost nephew of yours — I had no idea he was the guy I’d met in the bar. And I’d just found out I was pregnant, too.”

“So Peter… Peter could be his.”

“Could have. I talked to Spencer about it. We ran a test. I’m so sorry I kept this from you, but I thought– I thought that if you found out, you’d push me away again, and I couldn’t bear to lose you — especially not once I knew for certain that it was your baby I was carrying.” 

Natalie watches the news land on him.

“Jason, Peter is your son.” She takes his hands forcefully, so that he cannot pull away, cannot break the connection between them. “I’m– you have no idea how sorry I am for all of this. It was a really horrible coincidence, and I did everything I could to manage it. I’ve never wanted to hurt you. You know that.”

His face is stony. “You slept with my nephew.”

“I didn’t know he was your nephew,” she says. “It was one of those insane coincidences, and it happened at an absolutely awful time for all of us — especially you, losing so many people you loved. Spencer, too. All he wanted was to be a part of your family, especially once he saw who Philip really was.”

Jason remains frustratingly, maddeningly silent.

“I am so sorry I didn’t tell you all of this a long time ago,” she says. “But I didn’t think there was a need. I didn’t want to cause all of that pain for you and your family if there wasn’t a reason. Peter is yours. We can– we’ll do another test.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes! Do you know how much I’ve agonized over this?” That part, at least, isn’t a lie. This situation has been a steamroller, running over her thoughts and emotions over and over and over, for so long that she can hardly remember a time when it wasn’t weighing upon her. And if she has to switch one more paternity test to keep it all together, then so be it. That’s small potatoes at this point.

He opens his mouth to speak, his dry lips making a smacking sound as he does so.

“This is a lot to take in,” he finally says. “And what just happened out there…”

“It doesn’t matter. None of it does. Loretta Ragan is a sick woman, and for whatever reason, she found out about Spencer and me and decided Peter was her grandchild and she would claim him. But it isn’t true. And what we have — it’s so good, so beautiful. We have a family. This circus today doesn’t change that.”

She gazes into his eyes and squeezes his hands.

“Jason, I love you. I’m being honest with you now. I’m sorry that I ever kept anything from you. Now please, will you come back out there and marry me?”

—–

Amidst the chaos, Sarah hurries outside. With Matt trailing right behind her, she goes directly to the front of the aisle, where guests are now milling around in confusion.

“Mom,” Sarah says as they move toward Paula. “What was all that?”

“I… I don’t even know how to explain it.” Paula sighs in exasperation. “What are you doing here? Where’s Tori?”

“Back there with Travis,” Matt says. “She’s okay.”

“Are you sure?” Paula asks.

“Yeah,” Sarah answers. “The doctor told her she was dehydrated. They gave her an IV. She seems totally fine.”

Paula touches a hand to her chest. “Oh, thank goodness. We were all so worried.”

“More importantly,” Sarah says, “what the hell is going on here? Who was that man?”

“I wish I had some genuine answers for  you,” Paula tells them. “That man – he says he was sent by Loretta Ragan.”

“Oh my god. When I saw what was going on, it made me think about Claire and Ryan’s wedding.”

“Me, too,” Matt says. Sarah feels his hand clamp down on her shoulder.

“I was very worried,” Paula says. “But he had a– a card that he said he had to deliver to Spencer.”

Sarah scrunches up her face. “A card?”

“That’s what this was all about?” Matt asks. “A damn card?”

“It had this message from Loretta,” Paula explains, “instructing him to have Sonja read something off her phone.”

“What does Sonja have to do with any of this?” Sarah questions. “Is it about Spencer’s recovery?”

“No.” Paula looks around them, as if there might be some answer waiting out there. “It’s much more complicated than that — and much crazier.”

—–

Tim takes a step back from Sonja, dropping his hands.

“Start talking,” he says sternly.

It pains Sonja to do this, but she has no choice. “A few months ago, someone contacted me… on behalf of that woman. Loretta.”

“What did she want?”

“I don’t entirely know why,” she says, “but she wanted me to– to report back to her on Spencer’s recovery.”

Tim lets out a groan, though she cannot ascertain whether it is aimed at Loretta or at her.

“I said no, obviously,” Sonja hastens to add. “That would be a violation of my medical oath, and– well, given everything you’ve told me, she must have had an ulterior motive.”

“She always does.”

“And then there were more phone calls. Recently. Threats against me, my mother, my medical license.”

Tim furrows his brow. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because I… what was I going to say?”

“That a crazy woman was targeting my family!”

She frowns. “I’m sorry. I am. But the person calling warned me that if I told anyone, there would be consequences, and I thought — if I just said no, then that was that. What Loretta wanted was access to Spencer.”

“Mm-hmm,” he murmurs.

“Maybe this was revenge for turning her down. Making me hurt your family this way because I wouldn’t do it in the way she wanted at first. I don’t know. You’ve said that this woman loves to play games with people’s lives.”

A terse moment passes. Sonja’s mind is in overdrive, reviewing how she has covered her bases from the beginning; there is no tangible proof of the subliminal messages she was feeding Spencer, no written communication of the orders or her agreement. The regular bank deposits might be suspicious, but they don’t necessarily prove anything.

“She does,” Tim says at last. “I’m sorry you got caught in the middle of all this. It couldn’t have been easy for you to stand there and do that.”

“Not at all.” She shakes her head and feels genuine tears welling up. “That was Natalie and Jason’s private business. I hope they don’t hate me.”

Tim wraps his arms around her, and Sonja sobs with relief.

“Jason knows what a monster Loretta is,” he tells her, “and Spencer does, too. No one is going to blame you for this once the dust settles.”

“I hope not,” she says, pressing herself against his chest.

—–

Spencer stares down at the card. On its front is a blue teddy bear and, in gold, the phrase “Congratulations! It’s a Boy!” He recalls the conversation that he and Natalie had when she came to see him in the hospital after his accident; he remembered her only as the woman he’d had a fling with, not his uncle’s fiancée. She assured him that they’d had tests done to be sure and confirmed that Jason was Peter’s father. But then why would his mother…?

“It doesn’t help that I have no memory of, like, two years,” he says, looking up at Claire.

Claire screws up her face. “So it is possible.”

“I don’t know!” he snaps. “This whole thing is nuts.”

“To put it mildly,” she says.

Uncertain what else to say without actually giving anything away, Spencer scans the area around them. Paula, Sarah, and Matt are now clustered with Molly and Conrad. They are looking in his direction, but there is more to it than that — they are studying him, examining him, as if trying to figure out how this could be true. How he could potentially be the cause of all this pain that Jason might be about to endure.

“My mother– Loretta– she’s crazy,” he blurts out. “I don’t know why she would do this. There must be a reason.”

Claire sighs. “I’m afraid to know what that reason could be.”

Then she spots Jason and Natalie exiting the winery, hand-in-hand. Spencer notices, too, and they both watch in suspense as the couple walks back toward the aisle.

“Good news, everyone,” Jason announces. “That interruption earlier — it’s being dealt with, but rest assured, it’s all a very weird miscommunication that was meant to ruin our day.”

“But we aren’t going to let it,” Natalie says. “Now let’s have a wedding!”

As the audience breaks out into applause, they make their way back up the aisle, still holding hands. People take their seats, and Tim and Bree resume their positions alongside the couple of honor.

The judge, who has been waiting near the flower-covered archway awkwardly, draws a deep breath and takes in the scene, now restored to something resembling sanity.

“As I was saying,” he begins, “we’ve come here today to celebrate the union of Jason and Natalie, and to celebrate the family they’ve built together.”

“This can’t happen!” a voice suddenly cries out.

All heads turn to see Helen, now on her feet.

“I’m sorry,” she says, “but I can’t in good conscience let this marriage happen.”

Natalie’s eyes grow wide. “Helen–”

“What are you doing?” Don asks, reaching for his wife’s arm.

“It’s true!” she exclaims. “Spencer is Peter’s father!”

END OF EPISODE 935

Will Natalie be able to talk her way out of this again?
Will Sonja manage to escape relatively unscathed?
How is Spencer going to react once the truth is out?
Talk about this week’s episodes in the comments below!

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