Tuesday, January 09, 2007, Episode 4972

Taylor is upset with Thorne.

An exhausted Taylor gets home and finds Thorne waiting for her. He wants to talk about what happened at Forrester, but she's still upset that he, Ridge and Stephanie thought that getting the company back for Eric justified their utter humiliation of Nick and Jackie. Thorne reminds her that Nick blackmailed them and stole their company. Taylor argues that he should have trusted her; if he had, she could have gotten Nick to sell the company back without unnecessarily harming anyone. She thinks Thorne's lack of trust shows how little faith he has in her. Thorne says that he trusts her, but he doesn't trust Nick. And that excuses the ridicule Jackie will face for the rest of her life? Taylor asks. She picks up the phone to call her driver. Thorne asks where she's going. She says that she's going to see Nick, since he and Jackie must be suffering. Thorne reminds her that his dad is suffering, too. Taylor says that she knows that, and she wanted to help Eric. She now sees that she should never have trusted Stephanie, but she never expected Thorne to be part of it. Thorne says that he's sorry. Taylor asks him to promise not to let his family use Jackie's past against her anymore, since Nick and Jackie have been through enough. Thorne agrees not to bring up Jackie's past again.

Eric is shocked by Ridge's actions.

At the Forrester mansion, Eric, Ridge and Brooke watch news footage of the end of the Forrester fashion show. Hearing Stephanie announce to the world that Jackie is nothing but a whore, Eric thinks there must be a mistake. Brooke tells him that it's true, since Taylor uncovered Jackie's past during one of Nick's therapy sessions. Eric can't believe that Taylor would give that kind of information to Stephanie to use against Jackie. Ridge explains how Stephanie overheard Taylor dictating her notes and saw an opportunity to get the company back. Eric, however, is appalled that it had to be done at Jackie's expense. Ridge reminds Eric that Jackie and her bastard son blackmailed them out of their company; he tells Eric that they did it for him. Felicia comes in and reports that the mansion grounds are crawling with reporters who followed her in when she punched in the security code at the gate. Ridge takes that as a good sign that their plan worked, until Felicia tells him that the reporters are appalled that they aired Jackie's dirty laundry in public. As well they should, Eric says. Ridge tries to protest Eric's sentiment, but Eric thinks it was wrong to humiliate Jackie, no matter what Nick did to them. Ridge claims they were desperate, since Nick told Stephanie he would never sell the company back. Eric asks Ridge and Brooke if that justified going along with Stephanie's plan. Brooke replies that she just found out about this when she arrived, although she agrees that something had to be done.

Felicia worries about the press onslaught.

Eric wants to confront Stephanie about her scheme. Ridge tells him that Stephanie went to Palm Springs with friends for a few days, since she thought it best to keep a low profile to avoid the press prying into Jackie's accident. Felicia points out that the press still might dig into that accident. Eric laments how the ugliness that started with Jackie's fall has spiraled out of control. He wants nothing to do with it! As Eric goes to the study, Ridge and Brooke hear the reporters pounding on the door. Meanwhile, back at Taylor's, Thorne looks at a photo of Taylor and recalls her telling him to leave Jackie and Nick alone. Felicia calls him and tells him to get over to the mansion ASAP, since Ridge needs help fending off the reporters who've stormed the house. Felicia then goes to the study and tells Eric how the reporters won't let up on Ridge. Eric isn't sure if they should let up, since the attempt to get him his company back humiliated Jackie and may have put Taylor's career at risk. He can only imagine how Thorne will react to Stephanie putting Taylor at risk. Felicia tells him that Thorne already knows; he went along with the plan, albeit reluctantly, because he wanted so badly for Eric to have the company back. Eric is surprised that Thorne was willing to risk his future with Taylor to do it.

Brooke and Ridge meet with the press.

In the living room, Jarrett and the other reporters grill Ridge and Brooke about what happened at the fashion show. Ridge explains that Marone Industries launched a hostile takeover of the Forrester family's business. He asks what a shipping company knows about fashion. Apparently quite a lot, Jarrett responds, given what he saw at today's fashion show. Ridge argues that the line lacked inspiration. The reporters ask how that justifies digging into Jackie's path and humiliating her. Brooke wants to interject, but the reporters want to know why the Forresters sold their company to Marone.

At the Marone mansion, George tells Nick that the Marone board has called an emergency meeting to contain the damage from today's showing. Nick argues that he, as CEO, should be calling such meetings, but George points out how Nick's use of Marone assets for his personal vendetta has compromised them. They feel the best option is to sell Forrester Creations now, before its value drops. Nick refuses to sell. As he leaves, George asks Jackie to talk some sense into her son. Jackie sits down, asking herself what she has done to Nick's life. She takes a pill to deal with one of her headaches. Nick frets about the medication she's taking not working. Jackie tells him not to worry, since he already has enough to worry about because of her. Nick says that their past should have stayed between them - and it would have if not for Stephanie! Jackie reminds him about Taylor's part in what happened; right on cue, Taylor enters. Jackie is all over Taylor for betraying them, but Nick tells her that Taylor did not intentionally set out to hurt them. Taylor explains to Jackie how Stephanie overheard her and says she's sorry she ever trusted Stephanie. She then tells Nick and Jackie how she made Thorne promise to leave them alone. Nick asks if any of the Forresters admitted they were wrong. No, Taylor says, but they were. Jackie interrupts that maybe she was wrong, too, in asking Nick to take Forrester Creations from Stephanie, since it's caused them nothing but heartache. She suggests that Nick sell the company back, but Nick says he'll go to his grave before he caves to the Forrester family.

Nick and Jackie watch the Forrester's impromptu press conference.

As Jackie tries to convince Nick that cutting their losses isn't caving in, Nick turns on the TV. Turning to the news, he finds live coverage of an impromptu press conference at the Forrester home. The reporters are still grilling Ridge, asking him to explain the reasons his family sold their company to Nick and Marone Industries. One reporters asks if it is tied to Jackie's accident. Or is the Forrester family so heartless that they would ruin anyone to get their way? another asks. An angry Thorne bursts in and tells the reporters to shut up, since they're all out of line. Watching with Nick and Jackie, Taylor is shocked to see Thorne there, telling the reporters who Nick stole Forrester in an underhanded way. And she's even more shocked when Thorne blurts out that Nick was her patient, and that Nick broke his word by refusing to give back the company after Taylor helped him! The reporters immediately realize that Taylor must have broken doctor/patient confidentiality and told the Forresters about Jackie's past. Thorne tries to defend Taylor, but the reporters are all over him. Ridge tries to turn things back on Nick, saying that justice will only be served when they get the family business back. With that, he says this "inquisition" is over!

George ousts Nick as CEO.

At the Marone mansion, Jackie laments that she didn't things could get any worse. Taylor tells Nick and Jackie she's sorry. Just then, the doorbell rings; Jackie fears it's the press, but it's George, who tells Nick that the Marone board just met. Nick is incensed that he was not there, but George tells Nick that the board has decided to oust Nick as CEO. George then tells Nick that the board named him CEO in Nick's place, and his first act will be to divest Marone of Forrester Creations. He tells Nick not to fight the decision, since he won't win. George then leaves. Nick tells Jackie to get some rest. Taylor tells Nick that she's sorry. She doesn't expect him to forgive her. Nick says he forgives her, lamenting that he never meant for this to happen. He wonders what he would give to undo what he'd done.