1988 (#18) - Mark's birth, Margot's blackmail and Clark's lies

Disappointed by Clarke's indifference and selfish behavior, who in order not to jeopardize his marriage and to keep his betrayal a secret reiterates to the woman that if he had told Kristen about the baby he would have been out of their lives and that of the unborn child forever, Margot doesn't rest and promises herself that she will do everything to guarantee her son the best life possible. Determined to defend and assert her rights and those of her son, Margot runs for cover by asking Storm for help and using his skills as a lawyer. The man, impressed by the woman's story, agrees not to underestimate the issue and is happy to learn that Margot wants to sue Clarke, having always disapproved of his questionable and duplicitous character. Soon, Storm and Margot send a letter with a formal request for $100,000 for child support, a request that immediately sends Clarke into a panic. An unsuspecting Kristen, who suspects absolutely nothing of what is happening, in the meantime begins to notice Margot's weight gain and speculates that the woman may be pregnant, a suspicion that is the same Margot to confirm, being very careful not to leak anything about who the father is. After making love to Kristen, meanwhile, a thoughtful but loving Clarke asks his wife to lend him $100,000. The woman, caught unawares, accepts without problems the strange request of her husband, settling for a vague justification relating to a possible surprise. On the other hand, the attention and curiosity of the woman is all projected towards Margot and her now mysterious pregnancy, certainly the most popular topic and on everyone's lips at Forrester. And it is the same Kristen, who believes that the father of the child is Storm, to show that she cares more than anyone else to her friend, offering support in this delicate moment and proposing to move to them to live in peace this important phase of his life. This is a decision that Clarke does not agree with at all, even though he has to accept the forced cohabitation with the woman who wants to ruin his life, to which in the meantime he makes a first transfer of 50,000 dollars. After months of waiting, Margot finally gives birth to her son, to whom she gives the name of Mark McLaine; this is a very intense and evocative moment for Kristen, who witnesses the birth of Mark and learns from Margot herself that she wants to give the child the surname of her family and not that of her ex-husband Robert, Linley, who she decided to continue to carry. Storm, who everyone thinks is the baby's father, is also very happy and excited about the birth; a role that Margot realizes would please the man very much. So Margot, in thanking Storm once again for all of his support and willingness to help, while reiterating that she doesn't have any feelings for him other than their strong friendship, asks him to be Mark's godfather, which Storm accepts with enthusiasm. Kristen, meanwhile, asks Clarke what he had done with the $100,000 he had loaned him and what surprise he had in store for her. Clarke then asks his wife to get in the car to go for a drive, and in front of a beautiful mansion under construction, he shamelessly lies to a dreamy Kristen that it would be their new home.