Monday, July 26, 2010, Episode #5866

Oliver unsuccessfully tries to talk to Hope.

An anguished Hope runs into Ridge office after the bombshell at the press conference. Brooke follows her. Hope asks her mom if it's true. Just as Ridge, Steffy and Oliver come in, Brooke tries to explain, but Hope doesn't want to hear about how her mom seduced her boyfriend. Oliver tells Hope it wasn't like that. Hope asks Oliver to tell her it was a lie. When he can't, she slaps him and runs out. Brooke chases after her daughter. Oliver tries to follow, but Ridge tells him to wait and give mother and daughter time.

Stephanie and Taylor defend Steffy.

Backstage in the showroom, Stephanie and Taylor discuss the revelation at the press conference and fret that Hope must be devastated. Meanwhile, back in Ridge's office, Steffy begs Ridge to believe that she didn't put the part about Brooke and Oliver in her tribute. Then how did it get there? asks Ridge. Steffy doesn't know, but she knows she can prove it to him and races to get her laptop. As Steffy leaves, Stephanie and Taylor enter and demand answers from Ridge. They are shocked when he admits he already knew about the tryst at the party. Ridge insists it was a case of mistaken identity, but Stephanie counters that Brooke had to know the difference between a 20 year old boy and a man she slept with for years. Ridge is more concerned about Steffy's behavior. Taylor asks if Steffy already knew about this, so Ridge explains about their daughter's blackmail plot and how he learned about it when Brooke confessed to him. Stephanie scoffs at Brooke's admission only after she was being blackmailed and insists that Ridge forgive his daughter if he could forgive his wife. Ridge points out that Steffy created another scandal for the company and destroyed Brooke's relationship with Hope - and worst of all, is denying it! Steffy returns with her laptop and plays the video, fast forwarding to the end to show that there's no sign of the stuff about Brooke and Oliver; she's stunned when she gets to the end and the segment is there!

Ridge fires Steffy.

Disgusted, Ridge tells Steffy to turn the video off. She continues to insist she didn't put that in, even though it's her voice in her video on her computer. She has no idea how that got added. Stephanie and Taylor believe Steffy and ask Ridge to do the same, but Ridge can't accept this and tells Steffy he'll consider forgiving her if she admits what she did. Steffy keeps pleading her innocence, insisting she'd never embarrass Ridge or the company publicly that way. She begs Ridge to believe her, but he can't. Taylor tries to justify her daughter's anger toward Brooke, but Steffy tells her she didn't write that part of the video. Stephanie doesn't see any reason to continue this discussion, since Brooke is the one to blame here. She asks Ridge how he can forgive Brooke for betraying a second daughter while condemning Steffy. Ridge tells Steffy that he's done everything he could. When he left Taylor, he tried to compensate because he knew Steffy was hurting and only wanted his attention and acceptance, but then she kept doing these horrible things. Steffy insists she didn't do this one, but Ridge refuses to believe her and says he has no choice but to fire her. Steffy, Stephanie and Taylor all protest, but Ridge stands firm and tells Steffy to be out of the office by morning. Steffy breaks down in tears in Taylor's arms.

Liam gets a business lesson from Justin.

Justin and Liam return to Spencer following the press conference. Justin asks Bill's assistant Hillary if Bill got back yet. When she tells him Bill is on the plane, Justin realizes Bill hasn't heard yet about what happened at Forrester today. After Hillary leaves, Justin tells Liam to lose the guilty look on his face. Liam frets that the Forresters are powerful people, but Justin points out that Bill is powerful, too. Bill is also married to Brooke Logan's sister, Katie, Liam notes. Justin retorts that Bill loves his wife to a fault but is also a hard-nosed businessman who gets what he wants - and what Bill wants now is Forrester back in his hands. He thinks Bill will be happy with what they've done here. "What YOU'VE done here," Liam qualifies. Justin is happy to take all the credit. He explains to Liam that Steffy crossed Bill, using some kind of leverage to steal Forrester away from him. Since crossing Bill is something you don't do, she has to pay a price. Liam points out that Hope is paying, too. Collateral damage, Justin states. Liam thinks that's harsh, but Justin says it's just business and tells Liam to get used to it.

Jarrett is shocked when he runs into Oliver.

Racing through the building to find Hope, Oliver runs into Marcus. A judgemental Marcus says he hasn't seen Hope and asks if it's true. Oliver runs off without answering and heads for the showroom, where he runs into Jarrett. The reporter asks if the video was accurate. Oliver stupidly admits it was just a case of mistaken identity. Realizing what he just did, Oliver begs Jarrett not to print that and continues his search for Hope.

Hope lays into Brooke.

Hope runs into the photo studio, Steffy's words from the video echoing in her head. Spotting photos of Oliver and her on the wall, Hope tears them off and screams. Brooke appears in the door. Hope tells her to leave, but Brooke wants to be heard. Hope doesn't want to hear anything her mom, the woman she praised as the "world's best mom" over and over, has to say. "You are not the mother I thought I knew. I don't even know who you are," she sobs. Hope then points out that Brooke did the same thing to Bridget, but Brooke insists that what happened with Bridget was different, because that was unforgivable while what happened with Oliver was a mistake. "What kind of sick logic do you live by?" Hope shouts, wondering how Brooke can call this a mistake. Accusing her mom of wanting to feel younger and better about herself by sleeping with a man young enough to be her son, Hope mock-congratulates her mom. "Brooke Logan always gets her man," she shouts, "and what am I left with? Nothing, because you ruined everything." Brooke again tries to explain, but Hope can't fathom her mom confusing Ridge and Oliver. Brooke points out how passionate she and Ridge are and notes how confusing things were with the music blaring, but Hope doesn't buy it. Brooke tells Hope to blame her all she wants, but don't blame Oliver, who loves her. "His love is tainted now," Hope states, noting how a quickie on a terrace isn't the loving, romantic first time she dreamed of. Now that fantasy is over, because Brooke killed it! "Why would you do that?" she asks. Brooke tries to hug Hope, but Hope pulls away and tells Brooke never to touch her again!