Tuesday, July 29, 2008, Episode #5365

Marcus finds out what his mother has done at Forrester.

Owen paces in Eric's office, flashing back to his kiss with Donna. When Donna comes in, Owen apologizes for the kiss. Donna admits she's flattered by his attentions, but the kiss was still wrong, so she makes him promise it won't happen again. Marcus bursts in and asks about what's going on with the company. Owen tells Donna that he'll head over to the house to set up her docking station so she and her son can talk. Once Owen is gone, Donna reveals to Marcus that she fired Ridge, Thorne and Felicia because she can't trust them. Marcus asks who's going to run the company. She answers that they will, along with Owen, Rick and hopefully Brooke, and she informs him that she's putting him in charge of shipping and receiving. Marcus argues that he's not ready, since he's still learning. Donna tells him that she needs him to step up, since she needs people around her that are loyal to her. She explains how Felicia paid Owen a lot of money to seduce her in an attempt to end her marriage to Eric. After hearing that, Marcus understands why his mom fired Felicia, but he wonders why Owen is still around. Donna tells him that Owen backed out of the deal and told her what Felicia was up to, but Marcus thinks that just shows what a sleaze Owen is. "No, it tells me that Felicia misjudged him," Donna corrects, "just like they all misjudged me."

Steffy fumes at what's been done to her family.

Later, an irate Steffy barges in looking for Donna. When Marcus tells her that Donna left, Steffy blasts him for what Donna did. Marcus says he really can't blame his mom and shares Felicia's plot to ruin Donna's marriage. Steffy isn't surprised since her Aunt Felicia can go a bit overboard. She asks if her dad was involved. Marcus tells her that Ridge wasn't involved, but Felicia's actions made Donna mistrust the whole family. Steffy thinks that's a reason to keep an eye on her family, but not to fire them. Marcus agrees that his mom could have handled it better, but she's under a lot of stress. Still, he concedes that this is the worst time to shake things up at Forrester, and he still can't believe that his mom trusted Owen after what he did. He can't help thinking that Owen is working some angle, and he owes it to his mom to find out. Steffy agrees to help him search the Internet for information on Owen. They find that Owen went to college in San Diego and competed on the pro-surf tour, so it seems odd that he's working for Donna now at Forrester. Marcus suggests they check the biography on Owen's web site, which Marcus found from an Internet search when he hired Owen, but Steffy goes to the address and finds that the site no longer exists. Marcus guesses Owen shut the site down when he landed his cushy job here, and now he's working some angle to get close to Donna. "This is my family, and now your mom has the power?" Steffy gripes. "It's so unfair!" Marcus hushes her with a steamy kiss and then pulls away, asking her to promise him that they won't let their parents come between them.

Owen tells Donna that someone broke into her home.

At the Forrester mansion, Owen looks around the master bedroom, where Donna's lingerie is scattered all over the floor. He picks up the lingerie and looks at the leopard print outfit and cat ears that Donna wore to seduce Eric the night he was drugged by sleeping pills. Donna comes in and asks what he's doing in her room. Owen explains that he was working downstairs when he heard a noise from up here. He came up and found the room in disarray, so he presumes that someone broke in and took off. He then hands Donna a photo he found on the floor. Donna sees that it's her wedding photo, and the glass on the frame is smashed. She assumes it had to be Eric's kids since they have access to the house. She's about to rush out to confront them, but Owen tells her to wait. He explains that Eric's kids want to scare her, since that will distract her from looking after Eric and the company. Donna sobs that it's working. Owen suggests that he stay in one of the guest houses tonight so she's not alone, but Donna doesn't think that's a good idea. Owen guesses she's right. Donna wants to go to the hospital to check on Eric, but Owen wants her to rest, since she's going to need her strength if she's going to fight Eric's family. Donna laments that she has to keep fighting to protect Eric and the company, since Eric can't. Owen tells her to lean on him and Marcus and Rick and her sisters, since she can count on them. "Let us help you... Let me help you," he tells her.

Brooke tries to comfort Ridge.

Brooke enters her bedroom and calls out for Ridge, but he's nowhere to be found. Soon after, a despondent Ridge walks in. Brooke asks where he's been. He tells her that he went for a drive to clear his head, but it didn't really help. Brooke says that she's sorry that she couldn't change Donna's mind and tells him how worried she was when Thorne told her that he had left and that he forgot his phone. Ridge sighs that everything is a mess with the company falling apart, but he can't do anything about it. As she gives him a comforting back-rub, Brooke informs him that she told Donna it was a mistake to fire him. "The biggest one she'll ever make," Ridge predicts. Brooke proposes that they sort this out once Eric recovers, but Ridge laments that they don't know when that will be. He feels like his dad is in limbo and they're right there with him, helpless and stuck, thanks to Donna. He just knows Eric would have given them the company had he not had a heart attack. Frustrated, Ridge goes to take a shower. Once Ridge leaves the room, Brooke calls Donna and begs her to put their personal differences aside to do what Eric would have wanted, but Donna won't back down and insists that Eric is counting on her to look after things. She can't understand why Brooke can't see what a terrible position she's in. "Why can't anyone understand this?" she angrily asks as she hangs up on Brooke. When Ridge returns, Brooke tells him she's sorry that Donna's taking such a hard line, but Ridge doesn't want to talk and starts making love to her.

Donna frets that she has to beg for help.

Having overhead the call, Owen tells Donna that he can understand the position she's in. Donna asks why it's so much to ask for a little help. Owen assures her that isn't too much to ask and gives her a reassuring hug. After, Donna tells Owen that Eric was always so worried about her and her happiness, and she recalls how Eric once told her to go on with her life once he was gone. But she doesn't know how she can go on with her life when her happiness is with Eric. Owen assures her that Eric loves her and just wants her to be happy. Donna confesses that she needs to relax a bit and picks up the bottle of gin that Owen brought Eric. Recalling how Eric made a martini with that gin the night of his heart attack, she decides to mix herself one in Eric's honor, but Owen tells her that she doesn't need something that's only going to make her sadder. He takes the bottle of gin from her hand and pours it down the drain, urging her to stay focused. Donna tells him that he's right. As Donna walks toward the bed, Owen comes up behind her and puts his hands on her shoulders, but Donna pulls away. Owen suggests that she get some sleep and tells her to call his cell if she needs him. Donna thanks him and bids him goodnight.