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The "Truth" About Nash (Soap Opera Digest 1/24/06)

Tess begins to worry about the rosy future she has planned with Nash when she tracks down Claudia to see if she can learn why the girl's father had Nash attacked.

"Antonio has been creating doubt about Nash," explains Tess's portrayer, Bree Williamson. "So Tess goes to see Claudia to tell her to tell her father to leave Nash alone." Tess finds Claudia in a rehab facility, where she is being treated for drug abuse. Claudia tells Tess to be careful because Nash once promised to love her forever, but it turned out that he just used her for money.

"Claudia gets to her," Williamson previews. "She's playing on Tess's fears, saying that one day, Nash will leave Tess the way he left her."

The encounter is such a shock to Tess that it forces Jessica out, and Nash winds up taking her back to Llanview. Once they're gone, it's clear that Claudia isn't exactly the sweet, innocent victim that she portrayed herself to be. In fact, she was very much a part of the decision to have Nash beaten to a pulp.

"She's the perfect villian," Williamson nods. "She plays victim, but she knows exactly what she's doing. She's the Iago to Tess's Othello. She comes up and whispers something in Tess's ear, not exactly saying it outright, but planting an image in Tess's head that could be her downfall."