THIS ARTICLE REFERENCES THE UNMISSABLE DRAMA THAT OCCURRED DURING THE EPISODE THAT AIRED ON THURSDAY 21st DECEMBER 2023
Over morning coffee with Jane and Toadie, Terese received a phone call from the council.. it is good news! The council are backing the plan for the combined School and Retirement Experience project. Whilst this isn’t the final go-ahead, they still need the backing of the education board, it is a huge step forward and the pair are positive that they can save the school from closure.
In a seemingly unconnected move, Paul reinstates the fired Spa Manager at the hotel, Tina Marin. When Chloe questions this, Paul becomes defensive, saying that Chloe didn’t follow proper protocol in her dismissal, which Chloe is adamant she did.
Chloe later talked with Melanie about Tina and her discussion with Paul over her reinstatement. When Melanie later heard about the council approval on the school project from Jane and the support from Councillor Marin, she started to put two and two together.
She headed up to the Penthouse and accused Paul of reinstating Tina as a way of getting approval for Terese’s project. He eventually admits that is what he did and tells Melanie that if he is able to rebuild his relationship with Terese, it is a positive for Melanie, who is clearly still in love with Toadie.
If Paul can get Terese back, Toadie would be right there ready to reunite with Melanie, so exposing Paul’s involvement would only be a negative for Mel.
Confused, but knowing the danger that keeping secrets can create, Melanie is compelled to tell Terese and Jane what she has found out. Jane and Terese are now angry that Paul has involved them in a bribery scandal which, if exposed, could lose them both Eirene Rising and Erinsborough High School.
Terese confronted Paul. She tells him that she is amazed that he can continue hurting her, putting her in an awful position where she is involved in an illegal situation. She doesn’t want to be involved in his lying and scheming and wants to know why he did this, when the development was absolutely nothing to do with him.
He admits why he got involved and risked everything to get approval for Terese.
“I still love you. And I always will.”
Paul encouraged Terese to put the situation out of her mind, if she doesn’t speak up, nobody will be any the wiser and the development will go ahead as planned.
She refused to let Paul haunt her mind and promises, at least for Christmas, to not let it worry her. She intends to enjoy Christmas Day with the people she loves, pointing out that Paul has nobody for the holidays, nobody wants to spend time with him, most of his family won’t even talk to him and he will be spending Christmas Day alone.
She wished him a Merry Christmas and warned him to stay out of her life for good.
Is Terese being honest with her own feelings? What lengths will Paul go to in order to get Terese back in his life?
The next episode of Neighbours is available on Christmas Day, streaming from 7am on Amazon Freevee and Amazon Prime Video.