Stephanie was keeping a big secret from her family. Angela, Eric & Stephanie´s second child, was not dead as everyone thought. Stephanie had lied about her death and hidden Angela. Stephanie had given birth to Angela while Eric had been away on a business trip. The doctors informed Stephanie that Angela was suffering from microcephalia and would die before her 10th birthday. She would also be comatose and confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her short life. Stephanie at that time chose to take care of her away from the rest of the family. She knew how hard things were for them economically at the time, also Eric who was at work all days and couldn´t be away in their new business. Taking care of Angela would be a fulltime job and the outcome wasn´t happy. She would die sooner or later. So Stephanie hired a doctor and nurse for full time in her maiden name, Stephanie Douglas and got a house in Santa Monica for them. She were to visit every now and then when Eric was at work and the other kids in school/daycare.
The years passed by and the secret was kept well. Stephanie visited a few afternoons a week and told her comatose daughter about the family and what was happening with them, including the fact that Ridge shot Thorne…
But one day, Eric started wondering where the heck Stephanie were. He found out she had been away like that every now and then and got suspicious. He first thought she was having an affair (naturally). So he decided to put a tail on her and followed her to the house in Santa Monica. When Eric arrived, Stephanie told Eric she was having an affair with the doctor (Dr. Todd Powell). But now, Eric got the feeling it was something else going on since she was so quick to confess. He found Angela in the bedroom and it was confession time for real… Eric found out all about Angela, who he thought had died stillborn. At first, he was furious with Stephanie for keeping his daughter from him. But Beth of all people told Eric he was being unfair to Stephanie (I guess in a way to redeem Stephanie). Eric gave it a second thought and started seeing it from Stephanie´s point of view. He forgave her. Eric started looking forward to getting to know his firstborn daughter. The family was told about Angela too. But Beth started feeling left out and told Eric he had to choose between her and his family. Eric naturally chose his family and reconciled with Stephanie. Beth moved to Paris with Steven.
But then when Stephanie wanted to move Angela to the Forrester mansion, it turned out (only for the viewers to see) that Angela wasn´t Angela… The real Angela had died in an accident which Dr Powell was responsible for. He had forgotten to set the breaks on her wheelchair and she had rolled away and died in a collision with a vehicle. Since Dr Powell didn´t want to get charged for it or lose his income from Stephanie, he hired an actress who looked like Angela and replaced her. We never found out her name (the first time around…). So when Steph wanted Angela with them 24/7, they had to do something. So the fake Angela all of the sudden started getting better from her illness. Stephanie didn´t buy it and realized she had been had (see, a normal, stupid, soap character would have bought into that getting better story, but not our Steph!). So the truth came out and Stephanie realized she had lost her beloved Angela.
Fake Angela and Dr Powell then started blackmailing Eric & Steph. They knew things about the family that no one was supposed to know, mainly that Thorne had shot Ridge. The blackmailing story didn´t end well and the two cons had to disappear. Their car crashed and they were presumed dead. But were they? Nope!!
But one day, Eric started wondering where the heck Stephanie were. He found out she had been away like that every now and then and got suspicious. He first thought she was having an affair (naturally). So he decided to put a tail on her and followed her to the house in Santa Monica. When Eric arrived, Stephanie told Eric she was having an affair with the doctor (Dr. Todd Powell). But now, Eric got the feeling it was something else going on since she was so quick to confess. He found Angela in the bedroom and it was confession time for real… Eric found out all about Angela, who he thought had died stillborn. At first, he was furious with Stephanie for keeping his daughter from him. But Beth of all people told Eric he was being unfair to Stephanie (I guess in a way to redeem Stephanie). Eric gave it a second thought and started seeing it from Stephanie´s point of view. He forgave her. Eric started looking forward to getting to know his firstborn daughter. The family was told about Angela too. But Beth started feeling left out and told Eric he had to choose between her and his family. Eric naturally chose his family and reconciled with Stephanie. Beth moved to Paris with Steven.