After the dark of sadness comes the glory of happiness!

Taylor and Stephanie!

A few hours later, Taylor knocked on Stephanie's hotel suite. The latter was very pleased to finally see her best friend again.
"Taylor, nice to see you, please come in." Stephanie had ordered tea and pastries. She wanted to pour Taylor a cup, but she declined.
"I didn't show up for a leisurely tea party." Stephanie was a little taken aback by Taylor's brusque tone.
"Okay, please sit down. How are you? I must admit I was quite amazed yesterday when Ridge told us you are living here in San Francisco. But you seem to be doing very well."
"Yes, I'm fine!"
"I'm glad to hear that, although of course I think it's a shame that you're not living at home in LA with your family."
"For me, this is my home now. I have a nice place to live, made new friends and feel very comfortable here and I'm doing a lot better than I have been all these years."
"I understand, and you and Ridge seem to reconnect?! He told us you see each other from time to time and you were at the opening ceremony yesterday."
"Yeah, we're getting along much better, but that's really none of your business."

Taylor wasn't in the mood to walk around eggshells. "Stephanie, what do you want? Why should I come over here?" Taylor's resolute manner unsettled Stephanie.
"I just wanted to talk to you, how you've been. We haven't seen each other for so many months."
"You know very well, there are good reasons why we haven't seen each other in the last few months!"
"I know, even though to this day I really don't get it, why did you leave LA in the middle of the night?"
"I am aware of that. I still remember what you said to me on the phone back then. That it was childish to run away like that."
"I didn't mean it that way! We were just in complete shock when we heard from the kids that you were gone overnight. I wish you would have talked to us first."
"Why? To get a lecture from you this is a lousy idea, that it's out of question and you won't let it happen? That was my decision. You or anyone else had nothing to do with it. I did this for myself and my life!"
"I guess that decision included cutting us all out of your life completely. As if we were no longer part of your family. Yet you and I were so close, you're my best friend..."
"Let me get something straight, we are no longer friends anymore Stephanie! Our friendship ended the day you betrayed me in the worst way, like probably no one has ever done before."

Stephanie looked at her with horrified shocked eyes.
"That was never my intention, you know that. I did all this for you, for your happiness, for the kids sake, so you would all be a family again!"
"I know why you did it and I also know that maybe I encouraged you with my behavior, with my desire to get Ridge back. I'm quite aware, I made mistakes too. But what you did was the most despicable, disgusting and ugly thing you could have ever done! Have you ever thought about the consequences? How many people you would hurt and harm with this scheme?"
"I didn't harm anyone."

"Oh no? What would you call it? Thomas never wanted to go on with this lie, he hated himself for letting you talk him into it. He struggled so hard with himself and was so full of guilt all the time. He told me how often he was about to confess everything and you held him back every time. You blackmailed him in the most awful way. You held it against him that if he told the truth, it would mean my unhappiness and it would cost him the reunion of our family. You shamelessly exploited his love for me so that he would keep his mouth shut. I will never forgive you for that."
"I wanted to..I was just supporting Thomas to get his family back together...his father back..."

"His father? You forced Thomas to lie to him. Ridge is your own son and you let him believe his wife seduced his son! You watched him being miserable and suffering. He didn't really want this separation from Brooke, you saw his pain and you did nothing about it. On the contrary, you pressured him to do what you thought was the right thing.
"But it was the right thing for him to break up with Brooke and you..."