▁Following ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁John , ▁Jack ▁works ▁des per ately ▁to ▁remove ▁his ▁wife ▁Gl oria ▁Abb ott ▁( J ud ith ▁Chap man ) ▁from ▁the ▁family , ▁even ▁il leg ally ▁making ▁changes ▁to ▁John ' s ▁will . ▁Exp la ining ▁Ash ley ' s ▁amb ival ence ▁towards ▁the ▁situation , ▁David son ▁stated : ▁" Just ▁because ▁you ▁don ' t ▁like ▁somebody ▁doesn ' t ▁mean ▁you ▁should ▁do ▁something ▁illegal ▁[...] ▁The ▁point ▁is , ▁their ▁father ▁loved ▁her . ▁And ▁even ▁if ▁they ▁don ' t ▁like ▁her , ▁they ▁have ▁to ▁honor ▁what ▁he ▁wanted . ▁Ash ley ▁never ▁wanted ▁to ▁do ▁anything ▁that ▁went ▁against ▁her ▁father ' s ▁wishes ." ▁The ▁actress ▁stated ▁that ▁Ash ley ▁" just ▁wants " ▁Jack ▁to ▁" do ▁the ▁right ▁thing ". ▁ ▁Story lines ▁ ▁Ash ley ▁is ▁born ▁on ▁April ▁ 2 9 , ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁to ▁John ▁Abb ott , ▁Sr . ▁( B rett ▁H alse y , ▁later ▁Jerry ▁Douglas ) ▁and ▁D ina ▁Abb ott ▁Mer ger on ▁( Mar la ▁Adams ). ▁Tw enty - two ▁years ▁later , ▁after ▁comple ting ▁college , ▁Ash ley ▁returns ▁to ▁Gen oa ▁City ▁and ▁applies ▁for ▁a ▁job ▁as ▁a ▁lab ▁chem ist ▁at ▁J ab ot ▁Cos met ics , ▁ ▁the ▁family ▁company , ▁using ▁the ▁name ▁Susan ▁Ash ley ▁so ▁she ▁will ▁be ▁h ired ▁for ▁her ▁skills , ▁not ▁her ▁family ▁connections