Tuesday, January 31, 2006, Episode #4735

Dante tells Bridget about the wedding.
Dante drops by the beach house to see Bridget. While she knits, he tells her all about how wonderful the wedding was. He saw how happy Felicia was to see Eric and Stephanie together. It sounds perfect, Bridget says. It was until Felicia collapsed, Dante says. Bridget hopes Felicia is all right. Dante says he called Stephanie this morning and confirmed that Felicia is doing better. Bridget frets that Felicia pushed herself too hard, but Dante thinks that Felicia got the night she wanted. Bridget feels like she's missing out on so much being stuck at home in bed, like her dad remarrying Stephanie, or Ridge and Taylor breaking up. She still can't believe that Ridge and Taylor's marriage is over. Dante can't believe it, either, especially after everything Taylor went through to get back to Ridge. Bridget says that he's a good friend, which is what Taylor needs right now.

Bridget tells Dante that love is sometimes hard to understand.
Bridget keeps knitting, telling Dante how lucky Taylor is to have a friend like him. Dante predicts that men will be lined up around the block to see Taylor once they learn that her marriage is over. Even so, Bridget reminds him, he's Taylor's friend. He was there when Taylor needed him before, and she knows that he will be there again for Taylor now. Dante says that Ridge was a fool to let Taylor go. Bridget thinks love is just hard to understand, using her dad and Stephanie remarrying as an example.

Hector is not impressed by Ridge's warnings.
Ridge is in the Forrester CEO's office when Hector barges in. Ridge tells the fireman to get out, because of what Hector did to Taylor. Hector says that he was just giving Taylor the attention Ridge wasn't giving her. Ridge says that he's held back so far, but he'd love to give the fireman an overdue lesson. Hector tells him to go ahead, so Ridge orders Hector to stay away from his house, his kids, and most importantly, from Taylor! Hector says that Ridge is pathetic. Ridge asks what that means. Hector explains that he's never been jealous of Ridge's money or station in life. The only things Ridge had that he ever wanted were Taylor and the life they built. But Ridge couldn't even keep that together. He thinks it was a mistake for Taylor to remarry Ridge. Ridge thinks Taylor would disagree, but Hector informs him that Taylor thinks the same thing. Ridge seems a bit surprised; Hector asks if it hurts that Taylor confided in him. He thinks Taylor finally sees Ridge as he is, the big man on campus who is nothing but a Momma's boy with a silver spoon in his mouth, so he suggests that Ridge go ahead with chasing Brooke and their life of overindulgence, and leave taking care of Taylor to him!

Ridge thinks the fireman is being a bit presumptuous. Hector in turn accuses Ridge of not being able to even think about Taylor with someone else, which he thinks is selfish of Ridge given Ridge's desire to get back together with Brooke. Ridge says that when Taylor moves on. he will wish her well, until then... Until then, Hector argues, Ridge would like to see Taylor sitting around pining for him, because that's all Ridge's overinflated ego can handle. He adds that if Taylor wants to be with him, that's her decision and not her ex-husband's. Ridge thinks he'll speak to Taylor about this when she comes into the office, but Hector tells him that Taylor isn't coming in anymore, because she resigned. He thinks Ridge should accept that Taylor doesn't want anything to do with him anymore. He wants Ridge to see that Taylor, unlike Brooke, won't let Ridge keep her on a leash. He then reminds Ridge how he was the one who ended the marriage. Now that Ridge has done that, Hector says, things are over between them and Taylor again - and this time it's for good!

Eric tells Taylor that she will always be part of his family.
Eric finds Taylor clearing out her office and asks what's going on. She hands him her resignation, explaining that she can't work here anymore now that her marriage is over. She bets that Eric must be relieved, since he wasn't crazy about her working here to begin with. No matter what disagreements they had, Eric says, he loves her and was sorry to hear that her marriage is ending. Taylor thanks him. She thinks it was foolish for her to remarry Ridge, and she bets she would have seen that if she was just a bit smarter. Eric tells her not to say that, as she and Ridge shared a lot of good times while they were married and raising a family. Taylor finds it hard to think that way, since Brooke was always part of her marriage to Ridge. She thinks she wasn't what Ridge wanted, any more than Eric was what Brooke wanted, so she feels like the two of them were just bit players in the saga of Ridge and Brooke. She thinks Ridge always wanted Brooke, and now he is free to have her. She then asks Eric about the wedding. Eric admits that he and Stephanie went into the night ready to go through the motions, so he was surprised at how magical it felt to be there with Stephanie and their children. Taylor thinks it was wonderful that they did this for Felicia and is sure that they'll look back on last night fondly. Eric wishes she had been there to share it with them. She says that she was invited, but she didn't think she should be there for obvious reasons. Eric tells her that even with all the changes going on in their lives, she'll always be apart of his family.

Jackie needs reassurance.
Soon after, Eric is by the CEO's office chatting with Sally (who has settled in as Megan's replacement) about the wedding. Jackie comes in and asks if she's interrupting anything. Sally is a bit rude to her so Eric takes Jackie into the office to talk. Jackie says she wasn't sure if he would be here, or on a honeymoon. They close the door and embrace. Jackie says that she was worried that he might be on his honeymoon instead of here. Eric says nothing has changed. He says that Stephanie is tending to Felicia and that the ceremony did exactly what Felicia hoped it would, by pulling the family together. It reminded him how his greatest achievement in his life is his family. Jackie seems sad. While Jackie is pleased for Eric, she's worried. Eric takes her in his arms and tries to assure her the marriage is temporary. She's sad that no one knows about them, what they mean to each other and their commitment. But her biggest fear is "out of sight, out of mind." Eric says he is as committed as ever. The marriage will only last as long as Felicia does. Jackie asks Eric to let her be there for him when it's time. He promises he will.

Ridge and Taylor end their marriage.
Ridge goes to Taylor's office to see it it's true that she's leaving. She says she can't work here him, besides it's his domain with Brooke. Ridge thinks Hector is taking advantage of Taylor while she's vulnerable but she tells him in no uncertain terms that it's none of his business. He gave up the right for it to matter when he walked out on her. Taylor takes some papers out of her purse. Apparently due to the extenuating circumstances of her return, she's been able to secure a quickie annulment. All they need to do is sign the papers and the marriage is over, and then he can get on with his life with Brooke. She hands the papers to Ridge, but he just stares at them. She sees his pause and takes them from him, putting them on the table and signing them herself. She hands him the pen. He somewhat reluctantly signs them. She makes note that it's not so hard … he didn't even need Mommy to hold his hand. Ridge asserts his Mommy's influence is no longer a problem. "Lucky for Brooke" says Taylor. Ridge asks her if she really believes he only remarried her for the sake of Stephanie. She does. She tells him that he always wanted Brooke, but Stephanie hated Broke from the first moment she met her, so Ridge married the first woman who could please her. Ridge tells her she can hate him, he knows he deserves that. However, he wants to assure her that their marriage was a lot more than that. He says he's proud of the family they raised and the woman of substance and class that she is. It was the crossing of lines – her hypocrisy and his feelings for Brooke that is ending the marriage. But that can't take away what they shared because it was beautiful. Taylor gets teary and says that's what makes this so hard. What they had was beautiful, now it's gone. She asks him one last time if it really has to end. He says he's sorry. They embrace and cry. Ridge walks away and out of the office. Taylor turns and cries, throwing the papers down.