1987 (#10) - The friendship with Brooke and Caroline's second thoughts

At the hospital, Caroline is struggling more with her own torments of the soul than with her physical condition. Under the watchful eye of Dr. Charles Barnes, who reassures her that her fainting spell was only caused by the emotional stress she was under, Caroline soon befriends the young intern Brooke, who is impressed and touched by Caroline's story. Once discharged from the hospital, a regenerated Caroline is ready to take over her life and turn the page forever. Disillusioned and disenchanted not only with Ridge but also with her father Bill, by whom she feels oppressed, Caroline decides to become an independent woman and, wanting to disconnect from everything and everyone, to move into an apartment to live alone. Bill, while not understanding his daughter's choice, does not oppose the decision even though he never really manages to stop controlling her and stop his excessive protection. Kristen, who has always been Caroline's confidante and is very bitter about the way things went, does not fail to make her friend feel her closeness by visiting her from time to time and keeping her company. And it is precisely by exploiting the fact that her sister knows the address where Caroline lives that a repentant but never giving up Ridge manages to find Caroline. Desperate for an explanation, Ridge confesses to Caroline that he loves her and desires a second chance, despite the fact that a distraught Caroline asks the man some time to process everything; it is clear that Caroline is more confused than ever, torn between her heart, which urges her to let go into Ridge's arms and return with him, and her mind, which prevents her from forgetting all the pain he has caused her and which leads her not to trust him. However, Caroline is not the only one who has been trapped by Ridge's charm; in fact, Brooke, who has had the opportunity to see for the first time the man who has turned her friend Caroline's life upside down, remains fascinated and speechless before Ridge's beauty and soul. This scene is repeated on the occasion of their first real meeting, when Brooke replaces Beth, who doesn't want to be noticed during the catering service at the Forrester villa for Eric's birthday.