Jeff's attorney, Paul Martin, began looking into Jason Maxwell's affairs and one name kept popping up,Margo Flax. Margo was at loose ends, her modeling career was long over and her lover Jason was gone. After all the times he'd hurt her by flaunting his affairs in her face, now he was dead, and that hurt too. But Margo would recover. She always did.
Margo quickly decided who was going to help her. Good-looking, honest, successful, lawyer Paul Martin would be a nice change of pace from the Jason Maxwells of this world. Margo packed her bags and moved to Pine Valley, renting a room from her dear friend Erica Kane's mother, Mona.
Paul found Margo refreshing,she knew he was vulnerable,on the rebound, so she created reasons to see him, offering little tidbits about Jason that she thought he might like to know. They began spending a lot of time together when Paul's wife, Ann, returned from Seattle, where she'd been staying with her brother Linc, who also moved back to Pine Valley. When Paul asked Ann for a divorce, Margo married him on the rebound.
With her husband accused of killing her lover in a jealous rage, Erica, of course, had been devastated by Jason's death.
After all. the scandal had killed her modeling career. Her mother, Mona, who stood by Jeff throughout the ordeal, took the witness stand and began having brief flashes of the night of the murder. She'd been there, in Jason's hotel room. To help her remember more completely, Mona received an injection of sodium pentothal -- truth serum -- and realized she killed Jason Maxwell and blocked it out.
Jeff was cleared of all charges and wasted no time in divorcing Erica so he could marry his beloved Mary Kennicott. Erica was left with nothing.
1 9 7 5
Phil continued to see Erica, but even she realized that he still didn't love her and began to doubt that he ever would. If anyone was in his heart, it was Tara. By the time Erica had decided that her affair with Phil was over, she'd become pregnant. And again, she decided that the sensible choice for her was an abortion. But Phil found out about the baby and was overjoyed. He convinced Erica to marry him.
Jeff and Mary couldn't adopt Tad Gardner until the parents, who had abandoned him, were located. But Tad, who was staying with Ruth and Joe, visited often. One afternoon, when Mary was home alone, Tad set out to see her. He didn't know that two armed thugs had broken in and were holding the terrified woman at gun point. When Tad came to the door, she screamed at him to run and he escaped. But the gunmen were trigger-happy, and Mary was killed! Mary's death destroyed Jeff. He realized he could no longer stay in Pine Valley. Joe and Ruth Martin became Tad's legal guardians until a formal adoption could be arranged.
Little Phillip took ill and Tara and Chuck were frantic with worry. Their son desperately needed a blood transfusion! But neither of their blood types matched Little Phillip's! Only Phil Brent's blood could save him!
Phil and Erica's happiness didn't last for long. Erica suffered a miscarriage and was so distraught over the loss that she had a complete nervous breakdown. Phil had to commit her to a mental hospital. During her absence, Phil saved little Phillip's life with his blood. Ruth confirmed what Phil already felt in his heart -- little Philip was his son. Phil suddenly had new hope. Tara and Phil confessed their love to each other and they fell into each other's arms and made love! Tara decided to ask Chuck for a divorce. Phil asked Erica for a divorce -- but she refused. When Chuck discovered that Tara had been unfaithful to him with Phil, he demanded a divorce!
Lincoln Tyler fell deeply in love with Kitty Davis. Nothing Phoebe could say or do, (which included falling into a dead faint in the middle of their wedding ceremony) could keep them from saying their "I do's."
Paul Martin's marriage to Margo turned out to be a loveless affair. She had manipulated him into it, and too late did he realize that he had never loved Margo because he had never stopped loving Ann. And of course, Ann had never stopped loving Paul. Slowly, they began to rekindle their romance from the embers of the past.
Desperate, Margo told Paul she was going to have a baby -- but she was lying. Paul was trapped. Ann couldn't believe the news, but of course, she understood why Paul couldn't leave Margo. But Ann had news of her own -- she was pregnant. And under the circumstances, she couldn't tell Paul. But she had to tell somebody. She turned to her best friend, her ex-husband -- Nick Davis -- who offered to marry her.
