B&B: HOPE BLINDSIDES LIAM
■ Hope has news about Thomas that leaves Liam in the lurch. “Steffy, as her boss, tells her that Hope For the Future is not bringing in the numbers it once did, and she is going to have to get rid of that line unless Hope makes some drastic changes,” explains Scott Clifton (Liam). As Hope ponders her options, “Steffy basically says the only drastic change that will actually work is rehiring Thomas as lead designer; otherwise, they will have to shelve Hope For the Future. So, Hope comes home and she tells Liam this. At first, she hesitates and doesn’t tell him. She kind of chickens out.”
Hope changes the subject and shares that Douglas wants to come home to them. “Liam is ecstatic to hear that,” states Clifton. “Liam’s sadness about losing Douglas was more sadness for Hope. He saw firsthand how devastated she was, and Liam’s happiness about Douglas coming back is more his happiness for Hope. She has been miserable and depressed, and he saw his wife suffering by not having her son there. They had hoped Douglas would want to come home and apparently he does, so
Liam is happy to see Hope happy.”
The elation is short-lived, however, when Hope finally comes clean about what’s happening at work. “Liam is happy for her but he is picking up on the fact that Hope should be happier,” notes the
“This definitely puts stress on their relationship.”
actor. “But unbeknownst to Liam, Hope is harboring this secret that she has to rehire Thomas to keep her line afloat. In following conversations, she basically comes out and says, ‘I’m so sorry but I have to rehire Thomas.’ And Liam, of course, goes, ‘What the hell? When are we going to get rid of this guy? What does it take? Is there any line that Thomas could cross that would be the final be-all, end-all?’ Liam is upset by the news and says something like, ‘I’m scared that there is no line with Thomas. I’m worried about what Thomas could get away with next, and you and Steffy just shrug and say, “Well, he’s a really good designer.” ’ Because that’s what Hope keeps saying: ‘But he’s such a talented designer,’ and Liam keeps saying, ‘I know that, but that is not the problem. The problem is all the s--t he does to us personally and he just gets away with it,’ and Hope once again says she thinks he’s changed and Liam goes, ‘When has he ever changed?’ This definitely puts stress on their relationship.”