At Forrester, Brooke was in the design office, asking Ridge if he'd known Taylor would be in town. Ridge said he hadn't known until Taylor had messaged him. Brooke assumed that Taylor wanted to check on Steffy, but Ridge suspected that Taylor might go straight to Bill's house.
Brooke asked if Taylor had expressed a desire to confront Bill. Ridge said Taylor hadn't, but she had been furious. Ridge had thought Taylor would have been on the next plane over there, and he was surprised it had taken Taylor so long to get there.
Brooke wondered if it would help Steffy to have Taylor there. Ridge wasn't sure. He remarked that Taylor hadn't sounded too rational and had almost lost it. "Taylor?" Brooke replied. Ridge said that he'd been surprised, too, and Brooke should have heard what had been coming out of Taylor's mouth. Though Ridge had agreed with most of it, he'd never heard anything like it from Taylor.
Brooke assumed that it had taken Taylor time to get over there because she'd had to cool down. Ridge said it was possible, but thinking about Bill's actions usually made Ridge's anger grow. Brooke replied that Taylor was a professional, and Ridge said that was why Taylor knew that Bill was a psycho who'd taken advantage of Steffy.
Later, Ridge was looking at his phone, and Brooke assumed he couldn't reach Taylor. Ridge remarked that Taylor's attitude about Bill when Ridge had told her had been a whole new level of hatred. Ridge could just imagine what Taylor might be saying to Bill. Brooke asked what Taylor "thought" had gone on that night with Bill and Steffy.
Ridge said Taylor didn't have thoughts about what had happened; she knew what had gone on because Ridge had told her. He stated that he'd said Liam and Steffy had had a fight, and Bill had moved in. Brooke clarified that Steffy hadn't said Bill had taken advantage of her.
Ridge insisted that Bill had. Brooke repeated that it hadn't been what Steffy had said, and Brooke became concerned about how angry Taylor might be if she thought Bill had taken advantage of her daughter.
Ridge persisted in believing that Bill hadn't left Steffy alone. Brooke was sure Bill would from then on out, but Ridge contended that Bill had proposed to Steffy. Brooke didn't think Bill had made good decisions, from throwing Ridge in jail to Wyatt and Katie; however, if Taylor believed Bill had preyed on Steffy, Taylor would get just as upset as Ridge, and things would get a lot worse.
In the CEO's office, Steffy insisted that Liam hadn't been the one to shoot Bill. Liam didn't want Steffy to defend him, but she insisted that the images in his head weren't real. Liam said his anger and rage against Bill had been real. Steffy believed that Liam could hate Bill without trying to take Bill's life. She said the killer was still out there, and Bill wasn't safe.
Liam persisted in professing that he'd committed the crime and that anger over seeing Bill and Steffy together had pushed him over the edge. Steffy didn't believe a concussed Liam had driven over there to do it. She was positive Liam hadn't shot his father. She believed Liam had hit his head and suffered a concussion; however, his heart hadn't changed, and he'd remained by Bill's bedside. Steffy thought they needed to focus on who really had done it.
Steffy's phone chimed. She looked at it and wondered how she'd missed the notice. Liam asked what it was. She explained that she had an app that let her know whenever her mother was in town. It was pinging, which worried Steffy. Liam assumed Taylor might be there after hearing that Ridge had been arrested. Steffy got upset at the thought of Taylor hearing what had happened with Steffy and Bill.
Liam was surprised that Steffy hadn't told her mother. Steffy hadn't told Taylor because she'd been hoping to put the marriage back together. Steffy hadn't even wanted to talk about Bill at all back then. Steffy decided that she needed to find her mother. She asked Liam if he would be okay. He said he would. Steffy told him that he hadn't lost his goodness, and he should never doubt that he was a man their daughter could look up to -- the kind Steffy needed in her life.
At the Dakota later, Liam entered his room. He experienced fuzzy flashbacks of the shooting, and he heard Steffy saying that he hadn't done it.
At Bill's house, Bill asked Taylor to put down the gun. He said that it wasn't her, and she needed to think about what she was doing. Sobbing, Taylor told Bill that there had to be a line. Bill told Taylor that she was making a mistake. Taylor asked why Bill hadn't left Steffy and Liam alone.
Huffing, Taylor said she never should have been there that night or done what she'd done. Bill watched anxiously as Taylor slowly lowered the gun. She dropped it on the floor, and Bill quickly slipped over to get it. Bill unloaded the gun and tucked it into his back waistband.
Taylor sobbed about how wrong Bill had been. Bill yelled that she'd tried to kill him, and even though she thought he was a monster, she was the one who'd held him at gunpoint. Taylor claimed she'd just wanted him to listen. Bill said he'd heard it all, and it had been her confession. He told her that she could have put him in the ground.
Taylor explained that she'd been very angry, and Bill had been standing there as if nothing mattered. She knew that she'd been wrong, and the wait for news had been killing her. She had decided to return to clear Ridge's name, but she'd heard that he'd been released. She said that Bill had done horrible things, but she wasn't above admitting that she'd done worse.
Taylor said she shouldn't have gone there that night. She'd just wanted to confront Bill. A flashback played of the windy night, and Taylor narrated it. A shadow fell on Bill's driveway. Taylor explained that the gate had been open, music had been blaring, and the door had been unlocked. On-screen, Taylor entered Bill's house and loaded the gun.
Taylor said Bill hadn't heard her, and the gun had been right there. She noted that he hadn't heard her moving behind him, and her hands had been shaking. "I just fired," she stated, and on-screen, Bill took a bullet to the back and fell. In the flashback, Taylor dropped the gun and ran out.
Bill accused Taylor of leaving him for dead. He said she'd hopped a plane to leave the country while he'd been fighting for his life. He yelled that he'd gotten shot in the lung, had undergone massive surgery, and been in intensive care. He raged that he could suffer the effects for the rest of his life. Taylor said that secret had been killing her.
Bill didn't think it had been so bad because she'd been silent until Ridge had been arrested. Bill assumed that she'd felt guilty about Ridge. Bill roared that she'd acted as his judge, jury, and executioner without asking a single question. Taylor replied that he'd hurt her daughter. Bill yelled that he had not, but Taylor would hurt Steffy when Steffy learned that Taylor had let Ridge get arrested and had been the cause of Liam thinking he'd done it -- and Steffy would be hurt further when Taylor ultimately went to jail.
Taylor asked what Bill was talking about with Liam. Bill realized that Liam hadn't tried to kill Bill. Bill said that Liam had hit his head, and the effects of the concussion had made him think he'd shot his own father. Bill asked Taylor to imagine how it would feel to know her son hated her enough to try to kill her. "But it was you. The whole time, it was you," Bill stated.
Just then, Steffy entered. She was surprised to see that Taylor was crying. Steffy hugged her mother and asked what was going on. Steffy said she hadn't even known that Taylor had been in town until the app Steffy had signed them up on had alerted her.
Taylor said she knew what Bill had done to Steffy. Steffy assumed that her father had told her mother. Taylor affirmed that Ridge had done so when he'd found out. Upset, Steffy replied that her father was wrong about that night. Taylor stated that she and Ridge had just been trying to protect their daughter and their daughter's marriage.
Bill responded that it didn't excuse what had gone on there. Steffy asked what had happened, and Bill instructed Taylor to tell her. Steffy said she had something to tell Bill urgently and in private. Bill stated that Taylor wouldn't go anywhere. In a knowing tone, Steffy informed Bill that Liam was very upset. Bill concluded that Liam had told Steffy.
Steffy tried to get Taylor to leave, but Bill said there would be no more secrets. Steffy asked what Bill was doing. Bill assumed that Liam had told Steffy that Liam had tried to kill Bill with his own gun. Steffy said Liam hadn't done it. To her mother, Steffy said it sounded crazy, but Liam hadn't done it. Taylor quietly told Steffy that she was right; Liam hadn't done it.
Bill asked Steffy how Taylor would know that. Taylor stated that she knew it because she knew who had. "It was me. It was me. I shot Bill," Taylor admitted and began sobbing.
At Bill's house, Taylor, Bill, and Steffy tried to make sense of Taylor's confession that she'd shot Bill. Steffy maintained it was crazy. Bill was angry, but Steffy warned that he manipulated people to get what he wanted. Steffy hugged her mother and insisted she was wrong. "You would never shoot anyone," Steffy said.
Taylor agreed, but she said she had arrived at Bill's to confront him. "And the gun was in here, and I just lost it. I lost it, and I shot him. It was wrong. It's true," Taylor cried. Bill shook his head. Taylor confessed that she had been out of her mind with rage.
"It's very simple. Your mother put me in the hospital," Bill said. "You know this isn't me," Taylor responded. Steffy put her hands on her head and kept saying, "Oh, my God."
Steffy suddenly realized "Liam didn't do it." But she looked at Bill and said it was all their fault because they had driven Taylor to it. "I valued life. I don't know what came over me," Taylor confessed. She added that she had sheepskin gloves, and she couldn't stand that Bill had taken advantage of Steffy.
Steffy told her mother that Bill had done nothing like that. Steffy assumed Ridge had told her that. Steffy said she'd had to constantly relive the worst mistake of her life, but it had all been consensual. "I slept with him that night," Steffy confessed. "What have I done?" Taylor cried.
Steffy hugged Taylor. "I love you," Steffy said. She told Taylor that Taylor needed help. "You think?" Bill asked. Steffy glared at him. She turned to her mom and said that she hadn't seen Taylor in a long time.
Bill said Taylor belonged in jail. Taylor begged Bill not to send her to prison because she would never survive. She knew she was wrong and apologized for almost taking his life, but she begged him for mercy. Steffy agreed that Bill couldn't send her mother to prison and noted that Taylor usually helped people. Bill countered that Taylor could get help in prison. Steffy maintained that her mother was fragile.
Bill asked Steffy if he was supposed to let it go. "That's exactly what I'm asking," Steffy said. "She tried to kill me, Steffy," Bill shouted. Steffy countered that their night together had resulted in her losing Liam, and she refused to lose her mother too. Taylor begged again for Bill to keep her out of prison. "I'd never come out alive," Taylor said.
Bill agreed to stick to his story that a stranger had shot him. He promised to do it for Steffy. "You mean it?" Steffy asked. Bill nodded. Steffy tearfully thanked Bill, and so did Taylor. Steffy said she had to visit Liam and find a way to tell him that she had discovered proof that he hadn't shot Bill. Steffy thanked her mom and hugged her. She left.
Bill and Taylor agreed they were in an awkward position. Taylor said she had always loved the house and had a lot of happy memories there. She couldn't imagine violence in her house.
Bill suddenly seemed happy and said one good thing had resulted from Taylor's confession. "Liam didn't shoot me," Bill said and smiled. He noted how frail Taylor looked and said she didn't look good. He suggested she sit down, and he offered her a glass of water. Taylor accepted and used her cane to walk to a chair.
Bill said Taylor looked shaky, and he wondered if she had driven to his house. He offered to get her a car. Taylor said they were both protective of their children, and that was a good trait. Bill had more than one reason to be glad that Liam hadn't tried to kill him. Bill worried that the thought of it had been eating Liam up. He was glad that Steffy would be able to reassure Liam. "He had a full-blown identity crisis," Bill said of Liam. Bill shared that relationships for him were very complicated, but he loved his son. "I would go to hell and back for him, even if he doesn't believe it," Bill said.
Taylor offered some advice, but Bill stopped her and suggested that her psychoanalysis was unwelcome under the circumstances. Taylor agreed and promised to be "forever grateful to you." Bill answered that he had done it for her daughter.
Liam was in his hotel room, and Hope had delivered food. She knew he wasn't ready to talk, but she was worried about him. He told her that he had told Steffy about his revelation that he had shot Bill. Hope insisted he hadn't done it. Liam reported that Steffy agreed with Hope. He felt they were both wrong. "She is still my wife and carrying my child. She needs to know what I'm capable of," he said.
Hope argued that she had no doubt that if he'd shot his father, it was because Steffy and Bill had driven him to it. Liam argued that he had replayed it in his head repeatedly; he felt he could see everything, and it was his hand that had shot the gun. Hope reiterated that he'd had a concussion. Liam said the memories were real.
Hope told Liam that she didn't think he had that in his personality because he was a good man. She found it impossible to believe that he would shoot anyone, especially his own father.
Liam insisted that he could have killed his father. He remembered it. He'd shot him and then walked away and forgotten about it. He wanted her to be wary of him, and he worried that the man inside him who had fired that gun could resurface. He felt he had to find a way to coexist. "I love you. I will always be in your corner," Hope said. He suggested she leave, and she did.
Later, Steffy showed up and told Liam she had "life-changing news" for him. She noticed the bag of takeout, and Liam admitted that Hope had been there. Steffy ignored it and said she knew that Liam hadn't shot his father. Liam argued, but Steffy said that her mother had arrived and spoken to Bill.
After talking to Taylor, Bill had agreed he had seen the shooter, and it had not been Liam. Liam argued that he had seen himself picking up the gun and shooting Bill. Steffy explained that he was wrong. The concussion had made him think he'd done it.
Liam scoffed. "I remember it," he said. "You're wrong, and you're torturing yourself for no reason. You couldn't shoot anybody. Stop torturing yourself. You didn't shoot your father," Steffy said.
At Liam's hotel room, Steffy visited and tried to persuade Liam that he hadn't shot his father. Steffy reminded Liam that Bill had originally thought that Ridge had shot him. She maintained that Bill had been mistaken. "Why do you defend him?" Liam asked. Steffy explained that Bill was positive that Liam was not the shooter, and he was not the person that Bill had caught a glimpse of in the window.
Liam was unconvinced. He continued to say that he "remembered" it. Steffy reminded him that he'd had incidents with memory before. Liam recalled that he'd had a mild traumatic brain injury, according to the doctors. That had happened when Quinn had kidnapped him too. "You believed your kidnapper was your wife -- that wasn't true, and neither was this," Steffy said.
Steffy insisted that Liam had seen the evidence and police reports and heard the stories many times. He had convinced himself that he'd done it. Liam said there was evidence, but Steffy told him "You didn't shoot your father."
Steffy added that she had been at Bill's house, and her mother had been there. Liam argued that Bill would say anything to make Steffy happy. Steffy said that her mother had talked to Bill. Liam assumed that Taylor had jogged his memory. Steffy agreed. "It wasn't you, Liam," Steffy said.
Liam continued to argue, but Steffy asked him to share exactly what he remembered. Liam said he had seen Bill proposing to Steffy, and he remembered details of Bill down on one knee. After he'd seen it, he remembered that he had followed his father home.
Steffy asked specific questions about where he'd parked at his dad's house. Liam said something about how quiet it had been that night, and Steffy said there had been a storm, the wind had been howling, and trees had been down. She asked how Liam had opened the door at his dad's house, and Liam said he had used his key. He pulled out his keychain, but the key was gone. Steffy reminded Liam that he had mailed his key back to his father weeks earlier.
Liam said that the maid might have been there or left the door open, but Steffy reminded him that no one had been there because the only person to find Bill was Katie. Steffy noted that a lot of inconsistencies clearly indicated that Liam was not the shooter. Liam wondered why he remembered the gun so clearly. Steffy shook her head. "No, Liam. It wasn't you," Steffy said. She caressed his face.
Steffy reminded Liam that his recollection of the details didn't match up. Liam wondered what had happened, and Steffy assumed that Liam had blacked out. She reminded him that he'd had a concussion, but he hadn't turned "into a different person." Liam said he needed to speak to his father. Liam thanked Steffy, and they hugged.
At Bill's house, he and Taylor tried to be civil to one another. Bill poured a drink, and Taylor advised against it because he was probably taking pain medication. Bill countered that he didn't take the medication because he wanted to "feel alive."
Bill wondered if Taylor wanted a drink. She said she hadn't had a drink in years. They discussed that she needed help, but she accused Bill of needing help. Bill advised her not to be judgmental when he held her future in his hands.
Taylor noted that Bill loved to have power over people. She asked Bill to be straight with her. "Should I expect to be charged?" Taylor asked.
Bill said he would keep the information to himself "for now." Taylor looked suspicious and asked what price Bill wanted for his silence. "I'm sure you have one," Taylor said.
Bill worried that Taylor could go off again and try to shoot him again. Taylor was upset that Bill wasn't sorry for what he'd done "to Steffy and her marriage." "With Steffy," Bill corrected. He reminded her that it had all been consensual. "She was a willing participant," he said. Taylor said that Bill had used his status as a trusted father-in-law to gain Steffy's respect and trust. "Victims of sexual abuse always blame themselves," she stated.
Bill warned Taylor to stop because the authorities were a phone call away. Taylor suggested she could disappear as long he promised to stay away from Steffy. Bill refused. Taylor said that Steffy didn't want Bill interfering "in her marriage ever again."
"You still want her, don't you?" Taylor asked. Bill agreed. He advised Taylor to allow her grown daughter to make her own choices. Taylor said that Bill was a brilliant manipulator. She asked if Bill wanted to isolate her in order to win her.
Bill disagreed. He said that Taylor had isolated Steffy "when you cut me off from her years ago." Bill reminded Taylor that when he and Steffy had been together, Steffy had chosen him -- no one else that night. "And this time, I'm free," Bill said. He added that If Liam didn't want Steffy, he did. "I'm in love with your daughter," Bill said. Taylor shook her head.
At home, Steffy opened the door and found Taylor in her living room. Taylor said that Bill had given her a key. Steffy acknowledged that Bill owned the place and had keys. Taylor wondered if Steffy was mad at her, and Steffy said she loved her mother. She said she had spoken to Liam.
Taylor was glad that Liam and Steffy had shared the information about Bill. Taylor had wanted to thank Steffy and say goodbye. "Stay here," Steffy said. Taylor declined and said she needed to get away from Bill and keep a low profile. Steffy tried to assure her mother that Bill wouldn't change his mind, but Taylor disagreed. "Steffy, Bill is in love with you. Your husband's father! What are you going to do about it?" Taylor shrieked.
At Bill's house, Liam and Bill discussed that they had hurt each other. Bill was glad that Liam had learned for sure that he was not the shooter. Bill regretted that he'd hurt Liam so much that it would make him think he could have shot his own father. Liam wanted to know if Bill was sure, and Bill said he was.
Liam wondered why he'd had visions that he was the shooter. Bill said there was no explanation. Bill promised that he knew Liam hadn't done it. Liam cried. "It wasn't me," Liam said. "No," Bill said. He placed an arm on Liam's shoulder.
At Bill's house, Bill assured Liam that he hadn't been the one to shoot Bill. It was starting to sink in for Liam that he hadn't done it. He thought he'd just needed to hear it from Bill. Bill said it was good, and Liam stated that Bill hadn't told Liam what had gone on. Liam wondered who had done it if it hadn't been Liam. Liam recalled that, at first, Bill had said it had been Ridge.
Bill explained that he'd really believed it, and he hadn't been setting Ridge up. Bill had found Liam's scenario very believable, and it had changed Bill's mind about Ridge. Once Bill had returned home, however, he'd been in the crime scene and had realized it couldn't be Liam, either. Liam sensed that Bill knew who'd done it.
Liam asked who'd pulled the trigger. Bill said he didn't know. He only knew that while walking around the house, he'd figured out that he'd seen someone in his periphery before the shooting. He described the person as being a tall, lanky guy. Bill thought that the important thing was that it hadn't been Liam. Bill didn't want to live with knowing he'd motivated his son to shoot him and said it was all behind them.
Liam talked about being unable to look himself in the mirror due to the shooting. He'd wanted to disappear rather than to let his daughter have him as a father. Bill said Liam hadn't pulled the trigger.
At Forrester, Hope and Maya were working on HFTF. Maya was proud to be a part of it. Hope said she couldn't do it without Maya, and they had a great team. Maya had heard that Liam would be helping, too. Maya recalled that Liam and Hope had been very close before.
Maya noted that Liam was facing marital problems in addition to not knowing who'd shot Bill. She wondered if the police knew who'd done it, and Hope replied that there weren't any leads.
Maya was sorry about getting off topic, but Hope said business was pretty much wrapped up. Hope planned to touch base with some charities and then update their team. Maya was honored to be a part of HFTF again and said that, for what it was worth, she believed that Liam was a great fit. To Maya, he'd always been a loving and compassionate man.
Later, Hope knocked on Liam's door at the Dakota. When he answered it, she rushed in, saying she'd gotten there as quickly as she could. His message had seemed urgent, and she was worried about whether he was okay -- and why he was smiling. The grinning Liam told her that she and Steffy had been right. Hope asked what it was about.
Liam began explaining how suggestive he'd been after he'd awakened in the cabin with Quinn. He'd had no memory, but his brain had started filling in the blanks with whatever Quinn had told him. He'd accepted a story here and a doctored photo there. When he'd regained his memory, he'd thought it had all been over. Hope asked what he was trying to say.
Liam explained that he believed that when he'd hit his head at the cliff house the night of the shooting, the fear of the missing void in his mind had caused him to desperately want to fill it. He thought he'd done it with the gloves in his car and the photo of the gun. Chuckling, Liam said he'd made it all up. He'd been ready to go to the police and punish himself for the rest of his life.
Liam exclaimed that he hadn't done it. Hope hugged him and asked how he'd figured it out. He told her that Steffy had grilled him and poked holes in his story, and Steffy had been right about it not adding up. Liam added that Bill had confirmed it. Liam stated that he hadn't done it, and he couldn't have done it.
Ecstatic, Hope said she'd known, despite what Liam had said, that there was no way he could have done it to his father. According to Liam, his mind was blown, and he felt like he'd gotten the greatest gift one could ever get. Hope asked what had happened with Bill.
Liam stated that he'd gone to see Bill to make sure Bill wasn't just trying to get Liam off the hook. Liam had ascertained that Bill had been telling the truth about Liam being innocent. Liam exclaimed that he wasn't an attempted murderer, and he wouldn't have it over his head for his whole life. Hope asked how Bill had concluded it.
Liam explained that being at home had jogged Bill's memory. Bill had caught a glimpse of the shooter and affirmed that it hadn't been Liam. Hope said it was all that mattered. Liam was relieved that he'd go to sleep with the knowledge that he hadn't done it. Hope called Liam a gentle soul, who was good, kind, and loyal. She said he was finally free.
Liam yelled several times that he was finally free. He said he'd been really lost. He hadn't thought he'd get himself back, but he was back. Hope hugged him. She welcomed him back and said it was nice to see him again.
At the cliff house, Steffy wanted to know how Taylor could shoot Bill, but Taylor had no excuse. Steffy wondered what they'd do. Taylor said that Bill had stated that he wouldn't tell anyone about her, but he was keeping his silence because of Steffy. Steffy replied that she'd do everything in her power to make sure that only the three of them knew it.
Steffy was worried about Taylor and thought she might need help. Taylor promised to get it, but she needed to make sure that Bill stayed away from Steffy. Taylor had already told Bill to stay away, and she wanted Steffy to stay away from Bill. Steffy asserted that she didn't want anyone but Liam. Steffy wanted to be a family with Liam again.
Steffy urged Taylor to talk to one of her colleagues. Taylor promised to do it, but she said Ridge had told her that Bill had sexually assaulted Steffy. Steffy replied that it had been Ridge's thoughts. Taylor stated that they'd been her own thoughts, too, but Steffy contended that Taylor could have called Steffy and gotten the truth.
Taylor apologized for her actions, saying that her motherly instincts had kicked in. Taylor had snapped while thinking about Bill's misdeed. Steffy insisted that it had been consensual, and Taylor shouldn't have done what she'd done. Taylor felt ashamed of her actions.
Steffy offered to let Taylor stay, but Taylor didn't want to do that to Steffy. Taylor felt that she needed to be alone for a while, but she promised to stay in touch. Steffy asked if Taylor would be back. Taylor hoped that when she did return, she'd be ready to be a good mother and grandmother. She hoped she'd find Steffy at the cliff house, raising the baby with Liam.
The women said they loved each other. They hugged, and Taylor asked Steffy to take care of the baby.
Later, Bill arrived at the cliff house. Steffy said he'd just missed her mother, who was leaving town. Bill was glad. He didn't want to be in Taylor's company, and to him, Taylor was out of her mind. He said Taylor had tried to kill him. Steffy replied that it didn't make sense and wasn't who Taylor was. He thought it was too bad that Taylor hadn't talked to Steffy first. He said it might never have happened if Taylor had.
Steffy insisted that Taylor hadn't been herself. Steffy hadn't ever seen Taylor that way, and going to prison might have killed Taylor. "Or done her some good," Bill replied. Steffy was sure Taylor would get help. Bill hoped so. Steffy insisted that it was true, and Taylor was grateful that Bill hadn't turned her in and would keep it between them.
Bill informed Steffy that he'd told Taylor he'd done it for Steffy. Steffy knew it and thanked him. Bill hadn't made the decision lightly. He said that, sometimes, one just knew deep down what was right and wrong. "I did something for you, Steffy, and now I need you to do something for me," Bill said. Steffy asked what it was.
Mentioning the annulment papers, Bill said Steffy had been sitting on them ever since Liam had given them to her, hoping Liam would change his mind. Steffy affirmed that it was exactly what she was hoping. Bill wanted her to sign the papers. He felt that Liam had kept Steffy in limbo for too long. Bill urged her to sign the papers and force Liam to make a decision.
Bill believed that Liam would either sign them and move on with his life, probably with Hope, or he'd rip them up. Bill hoped that if Liam signed them, Steffy would open herself up to the feelings she had for Bill. Bill knew that she had them, and he said he loved her.
Bill announced that he was going on a business trip. He had a lot to catch up on due to Taylor shooting him. While Bill was gone, he wanted Steffy to think about Taylor's future, Steffy's future, and Steffy and Bill. "If you lose my son, I'll keep my promise and keep your mother out of prison. Sign the annulment papers and give them to Liam," Bill directed.
At the cliff house, Ridge was visiting and saying that he was glad Steffy had talked to her mother. Ridge looked forward to talking to Taylor, too, but Steffy didn't even know if her mother was still in town. He wondered if Taylor would really leave town without talking to him and asked if she was "pissed" at him. Steffy said Taylor wasn't, but Steffy was.
Steffy told Ridge that he shouldn't have told Taylor about Steffy and Bill. Shrugging, Ridge replied that Taylor was a psychiatrist and knew how to deal with those things. Steffy quipped that Taylor had dealt with it, all right.
Ridge thought it was time to focus on Steffy's family and putting it back together. Steffy stared at the annulment papers on the table. Ridge was glad Taylor had been there to encourage Steffy to fight for her marriage and family. Steffy flashed back to Bill's ultimatum.
Ridge urged Steffy not to give up on Liam. Steffy appreciated her father's concern, but she said she needed to see someone. Ridge assumed it was Liam. Ridge let her know that he was just a phone call away, and he left.
At the Dakota, Hope bet Liam had slept better than he had in a while. Liam said his whole world was different; he wasn't who he'd thought he'd been, but Hope had known it all along. Hope replied that she would have been there through counseling or whatever he'd needed, but she hadn't believed that he'd been capable of the shooting.
Giggling, Hope wanted to get out and celebrate the end to the nightmare. She guessed it wasn't entirely over, though, because the shooter was still out there and because Liam still needed to set himself free entirely. Hope believed Liam needed a fresh start. Liam replied that he was still trying to process everything. She said that, luckily for him, she'd done it for him.
Hope felt that Liam needed to start a new chapter in his life, and she thought she could help him with it. HFTF was a good start, in her opinion, but Liam said he needed more than work. Hope agreed, saying he needed to get Bill and Steffy off his mind and their toxic waste out of his life.
Liam was glad and relieved that he wasn't a person who'd go off and shoot a family member. Hope said he'd been pushed to that conclusion because of what Steffy and Bill had put him through. Hope thought it was time to put the whole chapter behind him. Liam wanted to forget about it altogether, and Hope proposed that they get him out of the hotel and the funk.
Hope believed that Steffy had been drawn to the dark side of Liam's family, but there was another side, which was good. Hope said it was Liam, and he shouldn't ever forget it. She leaned in and kissed him.
Liam's phone rang, and he answered it. It was Steffy on the line, and she asked him to meet at the house. Liam said he was in the middle of something. She asked if he was with Hope, and he said he was. Steffy stated that she had papers to give him, and he said he'd be over.
After the call, Hope asked if it had been Steffy. Liam replied that Steffy had the annulment papers. Hope believed that it was time, and Liam could still be an incredible father. She said he knew what he needed to do to.
At the cliff house later, Liam arrived as Steffy was flashing back on receiving the annulment papers and getting Bill's ultimatum. Steffy said she'd made a decision. She hadn't believed it would get to that, and she'd fought for the family. Liam asked what had changed her mind. She replied that she'd been forced to see things differently after what had happened to Bill.
Liam watched as Steffy sat down and signed the annulment papers. She told him that he was free at that point -- if it was what he wanted. He could accept the papers or not, but she wouldn't stop loving him. Liam asked what had convinced her to do it.
Steffy said that one had to make sacrifices for the people one loved. She didn't want an annulment, but after all that had happened, she felt that she had no choice but to let Liam go. Liam didn't want Steffy atoning or stressing out and asked if it was really what she wanted.
Steffy said it was something she needed to do. She'd been hoping Liam would find forgiveness, but it was too much for Liam to bear. She didn't want to force an annulment on him, and she'd rather him forgive her than take the papers. She stated that the papers were there, and he could be with Hope or do whatever he wanted to do. Handing him the papers, she said the future and their family were all up to him.
At Forrester, Katie arrived in the CEO office and found Brooke working. Katie wanted to let her sister know that she and Wyatt were no longer engaged. Brooke asked what had happened, and Katie explained the deal that Bill had made with Wyatt about giving Wyatt the company in a few years if he didn't marry Katie.
Brooke assumed the custody battle would go away. Katie assumed so, too. Brooke was sad about it, but she said it might be for the best. Katie agreed that her and Wyatt's decision was best for everyone, and the sisters hugged.
Katie turned the subject to Steffy and Liam. Brooke said their separation was challenging for Ridge, but Brooke was there for him. Katie assumed it had to be tough due to the feelings Hope had to still have for Liam, and Katie asked how Steffy was dealing with it.
Brooke confirmed that Hope still had feelings, but Hope would have kept them locked away if Bill and Steffy hadn't done what they'd done. Brooke said Hope was convinced that Liam would suffer as long as Steffy was in Liam's life. Katie doubted Steffy would give up without a fight.
Later, Brooke had taken some work home. She was going through it in her living room when Hope arrived. Brooke noted that Hope hadn't been at the office, and Hope said she'd been with Liam at his hotel. "Hope..." Brooke mindfully said. Hope stated that they'd just been talking.
Brooke assumed it had been about Liam's marriage, which Hope no longer supported, and Brooke said Hope hadn't revealed what had changed. Hope replied that Liam had changed, and Brooke asked if Hope was taking advantage. Hope asked if Brooke meant taking advantage of a marriage that had caused Liam pain and suffering.
Hope planned to support Liam. She said that between her and Brooke, Hope thought it was time for the marriage to end. Hope thought it could be ending at that moment because Steffy had asked Liam to stop by to get the annulment papers.
Brooke asked if Hope thought Steffy would really sign the papers. Hope replied that it was what they were hoping for. "'We?'" Brooke repeated. Hope corrected that she hoped it for Liam's sake. Brooke stated that Liam had a baby on the way. Hope believed he'd be a good father but deserved better than what Steffy and Bill had put him through.
Brooke assumed Hope meant that she was the "better" that Liam deserved. Hope replied that she did love Liam. Brooke assumed that Hope meant as a friend, but Hope responded that it was more. Brooke wanted to know how much more, and Hope said she and Liam might have kissed a few times. "Hope!" Brooke exclaimed.
Hope swore she wasn't a homewrecker and said Steffy had wrecked it herself. Hope assumed that it would put Brooke in a tough spot with Ridge. Brooke said she wasn't worried about Ridge; she was worried about Hope. Wanting to get real, Hope asked how a man could get over his wife sleeping with his own father. Brooke said Liam was the most forgiving man she knew.
Hope asked if Liam could really be that forgiving. She wanted to help him process it all to get through it. Brooke was sure Steffy did, too. Hope thought Liam needed to make a clean break, and she said he deserved a life with goodness, loyalty, and love. It could begin that day with the signing of the papers.
