With the arrival of Sid's sister, Abby Cunningham (Donna Mills), Gary soon found himself lusting after her, as she did for him. After initially rejecting Abby's advances, Gary and Abby eventually slept together and had an affair, until Val discovered it. With Gary being thrown out of his marital home by Val, he moved in with Abby. Gary also became close friends with an up-and-coming singer he discovered, called Ciji Dunne, until Ciji was tragically murdered. Gary initially believed that he might have killed her while heavily drunk, but he later realized that he didn't, and he was acquitted. When Jock was declared legally dead as a result of a plane crash in South America, Gary stood to inherit millions of dollars. He started a company called Gary Ewing Enterprises. A possible reconciliation with Val failed to materialise around this time, and Gary and Val eventually divorced for the second time. Gary also went on to buy a ranch, called Westfork.