At the Forresters', Stephanie decides to take Taylor's advice and calls her sister, Pam to make plans to visit her mother. When Pam answers the phone Stephanie apologizes for ending the conversation so abruptly the day before. Pam is surprised when Stephanie tells her that she wants to come by later today to see Ann. After Stephanie gets off the phone, Taylor drops by to make sure she is going to confront her mother. Taylor stresses that Stephanie has to let Ann know what it did to her when she refused to protect her from her father's abuse. Taylor also tells her that she must tell Eric the truth if she wants to make her marriage stronger. Eric walks in while Taylor is still trying to persuade Stephanie and wants to know what's going on. Stephanie confesses to him that she is going to see her mother who is still alive. At first Eric is very angry to learn that she has made him believe that her mother was dead for all these years. However when Taylor intervenes and explains how Stephanie was abused as a child he understands. Stephanie tries to excuse her father saying sometimes he lost his temper when he had too much to drink. Eric doesn't accept that excuse, saying there is no justification for a parent taking his anger out on a child. Taylor explains that abuse is about control and since Stephanie never had control as a child she has been obsessed with getting control as an adult. Taylor says if Stephanie thinks she can control everything no one will be able to hurt her again. Stephanie continues to minimize what her father did to her, but Eric argues that emotional scars like that last a lifetime. Taylor agrees, and adds that her mother bears as much responsibility for the scars since she refused to help Stephanie even though she knew it was happening. Eric is appalled and understands now why Ann has been dead to Stephanie for 30 years. Stephanie tells him she is determined to figure this thing out so she won't lose him. Eric fully supports Stephanie's decision and tells her he loves her and won't let her face it alone. They hug as Stephanie begins to cry. Before they leave, Stephanie thanks Taylor and asks her to tell the children that Ann is still alive. Taylor reminds Stephanie that no matter what her mother says, she will always have a family that loves her.
In Chicago, when Pam gets off the phone, her mother asks her who she was talking to. Pam tells Ann that is was Stephanie and she will be coming later to visit. Ann is excited, thinking Stephanie has come to make amends and wants her forgiveness. As she and Pam pick through a box of family mementos, Ann becomes nostalgic, remembering the good times. Ann recalls the last time she saw Stephanie and tells Pam things were said that never should have been. She vows that she won't allow that to happen again.
On the Forrester Jet, Stephanie admits to Eric that she told everything to her mother when she was a little girl and her mother turned her back on her, ignoring what she said. When Ann spoke to Stephanie she scolded her saying shame on you and warned her daughter to never say anything like that about her father again. Stephanie explained that she kept quiet until years later when she saw her mother for the last time. When she confronted her again, Ann did the same thing, turning her back on Stephanie once more and blocking out everything she didn't want to hear. Stephanie tells Eric that was the day her mother died as far as she was concerned. Stephanie explains that she tried to push it out of her mind so she wouldn't have to think about it, but now she realizes that is impossible. She knows those childhood memories have negatively effected her marriage and her children. Stephanie hopes confronting her mother will help her to let go of all the anger and rage she has been holding onto. Eric promises that he will make sure Ann hears what Stephanie has to say this time.
Stephanie and Eric flew to Chicago to meet with Ann and Pam. When they arrived, Ann behaved as if no time had passed. Ann did remark that she wished she had received photos of her grandchildren or cards from them. Stephanie announced to Ann that she had told her family that Ann had been dead for the last thirty years.
Meanwhile, Thorne offered for Hector to stay at the beach house in Malibu. Hector was grateful for the offer considering the trouble he had caused for Taylor while all the time trying to help her avoid going to jail. Taylor was happy that Thorne had the character to forgive Hector for the problems he had caused. Taylor told Thorne that she loves him.
Back in Chicago, Ann wanted to end the visit between her and Stephanie. Ann told Stephanie that she was going to bed and started to leave. Eric told Ann that Stephanie had come from LA to talk to her about something. Eric told Ann that they were not leaving until Stephanie said what she had come to Chicago to say.
At Taylor's, Taylor tells Ridge and Felicia that their grandmother, Ann, is still alive. They can't believe it, and Thorne tells them that Eric and Stephanie have gone to Chicago to see her. Taylor explains that Stephanie acted like she was dead all of these years because she needed to cut her mother out of her life. Felicia thinks that's ridiculous sense Stephanie adored Ann and always held her up as an example. Taylor replies that some of the things from Stephanie's childhood were too painful to carry into her adult life so she created a false idolized childhood to survive emotionally. She goes on to tell them that as a child, Stephanie was abused by her father. Taylor says that is why Stephanie has always been so overprotective and controlling with her children. She was trying to give her kids the protection she never had. Taylor thinks things will get better for Stephanie just as soon as she confronts these issues. Ridge says that Stephanie sought out to be the exact opposite kind of parent by giving them whatever they wanted and believing that whatever they did was right. He feels bad that she has been holding all this pain in for all of these years. Felicia wishes she hadn't been such a brat growing up and appreciated Stephanie more. Thorne asks Taylor what Stephanie wants from Ann and Taylor tells him to confront her and ask her why she didn't protect her when Stephanie begged for her help.
Meanwhile in Chicago, Eric forces Ann to listen to what Stephanie has to say. Resenting his pushiness, Ann reminds him that she stood up for him when her husband thought Stephanie was marrying beneath her. Eric tells her he doesn't give a rat's ass. Ann doesn't think she should have to tolerate that kind of language in her home and Eric retorts that she has tolerated much worse in her home. Stephanie tells her mother that she has this bottomless pit of rage that's tainted all of her relationships, her marriage and caused her to lose Forrester Creations. Ann tells Stephanie she always warned her about her temper and Stephanie asks her if she ever warned her husband about his. Ann avoids answering, instead asking Stephanie why she can't be sweet-tempered like her sister. Ann then goes on about what a good life they had while Stephanie was growing up. Stephanie admits she remembers the good times but demands to know why Ann turned a deaf ear to her pleas for help after she saw all of Stephanie's bruises and welts. Ann continues to be in denial, saying in her day parents disciplined their children when they deserved it and if Stephanie's father ever struck her she must have deserved it. She tells Stephanie not to blame her father for her own failures, adding that her father loved her very much. Pam interjects saying all those years she wanted to ask but was afraid to. Pam apologizes for never coming to Stephanie's rescue. Stephanie hugs her little sister assuring her it wasn't her place to protect her, it was Ann's. Ann blathers on about how Stephanie's Dad working so hard to provide a good home for them and she can't believe that Stephanie has come back to try to rob her of the sweet memories of the only man she ever loved. Ann adds that she won't allow it, turning her back on her daughter once more, however Stephanie stops her. She tells Ann she had to face her children and answer to them for her failings and Ann is going to have to do the same. She demands to know why Ann keeps lying to herself and asks her if she was afraid her husband would have beat her if she didn't allow him to beat her daughter. Ann tells Stephanie she loves her, but Stephanie asks her what good is that if she won't stand up for her. Stephanie tells Ann since she never got what she needed from her, she ended up smothering her own children in order to protect them. Breaking down, Stephanie demands to know how Ann could ignore her own daughter's desperate cry for help.
Stephanie pleads with Ann to make her understand why she never did anything to stop her father's abuse. Ann won't admit that she did anything wrong. Eric speaks up for Stephanie and they decide to leave. On the plane back to Los Angeles, Stephanie tells Eric that she forgave her father but she can never forgive her mother. Ridge and Brooke talk about Stephanie's past and they can't understand how a father could hurt his child. Hope wants Nick to help her rehearse for the Christmas pageant, but Ridge tells her that he will help her instead. Taylor admits that she feels safe with Thorne.
In the limo on the way back to the mansion, Stephanie thanks Eric for his support during her confrontation with her mother in Chicago. When Taylor tells Brooke that Stephanie's life is about to change dramatically, Brooke adds that Eric's is too. Felicia reports to Thorne and Ridge that Dante's back in Italy after getting a sculpting commission. Stephanie arrives and the kids assure her they're not angry with her for keeping her secret from them. She claims that having to deal with her past ultimately cost Eric his company but adds that it's such an enormous sense of relief to have confronted her. Ridge, Thorne and Felicia express their love to her. Ridge then wonders if her father put Forrester Creations in her name to make up for what he did to her. Eric doubts it and Felicia claims nothing he could do would make up for the agony he caused. Brooke and Taylor arrive and Brooke claims that she understands now and offers her support. Speaking with Taylor privately, Stephanie laments not being able to confront her father but Taylor claims it's not too late and suggests she just say aloud what she wants to say to him. Admitting this is hard, Stephanie begins by calling him a coward for the way he beat her.
