Viki and Joe grew closer after he told her about his brain tumor.

On a quest to seek fame as a country & western singer, newcomer Becky Lee Hunt arrived in Llanview. Shortly thereafter, she fell in love with Viki�s young cousin, Richard Abbott, who was working as a reporter for The Banner.

Working side by side with Jenny, Will found himself falling in love. Naomi began to suspect that her husband harbored strong feelings for this young woman, who was dating their son, Brad. One night, while working late at the hospital, an anguished Will confessed to Jenny that he was in love with her. Jenny was consumed with guilt: she simply could not be responsible for the dissolution of the Vernon marriage. Her voice quivering, Jenny told Will that she could no longer work for him. Jenny became more and more troubled by the fact that Will and Brad were both in love with her, and decided to go away to a retreat to seek spiritual guidance.

Naomi, meanwhile, embarked upon a desperate plan designed to get Will be more attentive to her. Staging a suicide, Naomi swallowed an overdose of barbiturates�but she never intended to die. Naomi had every intention of having Brad find her in time. Brad (never dreaming what his mother was up to) was busy two-timing Jenny with waitress Lana McClain. While Brad seduced Lana, his mother overdosed and ultimately died. Naomi�s death destroyed the Vernon family. Overcome with guilt, Jenny decided that she would no longer see Brad or Will.