In Liam's office, Steffy entered in time to hear Liam's phone call with Hope. Unaware of Steffy's presence, Liam made plans to visit Marcus with Hope that evening. Liam ended the call and sighed upon seeing Steffy in the doorway. Steffy guessed that things were going well with him and Hope, and he replied that he and Hope were happier than ever.

Steffy frowned, and Liam said he hadn't meant to hurt her. She guessed she'd been wrong about the vibe she'd picked up before, which had indicated problems for the couple. Liam advised Steffy not to buy Bill's ideas about Hope. Steffy was glad they were happy because she hadn't wanted to leave town knowing that Hope wasn't taking care of Liam. Steffy indicated that she was going to Aspen, so Liam didn't have to worry about her being in his way anymore.

Liam didn't see why Steffy had to leave, but Steffy said that Hope and Liam needed to be alone to discover how they really felt about each other. Liam didn't want Steffy to go, because she was his best friend. Steffy corrected that she was his wife, whose heart broke each time she saw him. Liam thought it'd be hard for her in Aspen, but she said she'd be where they'd begun their life together.

Steffy imagined going to the mountain, where Liam -- or some hot guy -- would sweep her off her feet. Liam said he wanted some guy to sweep her off her feet, but it would mean that she'd never return. Steffy assured him that she would return, and when that time arrived, he would have found his senses about Hope. Steffy gave him a soft kiss and walked out.

Later, Bill arrived in Liam's office. Noticing that his son was upset, Bill figured that there had been another bad night with Hope. Liam insisted that things were passionate with Hope, so Bill guessed Liam was upset because Steffy was leaving town. Liam tried to explain that he was with Hope, but Bill insisted that Liam still loved Steffy. Bill urged his son to hold on to the marriage.

At Brooke's house, Brooke arrived to find Hope there. Brooke asked about Hope's previous night with Liam, and Hope explained that it had been tense until she'd taken one of Dr. Barton's pills. Hope hadn't told Liam about the pills, and she was still leery about them, though they'd worked. Brooke reasoned that Hope would only use them for anxiety. Hope hated to have to take them at all, but she said they'd enabled her to be with Liam the way that she was supposed to be.

Hope thought she was weird for not being able to enjoy her happiness. Brooke figured that the therapist, and Steffy's hiatus to Aspen, would help Hope. As Brooke answered the front door, she said she was happy that Steffy was starting to realize it was over with Liam. On the threshold, Taylor said that Hope and Brooke could at least pretend not to be so happy about Steffy's trip.

Taylor was proud of Steffy's maturity in taking time away, but Hope thought it was ironic that Steffy was returning to the place where she'd tricked Liam. Taylor said Steffy's father-in-law owned a retreat in Aspen, so it wasn't ironic at all. Hope decided to go to work, but before leaving, she said she hoped Steffy benefited from the trip and would gain a new outlook.

Hope left, and Brooke said that getting out of town could be the best thing for Steffy. Taylor insisted that Liam loved Steffy, and the divorce would be harder on him than Brooke would admit.

Later, Hope arrived in Steffy's office and asked when the Aspen flight was. Steffy replied that it was in a couple of hours. Hope advised Steffy to check out the view from the Aspen gondolas. Steffy thought her trip would be good for her, and Hope agreed. Steffy said not to pretend to understand, because Hope had never had a marital bond. Hope told Steffy that she could hold on to the "wife" label, though it didn't mean anything. Steffy quipped that it meant she wasn't the one committing adultery.

Hope said the adultery had bothered her at first, but she wouldn't let it anymore, because it had taken too much for her and Liam to be together. Hope claimed that Steffy's power over the situation was gone, and Hope wasn't committing adultery, because the marriage was over. Hope figured there never would have been a marriage if Steffy had let Liam see Hope in Aspen.

Hope asserted that Steffy could hold out for the divorce, but the minute it was final, Hope and Liam would be married. Steffy insisted that Liam's feelings could change, but Hope warned that Steffy was prolonging her own pain. Hope claimed she and Liam had started their lives together, but Steffy repeated that it was adultery. Hope said she understood that Steffy didn't like Hope living with Steffy's husband, but after all that Steffy had put Hope through, Hope would hardly call that marriage sacred.

Hope snatched her purse off the desk, and its contents spilled to the floor. The pills bottle rolled out, but she quickly collected it. Steffy chuckled that the incident had made Hope totally unintimidating. Hope suddenly raged like a lioness as she demanded that Steffy just get out of there and go to Aspen, where she could grandstand all she wanted to about her failed marriage.

Steffy left, and Hope took deep breaths to calm down. She thoughtfully glanced down at the pill bottle in her hand.

At Spencer, Bill told Liam that Steffy had arrived safely in Aspen. Liam asked if she was all right. Bill warned that he knew Liam would want Steffy back in his life. Liam said that he was in love with Hope, and Bill needed to accept it.

Katie entered and wondered if things had gone wrong on Liam and Hope's first night together. Liam admitted that the first night had not gone well, but he and Hope had connected the next evening, and everything was fine. Bill brought up Steffy again, and Liam advised Bill to stop pushing Steffy on him. Bill suggested that Liam would miss Steffy because she was out of town for a while. Katie wondered where Steffy had gone. Bill admitted that Steffy was in Aspen.

Katie surmised that Steffy was staying in the Aspen house, and she was angry. Bill ignored her and warned that Hope had a lot of issues that might threaten her relationship with Liam.

In a counseling session at Dr. Barton's, Hope told the doctor that she had wanted to lose herself in Liam's arms the second night they were together, but she'd heard Steffy's haunting words about adultery again. Hope said that the antianxiety pill helped her relax and enjoy her time with Liam. Hope thanked the doctor. Hope told the doctor that Steffy had left town. Hope admitted that she was elated and felt that a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

Dr. Barton pointed out that she felt Hope's issues with intimacy had more to do with Brooke than with Steffy. Hope said that she did not blame her mother for her issues. Hope shared that Brooke's role as a sex symbol was always part of her life as a young girl. Hope lamented that her guy friends in high school had had pictures of a half-naked Brooke pasted in their lockers.

Dr. Barton asked Hope about the other men in her life, specifically other boyfriends. Hope discussed Oliver, and she said that she and Oliver had been in love until Hope's graduation party. Hope flashed back to the night of her party. Hope started to hyperventilate.

Hope calmed down and discussed the great ideas behind the graduation party where everyone had dressed up in the same costumes and masks with a live band. Hope talked about the sexual encounter that Oliver had had with Brooke and how it had ended her relationship with Oliver. The doctor acknowledged that it had to be horrible.

Hope was mortified that Oliver could have mistaken Brooke for Hope and how he could have ever thought that Hope would want her first time to be outside at a party on a terrace against a wall. Dr. Barton asked what had happened. Hope said that she had gotten over it and forgiven everyone. She added that the experience had led her to Liam.

Hope added that she had also gotten over the experience with the photographer who had attacked her. Hope said that she wanted to live a normal happy life. Hope said that she was recovered and just wanted to marry Liam. Liam called, but Hope did not answer.

Conversation turned to the topic that Liam did not know that Hope was in therapy. He also did not know that she was taking medication. Dr. Barton confided that Hope's lack of relationships with men, including her father, could be at the root of her problems. Hope argued that it did not bother her that Deacon had never been a part of her life. Hope talked to Liam on her notebook and told him she would meet him soon.

At Forrester, Ridge and Brooke kissed, and then they discussed Steffy's trip to Aspen. Ridge admitted that he did not believe that Steffy and Liam were over. Brooke told him that Hope and Liam were very happy together and Steffy needed to get over Liam.

Stephanie and Eric interrupted, and Eric announced that he and Stephanie had remarried. Ridge and Eric left, and Brooke hugged Stephanie. Brooke told Stephanie that she and Ridge had been planning an anniversary party for Eric and Stephanie. Stephanie teased Brooke about sucking up.

Brooke congratulated Stephanie on all that Stephanie and Eric had accomplished. Stephanie agreed to the party as long as Brooke didn't cook. They hugged and laughed.

At Spencer, Hope and Liam kissed, and they wondered what Marcus had to announce at Dayzee's. Liam guessed that Marcus was headed back to Forrester International. Hope said that she would have heard something.

Hope advised Liam that they had to keep their relationship under wraps in public. She teased that they could make out behind doors, but needed to keep their distance in public. She worried that her fans would be very upset if they discovered that she had changed her mind about intimacy. She was especially worried about Liam technically still being married to Steffy.

At Forrester, Katie asked Brooke about Hope. Katie said she was convinced that something was wrong. Brooke and Katie discussed that Hope had had issues her first time with Liam. Brooke said that she had taken Hope to see a therapist, and everything was fine. Katie admitted that she had spoken to Hope earlier about getting together with Liam. Katie said she wished that she had never said anything.

Katie worried about Bill's interference in Liam's relationship, but Brooke said Hope's fears had far more to do with Brooke's role as a sex symbol. Brooke also mentioned the photographer who had attacked Hope, and Brooke's hookup with Oliver. Brooke said that Hope's conception was also an issue. Katie worried that Hope needed to take her time both in therapy and in her relationship with Liam.

Katie said that Hope should have waited to move in with Liam. Brooke disagreed. Brooke said that Liam and Hope should not have been forced to keep their lives on hold because Steffy had refused to give Liam an annulment. Brooke also told Katie about the antianxiety medication.

Katie worried that Hope was keeping a lot of secrets from Liam about the therapy and pills. Brooke made excuses and said that Hope would tell Liam when she was ready. Brooke warned Katie that no one wanted Bill or Steffy to find out.

At Dayzee's, Anthony, Dayzee, and the staff congratulated Stephanie on her marriage to Eric. They all thanked Stephanie for everything she had done for them. Dayzee also thanked Stephanie for introducing her to Marcus.

Marcus showed up, and he and Stephanie teased one another. Hope arrived. Hope said that Liam would show up separately. Hope explained that they were trying to be discreet. Stephanie made a snide remark about Hope being seen with a married man. Liam arrived, and Stephanie told him that his wife's plane had landed safely in Aspen. Liam and Hope were clearly embarrassed.

A fan of Hope's, Maggie, was seated at another table with her mother. They noticed that Liam and Hope were together. They wondered where Steffy was. The mom said that she knew Hope and Liam had been back and forth in their relationship, but she thought Liam was still married to Steffy.

Marcus explained that he had invited everyone to meet him because he wanted to share some news. He told everyone how important Dayzee was to him. He teased that before she happened along, he had been busy dating model after model after model. He became serious and said that he had gone shopping and found Rosie some cute clothes. He pulled out a bib that referenced a step-mommy, and it hinted at what he was going to say next.

Marcus presented a ring box and told everyone how much he loved Dayzee. He got down on one knee and emotionally proposed to Dayzee. Everyone clapped. Dayzee was clearly surprised, and grew teary eyed. She shared how much her life had changed in the time since she had met Stephanie. Dayzee added how honored she would be to marry Marcus. They kissed, and Hope and Liam, without thinking, kissed too.

At the other table, Maggie and her mom were shocked. Maggie took a photo with her phone. Maggie's mother confronted Hope. Maggie's mom told Hope that her daughter and her friends had looked up to Hope as a role model. She wondered if Steffy and Liam had divorced. Hope and Liam stuttered that the divorce was not yet final.

Maggie's mother called Hope a fraud and a hypocrite. She wondered what had happened to the Hope Logan who had professed that she was part of a better generation that exercised restraint. Liam interrupted, but the woman chastised him for being a married man with a wife. She reminded Hope that she was committing adultery.

Hope cried, and Marcus told the woman that it was time for her to leave. Hope ran away from the table in tears. The woman's voice kept replaying in Hope's head that Hope was committing adultery, being a fraud and a hypocrite. Hope quickly swallowed one of her antianxiety pills.

At Dayzee's café, the workers expressed happiness for Dayzee and Marcus, and then the couple closed the café and went home. While relaxing on the sofa, Dayzee and Marcus discussed the incident with Hope that had occurred during the engagement. Dayzee felt sorry for Hope, whose life was being held up by Steffy. Marcus, however, said he understood the fans' feelings of betrayal.

Dayzee felt the obvious love between Hope and Liam, but Marcus doubted that the couple would make it. He said Liam and Steffy were still close, and Steffy really loved her husband. Marcus thought it was wrong to expect Steffy to annul her marriage as if she and Liam hadn't loved each other.

Changing the subject, Marcus said Rosey had picked out Dayzee's ring, and he and his daughter were a package deal. Dayzee claimed the baby was half the reason she'd agreed to marriage. Marcus dreamed that they'd have more kids, and the couple rejoiced to have the lives they'd dreamed of.

At the cliff house, Liam and Hope arrived. As the giggling Hope removed her heels, she joked that she could have used them to defend herself from the disgruntled mother at the coffee house earlier. Liam was sorry for thoughtlessly kissing Hope, but she reasoned that they'd just gotten swept away in the moment. With a kiss, she reminded him that they could do whatever they wanted in private.

Hope couldn't blame her fans for being upset at her for kissing a married man in public. She was sorry for their disappointment, but she'd realized that she had to live her life. Liam was amazed at how well Hope was taking it. Hope admitted that she'd flipped out a bit at first. In her mind, she recalled frantically downing a pill, and she cryptically stated that she'd gotten over it.

In Ridge's office, Stephanie arrived as Ridge worked. She was looking for Brooke, and Ridge guessed his mother was worried about his wife's party-planning. Stephanie asserted that Brooke was not allowed to cook, and Ridge conceded that none of Brooke's many talents involved an oven.

Stephanie announced Marcus and Dayzee's engagement. Brooke arrived as Stephanie explained that Hope had been accused of adultery and fraud when a mother and daughter had seen Liam and Hope kissing in public. Brooke felt that no one deserved such a public rebuke, but Stephanie quipped that Steffy was the real victim.

Brooke called Hope to talk about the incident, but Hope took a cavalier attitude about it. Hope figured that she had to learn to deal with those who wouldn't agree with her choices. Stephanie got on the phone with Hope to ensure that Hope was really okay. Hope insisted that she was fine, and no one needed to worry about her.

Stephanie ended the call, but seemed skeptical. She revealed that the scene at the coffeehouse had been ugly. She found it strange that Hope was so carefree after being on the verge of a panic attack an hour earlier. Brooke wasn't certain that Hope's outlook was cause for alarm, but Stephanie warned Brooke and Ridge to keep an eye on their daughter.

Brooke reasoned that Hope had learned to maturely handle things, but Ridge was worried that Hope didn't understand how her actions would affect the company. Stephanie was sure that Hope's campaign had been over the top, and it would return to bite them. Brooke defended Hope, but Stephanie mirthlessly laughed, citing the obvious hypocrisy of Hope's predicament. Stephanie asserted that the company couldn't ignore it, and neither could Hope.

Back at the cliff house, Liam was still shocked that Hope seemed unfazed by the events at Dayzee's earlier. Hope thanked Liam for sweetly defending her. Becoming lightheaded, she slightly stumbled. Hope insisted she wouldn't let "people like her" ruin what she and Liam had. Hope raved about living with him, because she never had to leave her husband-to-be, who was the most gorgeous man in the world. Liam jokingly asked if she were really okay.

Hope beamed that she was glad to be a role model, but she had responsibilities to herself and to Liam. She insisted that being with Liam was right, and living together wasn't shameful. She urged him to forget about the whole world and just be in love. Hope kissed Liam, and he grinned.

Hope wondered where her phone was. She thought she'd left it in the car, but Liam handed it to her and said she'd just been on a call with Brooke and Stephanie. Hope shrugged it off and expressed her elation at being with Liam, who was baking her some brownies. She complained that she'd always been such a worry-wart, but Liam replied that he'd fallen in love with that worrisome person.

Liam found Hope's new ability to cope amazing. He asked what her secret was. Hope thought of the pills she'd taken, but she responded that it was her magnificent love for him. She burst into incessant giggles, but managed to say that she'd never been so happy in her entire life.

In Liam's office, Liam was surprised when Bill "humbly bowed" to Liam's technological expertise. Alison entered with a tabloid magazine on a computer tablet. The magazine cover featured a disturbing front-page photo of Liam and Hope kissing. Liam grimaced, angry about what it would do to Hope.

Bill understood why the tabloids had jumped on Hope, who'd put herself on a worldwide pedestal to preach about sex. Bill figured that Hope had gained a lot of fans, but people loved to tear down their idols. Liam found it creepy to be so visible in the media, but Bill figured Liam and Hope would be the big story until another one mercifully happened along.

Bill wished his empire had broken the story first, but since he owned a large chunk of media outlets, he offered to remake the story from Hope and Liam's viewpoint. Liam wasn't sure about it, but Bill said they had to move fast.

In Ridge's office, Brooke hoped her daughter had stood up to the berating she'd received the other day. Hope felt there hadn't been any rebuttal for kissing a "technically married" man in public. Hope wished that the confrontation hadn't happened, but she refused to let anyone else's opinions cloud her happiness. Brooke was proud of Hope for grabbing her happiness and urged her to enjoy it.

Just then, the disgruntled Ridge arrived with a computer tablet in hand. On it, he'd pulled up a tabloid with Liam and Hope splashed on the cover. To the mortified Hope, Ridge read aloud from the article, which branded her a hypocrite for playing "tonsil tag" with a married man. Ridge said it was a public relations nightmare, and she had to move out of Liam's house immediately.

Brooke saw no reason for Hope to upend her life, but Ridge asserted that the other alternative was to throw Hope's collection on a trash fire. Brooke tried to defend her daughter, but Ridge said Hope and Liam should have thought things through before making out in public. Ridge refused to deal with the train wreck he predicted for the company if Hope continued to live with the married Liam.

Hope contended that Steffy's marriage was over, but Ridge said that neither the law nor the public saw it that way. .Brooke asked when Hope was supposed to consider her own happiness. Ridge answered that she'd wait until the divorce was final. Ridge asked how Hope planned to counteract the bad publicity, but he didn't know what she could possibly say while "shacking up with a married man."

Ridge wondered what Hope had been thinking to let such a thing happen, but a squirming Hope whined that it was the first time she actually hadn't been thinking. Brooke felt that Hope didn't have to apologize to anyone, but Ridge said Hope's public beliefs were tied to the company's profits. Brooke figured that problem would simply go away if Steffy would just comply with the annulment.

Ridge insisted that Steffy had a right to insist on a divorce, but Brooke seethed that it was a stalling tactic. Hope claimed to understand Ridge's viewpoint, and he hoped her acknowledgement meant that she'd move back home before her cliff house address became public knowledge. Hope suggested they work on damage control, because she refused to move away from Liam.

Just then, the apologetic Liam arrived. Ridge didn't want apologies; he wanted solutions. Brooke mentioned Ridge's insistence that Hope relocate, and Liam was glad to hear that Hope had refused to do so. Liam was confident that they could devise a plan that wouldn't require drastic measures, but Ridge wondered if Liam had given any thought to his wife's feelings. Liam cared about Steffy; however, he said he'd made a decision, and everyone needed to deal with his choice.

Liam asked to speak to Hope alone, and Brooke and Ridge exited. Liam tried to reassure the anxious Hope, but Madison entered to get a statement for the clamoring press. Liam said they weren't ready, but after Madison left, he figured that he and Hope really did have to face it. Hope offered to do a press conference, but Liam suggested Bill's idea of letting Spencer Publications handle the story.

The frazzled and angry Hope couldn't believe it was happening just because they'd let their guards down for two seconds. Liam assured her that nothing would get between them. Hope revealed that Ridge was furious at her. Liam corrected that Ridge was furious at the situation, but Hope replied that she was "the situation."

Hope felt she shouldn't have put her principles at the center of the campaign. She stated that she'd been selling a message that she hadn't lived up to, and it was no wonder people were calling her a fraud. Liam considered their lives none of anyone else's business, and he said she'd agreed with that sentiment the previous night. Hope recalled that she hadn't been an international hypocrite the previous night. Liam assured her that their strategy from the previous night was the best one, and he asserted that they'd ride the storm as long as they remained strong, together, and committed.

In Aspen, Steffy sat in a window seat at Bill's retreat and mourned her relationship with Liam. She received a text message that requested that she check out a link. When she clicked the link, a photograph of a tabloid featuring Liam and Hope's public kiss appeared on her phone screen. Steffy bitterly tossed the phone aside, but then picked it up to tearfully examine the photo.

Later, Bill called her to see how things were going. He asked if she'd gotten the link he'd sent her, and she said it had been like reviewing a bad traffic accident. She wondered why he thought she wanted to know that Hope and Liam were openly disrespecting her marriage. Bill imagined that it was a trying situation for all involved; however, he said it was also an opportunity. He asserted that Hope and Liam were under siege, but Hope wasn't going to hold up. Bill instructed Steffy not to give up, and he said he'd keep her posted.