Emily Peterson - Emily Peterson

Emily Peterson

Dr. Emily Peterson first appeared onscreen on October 13, 2009 portrayed by Stacy Haiduk. She originally portrayed the role from October 13, 2009 to August 6, 2010, from November 29 to December 7, 2011, and from January 30 to February 8, 2012. Haiduk also did a dual role as Patty Williams on the series as well, but began the role as Patty eight months earlier in February, as Mary Jane Benson. Haiduk was let go from the show on June 21, 2010, however, she briefly returned in 2011 and again in 2012.

History
Dr. Emily Peterson was the psychiatrist who was treating Patty Williams in Minneapolis prior to her return to Genoa City in early 2009. With her arrival, it was obvious that Patty had altered her appearance with plastic surgery to look exactly like her doctor, Emily, so she was able to come to Genoa City under the alias of "Mary Jane Benson." After Patty's reign of terror that resulted in Victor Newman wounded and near death from a bullet-damaged heart and Colleen's death from drowning while trying to escape from Patty, Emily read a story in a Minnesota newspaper about Patty's crimes. She came to Genoa City to find out what exactly had happened. After talking with Paul Williams about Patty's disturbed history while living in Minneapolis, she confronted Victor and Jack Abbott, and told them they were both responsible for what ultimately happened to Patty. Emily took a job with the Psychology Department of Genoa City University (funded, much to her initial anger, by Jack through the Abbott Family Foundation) and planned to stay in town to continue to treat Patty's psychosis as well as take on new patients. Emily and Jack have become romantically involved. On Christmas Eve, Jack treated Emily to ice skating and the two later decorated the Christmas tree at the Abbott mansion while reminiscing about Christmas past. Emily revealed that her parents are deceased, and she has a brother. Emily was going to stop treating Patty due to the lack of progress she was making, but Patty suddenly had a breakthrough, and this encouraged her to continue as Patty's doctor. On New Year's Eve, Jack proposed to Emily, who said yes. They were planning to get married on Valentine's Day 2010.

While Patty is in her padded cell, her former doctor, Emily Peterson arrives checking up on her trying to reach out to her. Emily soon realizes that Patty knew about her planned wedding with Jack. Patty angry at this, she forces Emily into the wall knocking her to the ground. As Emily wakes up a little, Patty forces medicated water into her mouth trying to hurt her. Later, Patty colors Emily's hair so it matches hers and escapes her cell with her hair covered. Back in the cell, Paul, Patty's brother, found Emily (believing it to be Patty) unresponsive on her cell bed. Emily gets rushed to the hospital. Paul calls Patty (thinking it's Emily) to come to the hospital. Patty fakes her identity and is on the road to marry her longed husband Jack making Jack think she's Emily.

While Emily is in grave condition and near death and is revealed comatose, Jack instead unwittingly married Patty on Valentine's Day, thinking that she was Emily. Patty's other brother Todd, a priest, also unwittingly performed the ceremony. Emily wakes up from her Coma and tries to convince Paul and her doctor she is Emily not Patty Williams who is masquerading as her unsuccessfully they do not believe her. Jack, Paul, and Heather discover that Patty has been impersonating Emily and they rush to the sanitarium to get her. Patty knowing full well that her lies had been revealed went to the cell and took Emily's place again. She gave the real Emily a shot that would make her seem to be dead and barely have a pulse, Patty then wheeled her down to the morgue and left a Jane Doe tag on her foot. On May 10, Jack is with Patty in the cell, and he figures out what Patty did because he could smell the peroxide and see the cat scratch she had. He begged with her to tell him where Emily is and all Patty said was "shes gone" and Jack ran down to the morgue and found her body about to be cut open for an autopsy, Jack was crying and thought she was dead until he saw a tear run down her cheek. She then wakes up and they go to Patty's cell where Patty is about to commit suicide and Emily talks her out of it. Jack then takes Emily to the hospital. Emily and Jack share a tearful farewell as Emily states that she will be moving away from Genoa City, most likely back to Minneapolis, where she lived and worked before her arrival.

Months later it was revealed during one of Tucker McCall's therapy sessions, that his psychiatrist was in fact Emily, who returned a little more than a year after leaving. Emily has been revealed to have been living in Chicago, prior to her return to Genoa City. She then runs into Paul Williams, who believes, at first, that she is Patty. While still in town, Emily goes to visit Jack, who also thought at first she was Patty, and Emily had to prove to him that she was Emily. After their visit ended, she presumably returned to Chicago.

In January 2012, Patty began posing as Emily again to attempt to win Jack away from Genevieve Atkinson, his fiancee. However, Jack turns who he thinks is Emily down telling her he loves Genevieve. Patty then has plans to shoot Genevieve, whom she had been working for as a housekeeper for months before under the alias Myrna Murdock. However, Patty arrives at Genevieve's house only to find that she is writing him a Dear John letter all before leaving town. Meanwhile, Tucker, who had spoke to what he thought was Emily earlier that day, discovers the real Emily at Crimson Lights, who arrived in town for a psychiatrist conference. Emily discovers that Patty has been impersonating her once again. She later confronts Patty at the police station, though Patty is soon imprisoned in a mental facility. Emily has not been seen since; she presumably returned home to Chicago.