DAYS: Ben And Ciara Split
■ Ciara and Ben’s ill-fated romance implodes when Ciara learns two secrets about her new boyfriend and the couple parts ways. “Things end on the terms of, ‘Could this be a wrap for Ciara and Ben?’ ” says his portrayer, Robert Scott Wilson.
First, Ciara finds out that Ben kidnapped Gabi while working for Stefan, and she is seriously disappointed. “Ciara feels that she’s been misled,” explains Wilson. “When Ben started working for Stefan, he made it a point to tell her that there were lines he wouldn’t cross. In Ben’s mind, he didn’t hurt Gabi. He was just carrying out his work for Stefan and is still on this path to redemption. But the word kidnapped is the word kidnapped. It’s kind of heavy, and Ciara doesn’t want somebody she’s dating to be doing something like that.”
Ciara urges Ben to reconsider his gig with Stefan. “Ben can’t work for a bank. He couldn’t even get a job as a dishwasher at the pub,” points out Wilson. “He’s trying to make a better life, and this is the only job he could get.”
However, after listening to Ciara’s concerns and running into Gabi, who reams him for abducting her, Ben has a change of heart. He heads to see Stefan to quit his job, only to discover Chad is now CEO of Dimera. “Ben thinks Chad might have his back, because Ben’s already done a few ‘favors’ for him,” recounts Wilson, referring to roughing up Stefan and his henchman. “Chad kind of owes him. Ben’s like, ‘Maybe I can work for you. I’ve always done a good job in the past and might be in a position to help you again.’ ”
Chad has no interest in employing Ben and suggests he call it quits with Ciara, “but that’s not going to happen,” insists Wilson. “Ben’s fallen in love with her. She’s his anchor, his means to an end of fixing himself.”
Unfortunately, the couple’s love story appears doomed, when after opening up to Claire and Tripp about her problems with Ben, Claire phones Ben and goes off on him about screwing things up. Ciara, who overhears, forces Claire to explain and she admits that she and Ben teamed up to break up Ciara and Tripp.
Ciara confronts Ben, and the pair end up having a falling out. “Ben’s like, ‘I can’t make you happy. I can’t make you see me for what I’m trying to do.’ Ben wants to be with Ciara, but he kind of throws his hands up in the air and says some things he probably shouldn’t say,” relays Wilson.
Namely, accusing Ciara “of looking for any excuse not to be with him rather than seeing what he’s been trying to do to be a better person,” says Wilson. “He’s like, ‘Maybe I bit off more than I could chew thinking that I could actually be with you. Maybe this isn’t supposed to be.’ He gets emotional and takes off.”