Thorne and Eric are confused by Stephanie's statement.

At the Forrester mansion, Thorne asks Stephanie what happened if she didn't have a heart attack. Of course she had a heart attack, Ridge says: he was there. Stephanie says she was driven to the edge. "By me, or so the story goes," Brooke quips. Stephanie says she really had chest pains. But not a heart attack, Brooke responds. Then what was it? Thorne asks, pointing out that he was in the room with his dad and Ridge. And Dr. Maclaine confirmed it was a heart attack, Eric says. Not all chest pains are cardiac arrest, Taylor reminds them; Stephanie says that Taylor is telling them that things aren't always as they seem. Or like they make them seem, Nick adds. Brooke points out that Stephanie had help, and Massimo tells them about the million dollar deposit into Mark's account from an unnamed source. Jackie interjects, in Mark's defense, that he didn't know what he was getting into. Ridge is stunned that Massimo and Jackie both know about this. Jackie says she suspected, and then Massimo... Mass cuts in and says that he didn't want to believe Stephanie could do this to her own family. Taylor is stunned. Darla asks Stephanie if someone paid her doctor to say she had a heart attack when she didn't. Stephanie did, Brooke says.

Stephanie reveals what she did.

Everyone is shocked as Brooke says that Mark admitted everything. Why? a hurt Thorne asks his mom. Taylor walks up to Stephanie and angrily asks if she faked that heart attack so that Ridge would honor what he thought was his mom's dying wish, to choose her over Brooke. Yes, Stephanie replies, pulling off the bandage on her neck to reveal that there's no wound there. Taylor, Thorne, Nick, Bridget and Eric are all shocked and angry. Brooke, with a tiny smile, looks to Ridge, who shakes his head in disbelief. Taylor turns away, but Stephanie tells her to wait. She thinks Taylor should understand the mental pressure she was under. Taylor shouts for Stephanie to stop acting like her patient, since she's not: in fact, she doesn't know who Stephanie is! Stephanie admits she was wrong, and if she went too far... If? Ridge angrily asks. Stephanie thinks he should know why she did this. Nick asks if she's blaming this all on Brooke. Stephanie tells him it's none of his concern, but he thinks it is, since he accused her of doing this in the hospital. Taylor angrily asks Stephanie if she sees the damage she's done. She recalls that Stephanie told her to have faith in Ridge, and in her, and everything would work out like it was supposed to. And it did, Stephanie says. No, Taylor says, it didn't, since Stephanie manipulated it! Stephanie says she did it so Taylor could be with her children. The children who stayed up all night praying for their grandma to pull through? Taylor asks. She wonders what kind of woman would do this to her family and storms out of the room. Stephanie calls out to Eric, who turns his back to her and goes over to Bridget. He hugs his sobbing daughter and says he's sorry. Stephanie looks at Bridget, who stares back with a scared look in her eyes.

Taylor asks Ridge what Stephanie's revelation means for them.

Ridge follows Taylor to the study. She asks what they do now, noting how often she asks that. Ridge thinks his mom has lost her grip on reality. Taylor wonders what it says about her that Stephanie is her best friend and moral compass. It says nothing, Ridge says. Taylor then asks him what happens to the two of them: are they a fraud? She doesn't want to fall apart, but she can't believe that Stephanie went so far. He starts to wonder how he was so manipulated, but Taylor thinks the real victims here are him... and Brooke. She sighs that nothing can make this up to Brooke. She then asks Ridge what she and he would have done if tonight didn't happen: would they have gone on and been happy. Ridge tells her that she's asking him to predict the future. What she's asking, she says, is for him to tell her now if he wants to be with Brooke. She doesn't want to live with the sense that nothing is her's by right. She wants him to commit to her, she says, crying. But at the same time, she won't hold him to any promises he made because of his mother.

Massimo and Jackie offer apologies.

Stephanie stands alone at the fireplace. Jackie and Massimo approach Bridget and Nick, who are embracing. Massimo takes Bridget by the shoulders and reminds her and Nick of his offer for them to get married any where in the world that they want. Jackie says that she's sorry, too. Stephanie calls to Mass, who goes to her. She tells him that she was only thinking of their son's happiness. He thinks she was thinking of more, like of how a dying cardiac patient would look and act. If she went about this the wrong way, she says... Mass cuts her off and asks if she's even said she's sorry for the pain she caused. As Darla and Thorne listen, Mass asks Stephanie how he could have ever loved her as he did. Stephanie, however, shows no remorse or regret.

Bridget demands that Stephanie apologize to Brooke.

In the foyer, Brooke puts her hands on Bridget's shoulders and apologizes. She hoped to wait until after the wedding, she says. Bridget, holding back tears, says that no marriage in this house will be sacred to her now. She then walks over to Stephanie and thinks of all the names Stephanie called her mom over the years - but none can even begin to describe how she feels about Stephanie right now. She can't believe she ever idolized Stephanie, who says she'll do anything to make it up to her. Bridget accuses Stephanie of ruining Brooke's marriage and turning Brooke out of her own home. She thinks of Stephanie accusing Brooke of destroying "her" family, but the Forresters are just fine: they just don't want anything to do with Stephanie now. She orders Stephanie to apologize to Brooke, who is watching. Stephanie is silent, so Bridget orders Stephanie again. Stephanie just shakes her head no. Bridget says she doesn't ever want to be in the same room with Stephanie again and storms out! Nick asks Stephanie if it would have killed her to apologize: she replies, "yes." Nick shakes his head and follows Bridget out.

Eric tells Brooke that she'll always have him.

Brooke and Stephanie are now alone. Stephanie asks Brooke if she's pleased with herself. If no one other than Stephanie had to be miserable, Brooke says, she would be. She starts to walk away. Stephanie looks at her, but then hears footsteps. She looks to the stairs and sees Eric coming down, suitcases in hand. He tells her that he's leaving this house - and her.

Stephanie tells Eric that he has a right to be angry, but they've been together for more than 40 years. So how can he fall out of love with her in an hour? He says he will always loves some part of her, but she put so much effort into their son's marriage instead of her own. She says she'll do anything if he'll give her, and this family, another chance. Eric tells her to look around and tell him if she really sees a family, since her sons and Taylor walked away. But she never did, she says. So she outlasted him and wins, he tells her. He thinks of all the times he protected her and the time he spent apologizing for leaving her to marry Brooke. But none of it mattered. She tells him that she can never forget that he left her for another woman, and even when she's tried, it doesn't work. She asks him to see that she made a mistake, and she urges him not to leave her, reminding him of the vows they took. Eric says she's right: he made a vow to a woman he always intended to love, and still does. He admits that he and that woman both made mistakes, but he can't bear to see her alone. Stephanie thanks him and moves to hug him - but he walks past her to Brooke, embraces her, and kisses her! He tells Brooke that she'll always have him. He then turns to leave, but Stephanie tells him that all his memories are in THIS house. Eric looks at her and says that everything was selected and arranged with care... by her. That includes those hopes and dreams, which is why he can't stand it there one moment longer. He leaves, closing the door behind him.

Nick offers to wait for Bridget.

Out on the terrace, Nick finds Bridget and laments what happened tonight, which should have been their wedding night. Bridget is glad it didn't. Hmmm, he says. She says she didn't mean it that way. She just wants to go to his boat and forget about tonight. He suggests they leave, but she says she heard her dad leave and wants to wait for him to come back. Nick offers to wait with her but she tells him not to. They exchange "I love you"s and kiss.