At Crimson Lights, Summer runs into Kyle and they discuss their divorce being final today. Summer says they made a lot of memories with Harrison, now they’ll pour their love into him. Talk turns to Kyle’s career, and Summer assumes Jack has made him co-CEO again. Kyle confides that the job has gone to his mother. Summer, taken aback, wonders how he feels about his mom taking his job. Kyle says he’s happy for his mom. Summer thinks he should tell her the truth.
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Kyle admits there’s plenty of disappointment. If it’s the job he was born to have, he’ll be ready when it comes his way. He thinks his parents are good together and they’re what Jabot needs right now. “Jabot needs a singular vision right now.” Summer remains skeptical. Chance comes in and Summer admires how he looks in the suit she gave him. Chance tells Kyle that she’s become his personal shopper as he expands his style horizons. He walks off to grab coffee and Kyle teases, “Somebody’s got a crush.” Summer denies it and tells her ex, “You can stop now.” Kyle assures her it’s OK if it’s more than friendship, “It’s good to see you smile like that again.” Summer asks if he’s been smiling. Kyle says it’s better than it has been. They’ve always wanted each other to be happy and that doesn’t have to change.
At Jabot, Jack shows Diane the press release about her becoming co-CEO. She can’t believe she’s taking a job from her son. Jack reminds her she earned this. Diane knows that despite what Kyle says, he’s hurting that he didn’t get promoted, “So, I’m hurting for him.” Jack thinks Kyle is fine, but Diane saw the look in his eyes. Losing the job and Summer is too much. Jack says he had ample opportunity to plead his case. He’s glad his son realized he has more to learn. If they change things now, what is the message to Jabot, and to their son? They have to take him at his word. Diane concedes that what he’s saying makes sense. They’re kissing and canoodling when Kyle comes in.
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Diane tells Kyle they were talking about him. Kyle guesses they want to hit the ground running and have a meeting. Jack has to deal with something first and exits. Diane asks Kyle for the truth. Kyle tells Diane she has to let this go; he has. He will learn a lot by waiting and watching. “This is your job. You’re going to crush it.” Diane hugs him. Over her shoulder, he looks sad.
In Claire’s room, she asks Nikki, “Is this a nightmare?” Nikki tells her she’s awake… and doesn’t need to be afraid. She wanted to see how she is and what she can do. Claire questions why she’d want to help her; she still has every reason in the world to hate her. Nikki agrees; she has every reason in the world to hate her, “But I don’t.” What happened to her was cruel and relentless. “You can’t help but be a product of your upbringing.” She sighs, “We’re all broken, aren’t we? The question is, do you want to get better?” Claire asks, “Are you kidding?” She worries about finding the strength. Nikki tells her they’re all strong, sometimes you just have to dig down to find it. Claire says she sometimes feels strong, but other times fears she’ll let everyone down. Nikki reminds her Cole and Victoria will be there for her. Claire needs someone who will look her in the eye and answer her questions, “Am I inherently evil?”
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Nikki tells Claire she’s not evil. “You were born perfect and innocent and then an evil force got in the way. The fact is, we saved each other’s lives and that’s a good thing.” She asks her to tell her how she spends her days there. Claire tells her she goes to group, craft lessons, and she got a new privilege — she gets to go on walks to pediatrics to see the children. She describes the heart-warming interactions between the kids and their parents. “Sometimes I’m jealous.” She wanted a family for so long. Her aunt told her she was all she needed, “But she wasn’t.” Wishing didn’t change anything, so she stopped wishing.
Claire admits she sometimes wonders what Victoria was like as a child. Nikki says that’s a big question. Claire guesses Nikki protected her from things that might hurt her. Nikki isn’t sure about that, but Victoria loved her horses. And she was an avid reader, “She also like painting, going to the museum, and spending time in her art studio.”
Claire wants someone to smile when they say her name, like Nikki does with her daughter. Nikki muses, “You were so very alone, weren’t you?” Claire nods. It was all she knew; Jordan was all she had. If she’d had a mother who loved her… She explains that with Jordan she had to be good and not make waves. It all could have been so different. Jordan used to yell at her that life’s not fair and she’s not special, but she was special. “I was Victoria’s baby.”
Nikki wishes they could go back and get a second chance, “But all we have is the here and now, so we have to find a way to break free of the past.” Claire isn’t sure if she can. “When Victoria looks at me she sees a baby she thought was dead. When I look at you I see all the horrible things Jordan made me do. When you look at me what do you see?” Nikki looks uncertain. Claire says, “Just like I thought.” She cries.
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Ashley comes to Tucker’s suite and questions the things he said downstairs about her not being able to commit. “I know what you’re doing. I know exactly what you’re trying to accomplish.” Tucker accuses her of trying to provoke his temper. Ashley thinks this is a game. “You are gaslighting me.” Tucker wonders what he stands to gain. Ashley says it’s retaliation — he wants her to suffer. Tucker feels she never really knew him at all. “I have never, ever been motivated by the need to inflict harm on others. And never on someone I love.” Ashley tells Tucker he throws around that word as a means of controlling her. He reminds her he would have done anything for her. All he wanted in return was commitment and to be a partner with her. She can’t do that for anyone who doesn’t share her DNA. He’s sad, but he’s moving on and so should she. Ashley complains that now he’s telling her she’s obsessing. Tucker says she is. He urges her to go to the bistro in Paris and ask the wait staff what happened that afternoon, “I think you’d be surprised what they’d tell you.” Ashley walks out.
Ashley enters the Abbott house and flashes back to the violent scene in the Paris café with Tucker. She sits and shakes her head, picturing the scene as he described it. “Get out of my head. I know what I know.” Just then, Traci appears. She asks, “What’s going on?” and wants to help.
After Ashley has updated her sister, she complains that Tucker’s acting like it was a normal argument. He tells her she’s got the whole thing wrong. Traci asks what he had to gain by gaslighting her. Ashley thinks maybe he’s retaliating. Traci says he’s no Prince Charming, but she never thought of him as the kind of man who would pull wings off butterflies, “Is he?” Ashley shakes her head, “I’ve never known him to be violent with anybody.
At Crimson Lights, Chance tells Summer about the office politics at Chancellor-Winters between the older crowd and the newbies. Summer urges him to mix it up. She realizes that a lot of time has passed, but she has so much more to say. Chance asks her, “Let’s get lunch then.” As they’re chatting and laughing, Sharon walks in. They fall silent and then Summer gushes, “It’s Genoa City’s newest mogul!” Sharon says they should have come to the launch; Mariah made it a night to remember. Chance enthuses about it and Summer says she loves that she named the company after Cassidy.
When Summer steps away to take a call, Sharon asks Chance, “What’s new with you?” He’s trying to figure out the lay of the land at his new job. Sharon asks, “Are we good?” Chance says yes, and they handled that very amicably. Sharon assures him he is welcome there for coffee and can bring whatever girlfriend he wants. Chance thanks her for being honest about her priorities. Sharon says now that they’re friends again, she does have a favor to ask. Chance replies, “Name it.” Sharon says, “Don’t get all awkward around me.” Chance teases that he used to be so smooth, and sighs that they had some fun. Sharon thinks they’re really lucky to have their friendship. Summer returns and says she has to get back to work. Chance offers to walk her to the car. “Sharon, it was really good to see you.” Sharon replies, “Good to see you too,” and then watches them walk out together.
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In Claire’s room, she apologizes for crying, but Nikki tells her she has to be able to feel things to get to the other side. She admires how she can calm herself. Claire explains she had to deal with things on her own. Nikki clucks that it’s not the life she was supposed to have. Claire knows that now. She needs rest and thinks Nikki should go. Nikki grabs her coat and purse and leaves. Outside the door, Nikki pauses before walking away.
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In the park, Nikki stands alone. She reaches into her purse and pulls out the flask and grimaces.
At the Abbott house, Ashley asks Traci to pretend she’s writing one of her novels. They weave a story of the lothario and the heiress. He wants her loyalty 100%. Ashley asks, “Why would I do this? This isn’t who I am. Why would I make something up?” Traci fumes that if Tucker is gaslighting her, he’ll wish he hadn’t when I get through with him.” Ashley throws her arms about her sister, “I love you! What would I do without you?!” Traci assures her she’ll never find out. Ashley tells her Tucker’s theory that she can’t commit. Traci wonders how they can get the facts. Ashley says, “I know of a way.”
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At Jabot, Kyle, Jack, and Diane take a meeting about employee satisfaction. Diane wants to incentivize product development. “Every job is important to our success.” Kyle wants to shore up the intern program. Jack beams that everything is falling into place. He steps away to take a call. It’s Nikki, in the park, who tells him, “I’m in trouble. I need help.”
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Next on The Young and the Restless: Victor worries about Nikki’s decision-making, Abby sets her sights on a new endeavor, and Jack steps up to support Nikki.
Look back on Nikki’s life and loves in the gallery below.
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