The Bold and The Beautiful Transcript Friday 12/8/06

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Stephanie: So, you've already called the children and told them to be at the house?

Eric: I can tell them you're too tired from the trip, if you --

Stephanie: No, no, no. This issue's been in the closet long enough.

Eric: This was a big, emotional ordeal for you, confronting your mother. If you want to do it another time, you can.

Stephanie: No, I should have -- I should have -- I should have told them myself.

Eric: Well, Taylor explained to them why you couldn't.

Stephanie: I know that, honey, but -- they deserve to hear it from their mother.

Eric: And now, they will. I'll be right beside you.

Stephanie: I don't know that I'll ever really be able to make you understand how much I appreciate just that -- you being there with me. And the fact that you stood up to my mother. Thank you, Eric. To the support you're going to get from your children. You'll see. Everything's going to be fine.

Brooke: I still couldn't believe it, when Ridge told me that Stephanie was abused by her own father.

Taylor: Yeah, it's true.

Brooke: It just doesn't seem possible. I mean, Stephanie is such a strong, self-assured woman.

Taylor: But it does explain her need to control everything and everyone in her life.

Brooke: And her need to protect her own children. Ridge told me that her father beat her with a belt.

Taylor: Yes.

Brooke: I don't really understand, though, because Stephanie always talked about her father as being a good dad, and he was a pillar of the community.

Taylor: Mm-hmm, until he had too much to drink, or a bad day. Ann was no prize, either.

Brooke: Well, obviously not, since she wanted everybody to think that she was dead.

Taylor: And she had absolutely no intention of ever seeing her again until I convinced her she wouldn't get any healing until she confronted her.

Brooke: Because Ann knew what was going on, and she didn't do anything to stop it?

Taylor: Ann wouldn't even acknowledge that anything was happening.

Brooke: That is so sad. I understand what it feels like to be abandoned by your own father. And sometimes I feel like my life has been a whole reaction to my father walking out on me. Maybe Stephanie's life has been a reaction to her father abusing her.

Taylor: That's exactly what it is. But, at least now she's facing a reality, and her life is about to change dramatically.

Brooke: Well, not just her life -- Eric's life. And her children's lives, as well.

Thorne: Here, hon.

Felicia: Oh, god, no, thanks. I can't eat, my stomach's in knots.

Thorne: Yeah, mine, too. Ever since dad called last night.

Felicia: That's what I needed. One more thing to make me not be able to sleep.

Ridge: Pretty lonely with Dante in Italy, huh?

Felicia: I never thought I'd be disappointed that Dominick started sleeping through the night.

Thorne: So Dante got a sculpting commission?

Felicia: He had to. He's not getting a paycheck from Forrester anymore.

Ridge: When's he coming back?

Felicia: Maybe when you guys get off your butts and help me start this new company. So hop to it, already.

Ridge: We're trying, we're trying. We've got all this stuff with mother now.

Felicia: I know. I still can't believe she was abused by her father.

Thorne: And keeping it a secret.

Ridge: Telling us grandma Douglas was dead?

Thorne: Yeah, but I can't blame her, though. After what she did to her, she doesn't deserve to have a relationship with us.

Felicia: I hope mother tore her head off yesterday. That selfish, old bitch, pretending like nothing was e that needs his head torn off. Abusing a child like that? There's no excuse for that, ever.

Stephanie: Hey.

Felicia: Welcome back.

Stephanie: Hi, honey, I'm so glad to be back.

Felicia: If there's anything we can do --

Thorne: Just name it.

Stephanie: Thank you, sweetheart.

Eric: See, I told you they would not be upset with you.

Ridge: Oh, what are we going to be upset with her for?

Stephanie: Because I didn't tell you.

Thorne: Well, Taylor explained that, mom.

Felicia: You had to go to Chicago to confront your mother.

Ridge: We understand all that, Mother.

Stephanie: Yeah, I know, it's just -- I think what I'm upset about is that I -- well, I just kind of let you think I had this incredible childhood, and I just pushed all of that ugliness out of my mind. And as a result, I pushed my mother out of my life and out of yours.

Felicia: Are you kidding? If you think we wanted anything to do with that woman after the way she treated you, forget it.

Stephanie: Growing up the way I did damaged me, and the truth I needed to control everything. And as a result, I interfered in your marriages and your relationships. And ultimately, it cost your father the company. I'm not making excuses, I want you to know that. But I also want you to -- it's just such an enormous sense of relief to understand why. And I just want you, and you, and you to understand, too. Okay?

Felicia: If you think this justifies that 11:00 curfew you gave me when I was 16 -- I'm not buying it, lady.

[All laughing]

Thorne: Well, at least now we know why you've been so protective.

Ridge: And we're very grateful for that, believe it or not.

Felicia: I wouldn't go that far. But I

Thorne: Yeah, we love you, Mom.

Stephanie: Thank you, sweetheart.

Ridge: And we wouldn't change that for anything.

Brooke: I always wondered why Stephanie was so angry. I just assumed it was me. That she was jealous of the relationships I had with the men in her family.

Taylor: Not all of her anger was misplaced. But it does help explain why she went to such lengths to get you out of Ridge's life. I mean, she just has this uncontrollable need to control her family.

Brooke: Do you think she'll be able to get past this?

Taylor: Well, it won't happen overnight, but it is a start. You know what I find most amazing about Stephanie is that she chose on her own to break this cycle of abuse. I mean, the only good thing about the way she's handled this is that she did become overly protective. Not that that doesn't create problems of its own. The damage of abuse trickles down family generations for a long time unless it's broken. We have this saying in therapy -- "There's no excuse for abuse." And a lot of people think that just means physical abuse, but also verbal abuse is very damaging. If a child is told that they're stupid constantly, or they're shamed for making a mistake, or they're told that they're worthless, it literally shatters their identity. No child should ever have to go through that. I don't think any kind of abuse should be tolerated.

Brooke: No, it's true. Not physical, not verbal. We, as parents, we need to be responsible and protect them. And if we don't, who will?

Ridge: Are you telling us that no one else knew?

Stephanie: No. My sister Pam.

Felicia: I never would have guessed it. After everything you've told us about granddad, all the stories.

Thorne: You admired him so much.

Stephanie: I think telling would probably have been just too painful for me.

Felicia: Well, at least you didn't blame yourself.

Stephanie: Oh, no, honey, I've blamed myself.

Thorne: Mother, he beat you with a belt.

Eric: You're right, Thorne. It wasn't discipline, it was abuse. And your grandmother allowed it.

Ridge: So you went to her for help. She knew about all of this and did nothing. How could she do that?

Thorne: How could a parent ignore their own child's cry for help?

Stephanie: Well, let's -- the times were different then, honey. My father ruled the family. He's the one that put the roof over our heads.

Felicia: that doesn't excuse your mother not defending her own flesh and blood. You went to her and she turned her back on you.

Stephanie: 30 years ago -- I didn't tell you this. When your grandfather died, I went to her then, and I thought, "Well, now we'll be able to talk about it." It was the same way yesterday, when I -- god, after all those years, when I tried to confront her --

Ridge: So she still wouldn't acknowledge what happened?

Stephanie: No. But Taylor said what's important is that I acknowledged it. I said it. I confronted her and said, you know, this is what happened, and this is what you didn't do. It was really hard, I'll tell you that. I was just -- but your dad gave me the strength.

Eric: I was just there for moral support. Our mother won't be driving us crazy sometime before dinner --

[All laughing] But you've made this progress all alone. I've said it before, I'll say it again. You're an amazing woman.

Stephanie: Oh, honey.

Eric: You are.

Stephanie: Thank you. Thank you.

Ridge: So your mother can't face what your dad did wrong. But maybe your father did.

Stephanie: We never spoke of it.

Ridge: And yet he put Forrester Creations in your name.

Thorne: Do you think he was trying to make amends?

Eric: No, it's just his way of keeping control over his daughter, proving what kind of a wonderful father he was.

Felicia: All the stock and money in the world doesn't make up for beating your child. I want to put it behind me, and I want to move on, and I want you all to do the same thing. But I would like you to promise me something. When you go home today, I want you to grab those children of yours and give them a big kiss and hug and tell them you love them, because you never can say it enough.

Ridge: Okay, we also love you, too.

Taylor: Hope we're not intruding.

Eric: Not at all, you two. Come on in.

Brooke: Ridge told me. I'm sorry Stephanie.

Stephanie: Thank you, Brooke.

Brooke: I understand now. And I want you to know that I'm here for you.

Stephanie: Oh, thank you.

Brooke: You wanted to give your children the life that you never had, and you did. You did, Stephanie. This little moment, but I would like to speak to Stephanie privately for a minute.

Eric: Of course.

Stephanie: We can go to the den.

Brooke: She seems okay.

Eric: It was pretty hard for her to confront her mother.

Ridge: It would have been a lot harder if you hadn't stepped in for moral support. I know it's been real difficult dealing with her the last long while, but Dad, you stepped up.

Felicia: Mom's not the only one we're proud of today.

Eric: Thanks, honey. Thank you.

Stephanie: Thank you. I needed a moment just to catch my breath.

Taylor: Yeah. All that support's a little overwhelming.

Stephanie: It was terrible at my mother's. I thought I was going to have one of those classic anxiety attacks. There we were, standing in the ay, I just didn't know how I was going to be able to say it. But Eric was wonderful.

Taylor: Well, you still found the strength to say what you need to say.

Stephanie: Because of him. I just wish that --

Taylor: What?

Stephanie: Oh, she didn't hear, she didn't listen. She's never going to acknowledge that it happened.

Taylor: You knew she might not.

Stephanie: Yes, I did. And you told me. The most important thing is that I said it, I acknowledged it. I mean, my whole adult life, I have been excusing the inexcusable. And confronting my mother after all these years really was -- it was cathartic. And I got to thinking, all the way back on the plane, I wondered, I thought to myself, "What would my life be like now? What would I have been like if I'd had the opportunity to confront my father?

Taylor: You still can. It isn't too late.

Ridge: Hey, you want to join everybody in the kitchen?

Brooke: In a minute. I want to talk to you first.

Ridge: Sure.

Brooke: How are you doing?

Ridge: I'm okay.

Brooke: I know how much you love your mother, and to see her going through this can't be easy.

Ridge: We've all been going through it, in a way, haven't we? For years. We just didn't know it. The abuse my mother was going through kind of rippled into all of our lives.

Brooke: I know, and I'm sure she regrets that.

Ridge: I just wish I understood it before now.

Brooke: Well, now we know, and we can help her.

Ridge: My mother's getting through it. I think the thing that really gets me is how many kids are still out there, feeling the effects of abuse, like my mother, or worse. It seems like there's got to be something we can do about it.

Brooke: Well, we just can't forget that abuse can happen anywhere, in any home. I mean, even in families like our own. We have to keep our eyes and ears open, at the kids' schools, at their sports, with their friends.

Ridge: People sometimes feel like it's easier just to ignore it or turn the other away, but if we can prevent one kid from going through what my mother went through, I think it's worth it.

Brooke: Me, too.

Stephanie: Well, it is too late. He's dead.

Taylor: It's too late to talk to him face to face. But it's not too late to tell him how you feel.

You stood up to  your mother and even though she didn't listen to you that it still felt cathartic?

Stephanie: Yes.

Taylor: And didn't that validate your feelings to stand up for yourself? You can still do that. Come on, you know? You've come so far, you shouldn't stop right now. I'll just help you do this -- think of your father's face, and remember every detail. Remember the furrow in his brow, and hear his voice when he's yelling at you. See him standing there with his pipe and his martini. And then tell him how you feel.

Stephanie: I think I would feel ridiculous doing this.

Taylor: What if he were standing right in front of you? And then suddenly he started approaching you, aggressively, like he did when you were a little girl?

Stephanie: Right now I would be very angry.

Taylor: Well, don't tell me, tell him.

Stephanie: You mean, Taylor, I loved my father, but I was afraid of him. I was afraid of his temper --

Taylor: Don't tell me that. Say what you wanted to say to him.

Stephanie: This is difficult. Dad, you said you loved me. But you hit me. You abused me as a little girl, I don't know how you could do that. How could you do that? I trusted you, I loved you. I always thought you were the bravest and strongest person in the world, but you know what I think? I think you were a coward, and what you did was wrong! It was wrong!

Taylor: See? You can protect yourself.

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