1989 (#20) - The attraction to Mick and the marital crisis between Clarke and Kristen

As often happens, Sally was not wrong about Mick. The man in fact, in head only Kristen; and its frequentations before with Donna then with Macy other they did not represent and they were that a diversion and, to the maximum, a way in order to make Kristen jealous. The occasion for Mick to get closer to Kristen comes when the man proposes to the woman to pose for some shots for a photo shoot that is realizing, this proposal that allows Mick to spend a lot of time with the woman. And despite the fact that the woman reiterates several times that she is a married woman and has no ulterior motive, it is evident that Mick has an attractive power towards the woman, with whom he is always ready to bring to light episodes and unforgettable memories of their previous life in New York. Kristen herself, meanwhile, lives a very critical phase of her marriage, feeling that her relationship with Clarke is now off and drags forward only by inertia. And the signs of this come from the very front she had hoped would be over: Margot. In spite of her marriage to Bill, the relationship between Margot and Clarke continues to worry Kristen, who is forced to admit to herself that the thread that binds the two, the presence of their son Mark, is indissoluble. And she realizes this when Barry Holden, Bill's lawyer, barges into Clarke's office announcing Bill's desire to adopt Mark. Clarke firmly opposes the request and refuses to sign the papers prepared by the man, reiterating to Margot his desire to want to raise his son, whether Bill likes it or not. Tensions in the marriage between Kristen and Clarke then grow when Margot shows an irritated Clarke the shots of Kristen taken by Mick. Determined to set the record straight with the man, Clarke appears in his photo studio just as Mick and Kristen embrace for a symbolic farewell since Mick has understood and accepted the woman's decision to resume their affair. Clarke's reaction, as is easily predictable, is not at all calm and poised as the two of them beat each other up without much qualms in front of the woman's shocked eyes. The brawl results in Mick's dismissal from Spectra, but it doesn't solve the problem at all since Eric decides to hire the man at Forrester, where he can be even more in touch with his daughter. Determined to keep her distance, Kristen goes to Mick to ask him to give up his job, but in response the man kisses her passionately, showing that he still has a strong hold on her. At this point, it is increasingly evident that the marriage between Clarke and Kristen, even by their own admission, has reached the end of the line and would not survive long.

1989 (#13) - Macy's return, flirtation with Mick and Donna's job at Spectra

Before Clarke could realize that he would pose a serious threat to his marriage, the man had hired photographer Mick at Spectra. Convinced of his important artistic talents, capable of transforming a simple model into a cover dress, Clarke was enthusiastic about Mick until the day he discovered, obviously at the hands of Margot, that there had been an intense affair between him and his wife in the past. Determined to get rid of him immediately and fire him, it's Sally who blocks Clarke, placing her veto and urging the man not to mix work with his private affairs, recognizing Mick's objective value with the camera. Ironically, it is soon Sally herself who regrets her choice, as soon as the charming photographer sets his eyes on her beautiful daughter. Just returned from college, finished with a diploma with honors, Macy Alexander is overjoyed to be able to re-embrace her mother Sally. There has always been a very deep, sincere and frank relationship between the two; something that is immediately apparent when an irritated Macy, disappointed to find her mother more and more involved in her work, holds against her the fact that she has spent most of her life managing Spectra Fashion, without great results, to the detriment of her daughter, who grew up in a tailor's office rather than among the games as would be normal to expect. But even though Sally has often neglected her, Macy is perfectly aware that her mother has only done this to guarantee her a better life, especially after Adam's abandonment. And it is for this reason that she accepts her mother's proposal to unite her efforts and officially get on the boat with her at the helm of Spectra. The only condition set by Macy is that she must hire her friend Donna as a model, as she has been left without a job after being fired from Spencer; a request that Sally gladly accepts, immediately noticing the girl's qualities on the catwalk. What Macy can't suspect, however, is that she soon begins to feel a sense of jealousy towards the girl, who is certainly much more extroverted and uninhibited than she is, which allows her to make Mick feel much more at ease than she does, even though she immediately takes a liking to the photographer. Thus begins a sort of competition between Macy and Donna to attract the attention of Mick, who between the two, however, seems to prefer the sweetness and genuineness of Macy.

1989 (#12) - The marriage between Bill and Margot

Despite the fact that Mick's return seems to have put a damper on Kristen and Margot's marriage, Margot's expectations are not being realized exactly as she had hoped. In fact, although Mick and Kristen spend a lot of time together, Clarke doesn't seem jealous of the man at all, confident that his marriage is rock solid despite Margot's constant jibes. And although Clarke himself gets very close to Margot, happy that the man is beginning to be more and more a part of Mark's life and that he recognizes him as his son, the woman realizes that her future with Clarke is almost impossible. The man in fact, with whom Margot has the opportunity to confront at length during the hospitalization of little Mark due to a strong flu, makes the woman understand several times that he is very attached to the child but does not love her, which is why he can not imagine their future together. And whether it's a real lack of feelings, or a simple personal interest in wanting to remain tied to a Forrester, it makes little difference to Margot: Clarke must be forgotten once and for all. Finding herself melancholically alone and with a son to raise, Margot finds the only shoulder to cry on and vent her disappointments in Bill, who is also back from the bitter experience with Donna. Bill and Margot find themselves dating again and enjoying each other's company, but nothing makes Margot suspect what Bill has in mind. The proposal, therefore, arrives completely unexpected, and in front of a beautiful engagement ring, Margot can not say no. The news of the impending marriage leaves everyone speechless, but the only one who doesn't seem to be happy is Caroline, who is convinced that this idea is just her father's madness. After Caroline decides to move back in with her father, mainly to keep Margot under control, Bill and Caroline have a long discussion about the pros and cons of such a drastic decision, which obviously includes the consequence of taking on the responsibilities and commitments that come with taking care of a child; but in the end Bill manages to convince Caroline that there is a true and sincere feeling between him and Margot, which is the only thing that matters. And at her mother Marion's grave, on which Caroline spends much of her time to find comfort and advice, the girl admits her fear that Bill may have forgotten her and that Margot only wants to use him; but in the end she also finds the strength and confidence to welcome Margot into their family. To tell the truth, Margot hopes until the last moment that Clarke will intervene to stop the wedding, but this does not happen. And in the beautiful setting of an outdoor chapel overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Margot and Bill exchange their wedding vows, declaring their love for each other.

1989 (#9) - Margot's sights on Clark and the rapprochement between Mick and Kristen

Determined to leave no stone unturned to try to get Clarke's attention and love, for her sake and especially that of their son Mark, whom Clarke with difficulty and not without embarrassment recognizes, Margot tries in every way to put his marriage to Kristen in crisis. And digging into the woman's past, especially in the part of her life spent in New York, she finds the probable key that can solve all her problems. Looking through the Columbia University yearbook, in fact, Margot finds the traces of a possible ex-boyfriend of Kristen, Russell Tanner; and assisted by his great friend Bill, Margot discovers that Kristen in New York had an intense love affair. Intent on bringing to light the past of the woman to put in crisis her marriage, Margot then goes to the Big Apple in search of Russell, but that disappoints the expectations of Kristen revealing to have been a great friend of Kristen but not to have had any flirtation with her, unlike his former roommate, a photographer named Mick Savage. Intent on tracking the man down in every way and bringing him back into Kristen's life, Margot pays a visit to Kristen's former roommate, Bonnie Blaisdale, who confirms the whirlwind romance between Kristen and the elusive Mick. After a few twists and turns, Bill and Margot eventually track down Mick, and the woman makes him believe she's a writer intent on writing a biography on Kristen. And although Mick insists that nothing serious has happened between him and Kristen, the boy agrees to fly to Los Angeles, thanks to Bill's persuasive methods. In the meantime, Clarke, increasingly nervous and unable to keep his agreement with Sally hidden, reveals to Kristen all the background of the negotiations with Spectra and the fact that he is the mysterious Beau Rivage, emphasizing the fact that he acted in good faith and did not harm the Forrester refusing to steal their models. Kristen, however, while not compromising the position of the man and keeping these confidences for herself, shows more and more impatient by the lies of Clarke and tired of his petty and disrespectful behavior towards him, inviting him for this and the following nights to sleep on the couch. Finding herself alone and bitter to reflect on her marriage in front of a glass of tequila, Kristen is surprised to see and recognize Mick at the counter of the same room, intent on talking with a colleague. Showing as much surprise as she does at this chance encounter, Mick avoids telling Kristen the details of his visit to Los Angeles and his supposed biography that Margot is writing; rather, the topic quickly devolves to their happy times together in New York and the depressing current state of Kristen's marriage. The girl, who has always been a strongly independent woman with a rebellious soul, admits to finding herself in a situation that is not congenial to her, imprisoned in a relationship and a life that she does not feel is her own. Between the two, it is clear, there has been in the past a great attention that has never dissolved completely, just what Margot hoped, overjoyed that her plan is working to perfection.

1989 (#2) - Clarke's efforts and agreement with Sally on Forrester Originals models

When an excited Kristen tells Ridge about the dream home Clarke was purchasing for them, a skeptical Ridge appears very dubious about the man's plans. And indeed, Ridge's suspicions turn to reality when Kristen herself learns from the builders of their supposed home that they don't even know who Clarke is. Enraged and still reeling from realizing how Clarke lied to her, Kristen lashes out at her friend Margot, who expresses much empathy for the woman while being careful not to let her relationship with Clarke leak out. In the meantime, Clarke himself, increasingly pressured by Margot's demands for money and stressed by the fact that he must resolve the matter as soon as possible, turns to his old boss, Sally Spectra, to ask for a loan. Sally, owner of Spectra Fashion, a fashion house that has always been a rival of Forrester's, against which it has always struggled in terms of turnover and visibility, has agreed to lend Clarke the money to pay Margot, but on one condition: in exchange, Clarke must secretly turn over to her the designs of six Forrester Originals models in order to resell them as her own. But Clarke's efforts, forced to accept the deal and jeopardize his job at Forrester Creations, soon prove futile when a disappointed and enraged Kristen throws the truth in Clarke's face, that the purchase of their home is a complete lie. At this point Clarke, tired of lying, having no other choice confesses to Kristen the whole truth about his night with Margot and his paternity of Mark. Upset and shocked by the words of her husband, Kristen is furious with him throwing all kinds of insults. However later, with a cool head, Kristen comes to the conclusion that she doesn't want to end her marriage to Clarke and give him a second chance, not before confronting what she considered to be her friend, Margot, and intimating her to get out of their lives. No longer in need of money, a relieved Clarke meanwhile returns to Sally to inform her that the deal is off; however, the woman is not of the same opinion at all, showing Clarke a videotape with the recording of their agreement ready to be sent to Eric. Panicked to be blackmailed again, this time by Sally, Clarke does everything he can to convince the woman that he'll commit himself to raising Spectra's image, even getting her to meet Stephanie; but it's all useless: Sally demands her designs and, if she doesn't, she'll make sure Clarke finds herself on the breadline. When Rocco catches Clarke snooping around Ridge's office on some of his sketches, the man realizes that he can't risk this way; and so, convinced of his possibilities, he decides to realize himself the models demanded by Sally, that once ready he immediately presented to the businesswoman. Sally's initial skepticism on the material viewed, passed off as some models designed by Eric himself, is soon disproved by Caroline, who declares herself pleasantly surprised by the new creative verve of Spectra, which thus earns a cover of the famous Eye on Fashion. This thrills Sally with happiness and makes Clarke breathe a big sigh of relief.

1988 (#18) - Mark's birth, Margot's blackmail and Clark's lies

Disappointed by Clarke's indifference and selfish behavior, who in order not to jeopardize his marriage and to keep his betrayal a secret reiterates to the woman that if he had told Kristen about the baby he would have been out of their lives and that of the unborn child forever, Margot doesn't rest and promises herself that she will do everything to guarantee her son the best life possible. Determined to defend and assert her rights and those of her son, Margot runs for cover by asking Storm for help and using his skills as a lawyer. The man, impressed by the woman's story, agrees not to underestimate the issue and is happy to learn that Margot wants to sue Clarke, having always disapproved of his questionable and duplicitous character. Soon, Storm and Margot send a letter with a formal request for $100,000 for child support, a request that immediately sends Clarke into a panic. An unsuspecting Kristen, who suspects absolutely nothing of what is happening, in the meantime begins to notice Margot's weight gain and speculates that the woman may be pregnant, a suspicion that is the same Margot to confirm, being very careful not to leak anything about who the father is. After making love to Kristen, meanwhile, a thoughtful but loving Clarke asks his wife to lend him $100,000. The woman, caught unawares, accepts without problems the strange request of her husband, settling for a vague justification relating to a possible surprise. On the other hand, the attention and curiosity of the woman is all projected towards Margot and her now mysterious pregnancy, certainly the most popular topic and on everyone's lips at Forrester. And it is the same Kristen, who believes that the father of the child is Storm, to show that she cares more than anyone else to her friend, offering support in this delicate moment and proposing to move to them to live in peace this important phase of his life. This is a decision that Clarke does not agree with at all, even though he has to accept the forced cohabitation with the woman who wants to ruin his life, to which in the meantime he makes a first transfer of 50,000 dollars. After months of waiting, Margot finally gives birth to her son, to whom she gives the name of Mark McLaine; this is a very intense and evocative moment for Kristen, who witnesses the birth of Mark and learns from Margot herself that she wants to give the child the surname of her family and not that of her ex-husband Robert, Linley, who she decided to continue to carry. Storm, who everyone thinks is the baby's father, is also very happy and excited about the birth; a role that Margot realizes would please the man very much. So Margot, in thanking Storm once again for all of his support and willingness to help, while reiterating that she doesn't have any feelings for him other than their strong friendship, asks him to be Mark's godfather, which Storm accepts with enthusiasm. Kristen, meanwhile, asks Clarke what he had done with the $100,000 he had loaned him and what surprise he had in store for her. Clarke then asks his wife to get in the car to go for a drive, and in front of a beautiful mansion under construction, he shamelessly lies to a dreamy Kristen that it would be their new home.

1988 (#14) - Margot's pregnancy and doubts about paternity

When Margot begins to feel frequent nausea and a general sense of fatigue, she dismisses it as simple work stress that precedes the weeks before each show. However, the woman, at the suggestion of her friend and colleague Trish Ferris, who urges her to take a pregnancy test, soon discovers, to her amazement and dismay, that she is expecting a baby. Bitterly, Margot is forced to admit to herself that she doesn't know who the father of the child is between Clarke and Storm; and in doubt she decides for now to keep the pregnancy in the dark, also because Clarke, freshly married to Kristen, is certainly not ready to hear such news. But on the very day in which Eric presents to the press his very elegant and magnificent wedding dress that he has decided to give to Kristen, who on this very occasion announces to the press that she has become Mrs. Garrison, Margot discovers that Clarke is the father of the child she is carrying. Informed by Margot of the news after the press conference of Forrester, Clarke is shocked by the words of his lover, and without thinking twice, dismisses the woman stating that he does not want to know anything about the unborn child, not want to be part of his life and, above all, want to ensure that Kristen will never know anything about this matter. Margot, deeply saddened and struck by Clarke's insensitivity, decides to run away in tears, finding herself crying without knowing where to turn or what to do. And the days that lie ahead are even more complicated for Margot, halfway between the joy of becoming a mother and not having a father to share everything with. Everything, as if that were not enough, is made even more unbearable by the first signs of growth of her belly, which does not go unnoticed by the eyes of Stephanie and especially Kristen, who begin to wonder who could be the father of the child. And unaware of how things really are, their suspicions, of course, all fall on Storm.

1988 (#11) - The wedding at Las Vegas with Kristen and the hiring of Clarke

Unaware of Clarke's affairs with Margot, Kristen is more in love than ever with the man and convinced that he is the man of her life. On the other hand, Clarke arouses in her an irresistible charm, capable of making her feel loved and important. And beyond his professional ambitions or innate weakness for women, which led him for years to live as a gigolo, it is undeniable that Clarke, in its own way, has genuine feelings for Kristen, the only woman who can really make him feel good and, in a sense, to make him straight. And so, when Kristen began to fantasize about their marriage, Clarke did not think twice and, letting guide his instincts, surprised Kristen proposing, immediately, to become his wife. Completely overwhelmed by the proposal, Kristen decided to follow her heart, accepting the proposal and embarking with Clarke on the first flight to Las Vegas, and here, in a ceremony as fast as sumptuous presided over by a justice of the peace with obvious hurry to return to satisfy his obvious addiction to gambling, Clarke and Kristen declare eternal love. And they do it away from everyone, with no one to see them except two witnesses accustomed for years to sign marriage agreements of all kinds, but Kristen and Clarke do not care, they are perfectly fine with that: for them the only thing that matters is to become the life of the other. A few days later, back in Los Angeles, Kristen and Clarke finally dropped the bombshell, announcing to the Forrester family, stunned as ever, that they had now become husband and wife. Horrified and embittered by this news is Stephanie, bitterly regretted to have thrown in the arms of Kristen a devious and manipulative man like Clarke, however, Eric does not think the same way, and although, does not hide his concerns about the choice to marry away from them all and without having planned things, it shows happy for his daughter and his future son-in-law. Future son-in-law who, immediately as a wedding gift the dream of a lifetime: a job at Forrester. Convinced by Kristen, as well as by his undoubted talent, Eric decides to offer Clarke the role of stylist at Forrester, also because of the need to make up for the absence of Ridge, still struggling with his rehabilitation following his injury. A choice, this, criticized by Stephanie and Ridge himself, who warns again the hated Clarke to be watched and not even try to make false steps and to make Kristen suffer.

1988 (#7) - Storm and Margot's relationship and night of love with Clark

Hoping to distance his sister from Clarke, who is considered an opportunistic man not to be trusted, Ridge organizes a pool party in honor of Krisren and her success at the fashion show, inviting many of his friends, who share the characteristic of being bachelors. Kristen, halfway between being amused by the idea and fed up with being told for months that the man she has fallen in love with would not be up to their expectations, tells her brother that she is now engaged to the only man who interests her, urging him to get over it and make his peace with it. But even though Ridge's plan may be a failure, it is also true that not everything has gone wrong, since this episode is the beginning of a deep friendship between Storm and Kristen, who appreciates Storm's company and soon becomes a close confidante. In the meantime, Storm himself, having put aside his relationship with Alex, is pushed more and more by his mother Beth to put aside the role of second father to his three sisters and to start thinking about creating his own family. And in this excellent situation, it is Eric, to whom Beth asks for help, who brings Storm together with his secretary Margot, also with the hope that she can finally overcome her feelings for him. Between Storm and Margot, in fact, a great understanding is born immediately, to the point that the two begin to date and become a steady couple. Surprised and excited by this beautiful news is obviously Kristen, very happy for her friend Storm that more than anyone deserves the joy of having a person next door with whom to share everything. And excited to see them together, Kristen immediately organizes a double date with the couple, unaware as well as Storm that already for some time Clarke and Margot are beginning to form a strong bond. At the dinner, as expected, is the awkwardness to reign, with Clarke and Margot who try in every way to hide the obvious feeling that there is between them to unaware Kristen and Storm, who do not notice anything. Margot, after all, seems the prototype of the perfect woman for a man like Clarke: mature, independent and determined, quite the opposite of the younger Kristen, who is only now coming out of her shell and is beginning to deal with the great challenges of life. Finding themselves unable to do without each other, and even more excited at the idea of having to absolutely keep their relationship hidden, Clarke and Margot soon end up spending a passionate night of love; night that however both propose to keep hidden being aware of the fact that their future is certainly not together.

1988 (#5) - Clarke's talent and success at Kristen's fashion show

Kristen is literally speechless when Clarke shows him some of his work. Impressed by the man's talent and talents, Kristen promises Clarke to show his models to her father; and fearing that his dislike of the man might distort his judgment, she passes them off as her own. And in fact, recognizing a truly remarkable style in those sketches, Eric is very impressed with the models and, proud of the fact that his daughter is the author, immediately promises her that he will make the dresses in time for the next fashion show. In the meantime, Eric himself becomes increasingly skeptical about Clarke, not hiding his fear that the man might hurt Kristen; a thought that unites him with Ridge and Stephanie herself, who begins to regret having pushed an opportunistic person like Clarke into her daughter's arms. But despite the skepticism that surrounds her, and the latent thought of being used by Clarke only in order to become the first designer of Forrester, Kristen continues to strenuously defend her man, claiming her choices the decision to stay with him. After all, even after the warning of Ridge, who warns him not to hurt his sister, is the same Clarke to reassure Kristen that his feelings are really genuine. Meanwhile, the long-awaited day of the Forrester Creations fashion show arrives. Kristen, who has let slip to Stephanie the fact that the real author of the dresses is Clarke, struggles to hide her nervousness, especially after the same Stephanie has not failed to warn Clarke not to reveal for no reason in the world nor to the press nor to Eric the truth about who designed the clothes. Nervousness that, backstage, also leaks out in the relationship between the two increasingly distant Eric and Stephanie as well as between Thorne and Caroline, at their first fashion show as married and with Caroline as press agent who does not fail to be teased by Ridge, who does not forget to remind her of her marriage proposal of a year before. Absolutely annoyed by this attitude is of course Thorne, who sides with his father even with regard to Ridge's proposal, with the latter showing his firm belief that selling their models even in a more commercial environment is an excellent marketing strategy and with Thorne who instead considers this move absurd since it would tarnish the image and the Forrester brand. Despite all these tensions, however, at the end of the show turns out to be as expected a great success, with Kristen acclaimed on stage with a radiant Eric and Clarke enjoying his private moment of glory hidden behind a curtain with Margot. Despite the fact that no one, if anyone, still recognizes his talent, Clarke is perfectly aware that it was only a matter of time before: he would soon reach his goal, that of becoming the most famous and sought-after fashion designer in the world.

1987 (#21) - Margot's complicated love life and involvement with Bill

After years of sleepless nights, emotional crises, and most of all, disappointments, Margot finally understands that it's time to stop living in hopes of seeing a dream come true that will never come true. Thousands and thousands of times she has imagined and daydreamed that Eric would notice her, understand her full and unconditional love, and realize how they were made for each other. But unfortunately for Margot, the only one who has long understood the situation is Stephanie's authoritarian wife, who has repeatedly urged Eric to fire his personal secretary, accused too many times of behaving like a fool and a businesswoman ready to take away the man of her life. But it wasn't the umpteenth scene of Stephanie that opened Margot's eyes; rather, the strong and bitter disappointment represented by the news that Eric was thinking of divorcing Stephanie, but not for her, but to be with Beth. Realizing that for Eric she will never be anything more than his personal secretary, Margot decides to vent all her anger and bitterness with her friend Bill. Bill first advises her to distract herself with Ridge and then, somewhat surprisingly, invites her to dinner. Between Bill and Margot, after all, the harmony has never been a problem and between the two, undoubtedly, there is a feeling. The spark doesn't take long to burst and, soon, the two find themselves in bed together. Mindful of the fact that Bill tried to take Thorne away from Forrester in order to get closer to Caroline, Margot decides not to inform Eric or any other member of the Forrester family of her relationship with Bill. When Bill offers her a job at Spencer Publications, Margot politely declines the offer, not feeling like quitting Forrester, a company that has given her so much and to which she feels very attached professionally. But despite this, the relationship between Bill and Margot becomes stronger and stronger, so much so that it transforms a simple friendship into a real relationship characterized by a great sexual understanding. However, both agree to let their relationship remain an open one, as they don't want to dive into something serious and challenging.

1987 (#17) - Bill's meddling and Margot's attempts to seduce Ridge

Concerned by Caroline's second thoughts and determined to make sure that his daughter doesn't repeat her mistakes by getting back with Ridge, Bill decides to exploit his confidence with Margot to convince her to seduce his former flame Ridge in order to get him away from Caroline for good. However, every attempt by the woman, who has now put aside her feelings for Eric, seem in vain; indeed, they only bring Caroline closer to Ridge, who even manages to snatch a kiss from her. And even an invitation from Ridge to accompany him to Switzerland for a series of business meetings, which leads both Bill and Margot to believe that they are on the verge of achieving their goals, turns out to be nothing more than a simple attempt by Ridge to make it clear that there can never be anything between them and to find out if this sudden interest of the woman's was genuine or was instead engineered by someone else to keep him away from Caroline. Realizing the failure of this move, and fearing that Ridge might suspect and discover his role in this attempt at seduction by Margot, Bill has no choice but to abort this plan of his, but swears to himself that he would never, ever allow Ridge to take his daughter away from him.

1987 (#5) - The crisis of Eric and Stephanie, the flirt with Margot, the meet up with Beth

The upcoming wedding between Ridge and Caroline is also an opportunity, after a long time, to reunite the Forrester family. Eric, in particular, is overjoyed to be able to re-embrace his daughter Kristen, who has returned from college especially for the unmissable and happy event. The situation that Kristen finds upon her return, however, is quite different from what she would have expected, since in recent times her parents, Eric and Stephanie, are going through a very difficult period in their marriage. After twenty-five years of indissoluble union, in fact, some misunderstandings begin to surface between the couple; misunderstandings born in particular with the hiring of the beautiful and charming Margot Linley as Eric's personal secretary. After a brief flirtation with Ridge, considered too immature and immature by the woman, Margot's attentions have now shifted for some time towards Eric, which has caused numerous tensions with Stephanie, to the point of making her take the difficult decision not to be present at the first fashion show of the season in which there would have been moreover the debut of Ridge; decision, this, very suffered by the woman but also well thought out and a symptom of a great fracture marriage in progress. And Eric's attitude, which has always minimized the problem despite Margot doing nothing to hide her attraction to the man, has only made the situation worse. When Margot finally decides to come out of the closet and profess her feelings, she is very disappointed by Eric's reluctance to indulge her fantasies; nevertheless, Eric himself refuses to comply with Stephanie's continuous requests to fire the woman, recognizing her professional value and her undoubted work skills. But it is certainly not Margot who represents the main threat to Eric and Stephanie's marriage, but Eric's old youthful love, Beth Henderson. To reawaken these dormant feelings, destiny takes care of it: at the party organized by Eric himself to celebrate Kristen's decision to stay in town, the trusted Ruth Wilson didn't show up, but instead, the catering agency sent Beth Logan to serve her. And one look at Beth and Eric is enough to go back a lifetime.

1987 (#4) - Bill's opposition and Ridge's betrayal of Alex

Since their first meeting on a plane back to Los Angeles, Caroline and Ridge knew they were destined to be with each other. On the one hand, Ridge, the young playboy destined for a career in the spotlight, and on the other, Caroline, a girl of sound principles and moral values, capable of melting anyone's heart with her genuineness and grace; very different, but both with a bright future ahead of them, they soon find themselves more in love than ever. However, Caroline's father, Bill, is not at all touched by this love story and has always been against this union, considering Ridge as a womanizer ready to take advantage of his girl. And when Ridge, at the end of the Forrester fashion show, asks for Caroline's hand in marriage in front of a delighted press, he goes into a rage. After all, Bill has a point since Ridge, even though he has sincere feelings for the girl, decides to take this step knowing that taking her to the altar would be the only way, then, to get her into bed, since Caroline is firmly convinced to keep her virginity until marriage. Convinced that Ridge would do nothing but make his daughter suffer, and fed up with trying to reason with Caroline, Bill has no choice but to go about his methods. With the help of Margot Linley, Eric's personal secretary, Bill contacts private investigator Conway Weston to tail Ridge and keep him under control. And just when Bill seems to regret having hired Conway, almost convinced by Caroline who, with her heart in her hand, asks him for his approval, here is finally the proof that would have framed Ridge and would have put him with his back to the wall: the proof of his betrayals. Ridge in fact, now resigned to the idea of putting his head in the right place, decides to indulge in one last crush with a spicy bachelor party with the provocative model Alex Simpson, with whom he spends a night of passion. A mistake that will cost him dearly.