An Emotional Kyle Grills His Mother — and Victor Gives Someone a Huge Shock

At the door to the Abbott house, Diane gasps, “Kyle… thank you for giving me this opportunity to explain myself.” Kyle informs her she has a lot of explaining to do.

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At Crimson Lights, Jack and Phyllis worry about Kyle meeting with Diane. Jack wonders if he made a big mistake facilitating his meeting. If he did, Kyle is the one who will pay the price. Phyllis assures Jack he did the right thing — Kyle’s an adult and can make his own decisions about his mother. They touch on Phyllis’ recent maturity before she turns the conversation back to what Jack will do if Kyle decides to embrace Diane. Jack will urge him to proceed with great caution. They agree that Summer would back him up. Phyllis is certain that her daughter would get in Diane’s face and tell her to back off if it came down to it. Jack muses that they also have to consider that it could be true that Diane has changed herself. “Maybe we should be giving her some benefit of the doubt?” Phyllis hollers, “Hell no!” Jack points out that despite everything Dina did, when she came back later in life, they were somehow able to reconcile. “I value that.” He is praying that the possibility exists for his son. Phyllis reminds him present-day Diane sent him a bunch of cryptic texts — she chose to be creepy and duplicitous. Jack argues the end result was positive. Phyllis fumes, “That’s what she wanted you to think and here we are! It worked!!”

Jack can’t discount that some of what Diane says about her personal development is true. Phyllis understands he’s doing this because he aches inside, but it’s not in the realm of possibility to believe that Diane Jenkins is less of a sociopath. Jack counters that some might say the same thing about her. Phyllis yells that she didn’t fake her own death and let someone else go down for it like Diane did with Nikki. She mocks Diane’s proclamations that she’s a new woman. She hasn’t seen one iota of change in her. “I’m sorry!” Jack promises he won’t let his guard down with her.

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Chance arrives at home, throws his jacket on the back of the sofa, sits down and sighs. Abby appears and asks, “Rough day?” Chance just had to explain to Sharon that Rey suffered a massive coronary while he was driving. Abby’s stunned. Chance shakes his head — there’s nothing anyone could have done. Rey’s fate was sealed that night when he said goodbye to Sharon. “Just like that, he was gone.”

Abby feels so bad for Sharon and for Rey’s family in Miami. She knows it’s taking a toll of Chance too. Chance reflects that he wasn’t just a colleague, he was his best friend. Abby urges him not to be overwhelmed by the sadness like he was with Spain. The doorbell rings insistently — it’s Victor. Chance tells him there’s something he needs to know. Victor’s shocked to hear Rey had a heart attack and asks how Sharon took the news. Chance feels she at least has answers now. He wants Victoria to know but didn’t want to leave it on a voicemail. Abby goes to check on Dom and Chance asks Victor, “What’s on your mind?”

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Victor wants to know how Chance is doing. Chance is managing. He knows Abby’s worrying. Victor urges his son-in-law to embrace life every day; you never know when it comes to an end. Chance thanks Victor for the wisdom. Victor adds that he’s proud of how he, Abby and Devon came together for Dominic. He can’t wait to tell the boy stories of his boxing matches. Abby reappears and Victor goes up to see the baby. Chance thinks Abby will be happy her father stopped by even though they were interrupted.

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In the Abbott living room, Diane is sure Kyle is confused and angry. Kyle doesn’t know how to feel. She’s not expecting anything from him but an open mind. Diane figures Kyle must be in shock. He asks her not to make assumptions about his state of mind. Diane cries over how amazing it is to be there with him and to see his face. Kyle asks if she even recognized him. She says she’d know him anywhere. Kyle says she looks just like he remembers… he’s not trying to flatter her. Diane reveals she followed him online. Kyle sneers, “Lucky you, I certainly didn’t get that opportunity.” He wants to know why she faked his death. “Why you let me believe you’d been killed and never once reached out. What possible excuse could you have to justify what you did?!?”

Kyle angrily says that knowing his mother kept track of him makes it worse — she cared enough to do that but not enough to reach out. He recalls when she sent him off to boarding school as a kid and made him use another name. She promised to join him in Europe, but she never came. Jack was the one who showed up. He grits, “Tell me. When exactly did you decide I wasn’t worth coming for?” Diane protests that she always intended to come. She complains that everyone hated her, and she was desperate to escape. With Deacon’s help she found a way to disappear. “I had every intention of reuniting with you once I was safely away from Genoa City.” But she realized she couldn’t, or she would have ruined his life too. “I just couldn’t do that to you.” Diane insists it was like leaving a piece of her soul behind, but Kyle scoffs; those are just words. Diane argues all she could offer him was a life on the run. Kyle guesses she didn’t want him dragging her down. Diane insists she was toxic back then and says Kyle deserved to be with Jack, who could give him stability. She made the right call, or he wouldn’t have turned into the terrific man he is today.

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Kyle agrees it might have been a disaster to have her as his only parent. But losing her was the worst pain he’d ever experienced. He couldn’t ever imagine letting his owns son suffer like that! Diane whimpers, “I am so sorry for how my actions wounded you.” Kyle recalls that Jack always allowed him his positive memories of her. Diane feels it was more than she deserved. She is not the person she was then anymore. Kyle wonders how he’s supposed to believe she’s changed.

Kyle reminds his mother she manipulated Allie and his dad to make this meeting happen. Diane argues that if she’d contacted Jack, he’d have shot her down right away. Kyle counters that she could have just reached out to him. Diane couldn’t shock him that way — it was better to go through Jack. Kyle agrees it was probably for the best. Diane explains she came forward now instead of years ago because she just wasn’t ready back then. It took a long time for her to hit bottom and make changes. She went to therapy and rebuilt herself to try and become someone worthy of being his mother. Diane recalls how she destroyed the beautiful life they had in Toronto completely. Kyle tears up. Diane had done everything in her power to evolve. She tearfully vows never again be that woman who hurt him so badly. “Whether you believe me or not, it’s the truth.”

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Kyle asks Diane what she wants from him. He’s not sure if he’s capable of giving her a place in his life. He spent a long time coming to grips with losing her and figuring out who he was without her to guide him. Now he’s the happiest he’s ever been and he won’t risk bringing any turmoil into their world. Diane understands but she’s hoping at some point he can contemplate forgiveness.

Kyle muses, “Forgiveness. You’re asking for a lot.” Diane knows but she promised to be honest. She thinks he’s overwhelmed, and she should probably go. Kyle agrees and won’t commit to seeing her again right now. Jack and Phyllis come in. Jack stammers that he thought Diane would be gone by now. Diane is just leaving and thanks Kyle for allowing her to have this conversation with him. As she walks out, Kyle sits down heavily on the sofa, emotionally rocked.

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At the Chancellor Estate, Abby’s glad to hear that her father helped Chance. He appreciates having people in his corner like this. Victor reappears and says he has to get going. “I’ll see myself out.” He tells Chance to be cool as he goes. Chance and Abby embrace. Chance assures Abby she doesn’t have to be worried or scared. He’s not going to fall apart this time or get lost in all this sorrow. He’ll miss his friend dearly, but it won’t be like before. “I am so much stronger now.” Chance will embrace each and every day and show Abby and Dom how much he loves them. Abby kisses him.

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At the Abbott house, Kyle wipes away tears as Jack sits beside him. Jack and Phyllis tell him Harrison is with Traci. Jack won’t press him to talk about his mom. Kyle promises to fill him in once he’s recovered. Right now, he needs to get out of there and get some air. Jack lets him know he’s there if he needs him. Kyle knows. He walks out and Phyllis and Jack hug.

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At the hotel, Diane lets herself into her room and is startled to see Victor sitting inside. “We meet again.”

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Next on The Young and the Restless: Victor settles unfinished business with an adversary, Sally and Adam strategize, Lily gives Billy an ultimatum.

Look back on the many faces of Kyle and Summer’s love story in the photo gallery below.

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