David had been lying to Erica for months on what really happened the night of the car accident in the snowstorm. He told her that he was racing back to Pine Valley to see a patient when in reality he wanted to expose Adam's secret to Liza at Marian and Stuart's wedding. After months of partial amnesia, Erica finally remembered the entire truth of why David was racing back to Pine Valley. Erica confronted Adam and she told him that she knew his big secret. Adam tried to persuade Erica not to tell David what she knew. Adam wanted to join forces with Erica to bring David down. However, Erica was so impatient and she wanted to confront David in her own way about the truth of the accident.
David found out about Erica and Adam's private meeting from his mother who informed him that Erica and Adam were up to something that involved him. David rushed over to Erica's house with flowers in one hand and his medical bag in the other. Erica rushed Adam out of her house while she tried to get the truth out of David. When Erica saw that she wasn't getting anywhere with David she decided to let him change her bandages upstairs in her dressing room. While upstairs, Erica told David about how her life changed so dramatically after the night of the accident. He listened to her and he realized that she was up to something since she kept hinting at getting to the truth. After David finish dressing Erica's bandage he made a comment about how one day she will laugh about it. Those words send Erica over the edge. She picked up her mirror and she hit David over the head. David fell to the floor where he laid unconscious.
Erica pushed David's body down her laundry chute when a visitor (Jack) came to her house. After several hours, David woke up only to see that he was tied up to a contraption and his right hand (his operating hand)was in a vise.
At first David thought it was just a joke but, he realized that Erica was very serious in making him pay for what he did to her. Erica kept David alive with bread and water. David told Erica that he would never let any woman ever control him. Erica wanted to know what woman made him into the man that he is. David told her that it was his mother (Vanessa) because she killed his father.
David told Erica that he had never told anyone the story of how his father died because he was only a child when it happened and he never put it into words. He told her that one night his mother came home demanding a divorce from his father (Charles). But, his father was so in love with Vanessa that he begged her for another chance. Vanessa told Charles that she found a man who was just as rich and better than he was. At that moment, Erica interrupted David's story. She thought that Vanessa was a blueblood and David told her that Vanessa's father owned a chain of hardware stores. David then continued his story and he said that his father Charles wanted to know if Vanessa didn't want to give them another chance then what about their son. Vanessa told him that he could keep their son since he was just as pathetic as his father. Their argument continue while a twelve-year old David watched on. Charles made a comment that he would not leave without Vanessa. Vanessa laughed at him and told him that he didn't have the guts to kill himself. Vanessa continued to dare Charles. She went to the drawer where they kept the gun locked and she gave Charles the gun. In his mind, David wanted his father to shoot Vanessa since she told his father that she didn't love them but, he knew that he wouldn't do that. Charles then put the gun to his head where he shot himself. Vanessa was in disbelief and David rushed over to his father's side to beg him not to die on him. But, it was too late.
Erica was touched by David's story. At that moment she finally realized the pain that David went through as a child. As Erica was getting ready to leave, David realized that a lot of time must have past by since the last time he changed her bandages. He convinced Erica that he wouldn't escape if she would untie him so he could change her bandages. Erica thought about it and then she let him go. After David finished changing Erica's bandages he told Erica how beautiful she was. He told her that her face, eyes, and body were beautiful and add to that her spirit and courage which made her exquisite.
David then offered to be Erica's prisoner again since he felt that Erica was justified in kidnapping him and holding him against his will. This time David put his right hand in the vise and Erica tightened the restraint. But, after seeing David in so much pain she realized that revenge didn't change her situation so she let him go. David told Erica how sorry he was for the accident and that he never wanted her to get caught in the middle. He promised her that he wouldn't tell anyone about what happened between them in the basement. Erica tried to persuade David to let go of his revenge against Adam and Liza. But, she didn't know if David would follow her advice since he didn't answer her and he left her house.
Several days went by and no one heard anything from David. His attorney, Leslie Coulson, had a lunch date with him and when he didn't show up she started checking around town to find David. Erica started getting strange phone calls from a person (David) who would say nothing and then hang up. Leslie sent out the letters to Derick Frye (Pine Valley Police) and Liza Colby. Derick's letter said that Liza would know the truth as to why Adam killed David. However, Liza didn't get a chance to read her letter since Erica intercepted it. Erica told Derick that she got a phone call from David and that he was alive.
David finally came back to town and he went to Erica's house since she left him so many phone messages. David told Erica that he left town in order to heel his hand. Erica told David that his mother claimed that David was the one who killed his own father.
On the day of Adam and Liza's wedding, Jake Martin came to David's office to find out what big secret he had on Adam because he wanted to stop Adam and Liza's wedding. David teased Jake and told him he would not tell him the secret. But, Jake let David know that Adam had something on him in order to keep him quiet. Derick and Joe Martin came to David's office to discuss the letter that he had his attorney send to the police claiming that Adam killed him. David told Derick that he was very much alive and he referred him to his attorney if he had more questions.
David rushed over to the Chandler mansion where he confronted Liza. David told Liza that he wanted to destroy her happiness. Liza then dared David to tell her the truth but, he didn't get a chance because Adam found out that he was at his house with Liza. Adam then had a private conversation with David where he told him that if he told Liza the truth then he will tell the police that he was aiding and abetting Ryan Lavery when he was on the run from the police on rape charges. David laughed at Adam since he knew that he couldn't go to jail on those charges since it was Braden (Ryan's brother) and not Ryan who committed the rape.
David was more than ready to tell Liza the truth until Erica showed up at Chandler's mansion to dare David to tell everyone the truth. At that moment, David told everyone that the game was over.
David found out that Erica was going to Brazil to have reconstructive surgery on her face and he decided to follow her.
David arrives in Brazil where he reassures a nervous Erica before her surgery. He tells her that she will always be beautiful no matter how the surgery turns out. The two share their first kiss.
Erica's facial surgery is a success. David gives Erica some rare orchid flowers. David offers to take Erica to the Brazilian rain forests but, Palmer arrives in Brazil to take Erica back to Pine Valley so she can vote for the CEO of Cortlandt Electronics.
David and Erica have their first date at the Pine Valley Inn Restaurant.
David and Erica have their second date at Erica's house.