Michael’s Evidence Against Diane Leaves Christine Laughing Ironically — and Phyllis Struggles With Her New Reality

In a suite at the GCAC, Nick stands looking out the window forlornly. Sally comes up behind him. He chokes, “Phyllis is gone. She’s really gone.” Sally holds him. She’s glad they stayed there for the night and asks if he’s heard from Summer. Nick’s tried calling her but she needs space. Sally knows she has to be devastated. Nick told Noah and Faith. He says Noah and Allie are on a trip and are going to cut it short and head home. Faith is prepping for finals and has to stay at school. Sally asks about Christian. Nick hasn’t had the heart to tell him yet. Sally tells Nick he’s amazing. Sally says he needs someone to lean on and she’s there for him. Nick can’t stop thinking about Phyllis and what a big part of his life she’s been. “I’m really going to miss her.”

At Crimson Lights, Sharon is standing alone looking shaken when Chance walks in with Christine. They go to the patio.

At Society, Nikki tells Victor there was so much pain in Nicholas’ voice last night when he called with the news. Victor says Phyllis was one of a kind.

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In their hotel room, Phyllis complains the coffee is awful. Jeremy agrees; it’s not Crimson Lights. “But you better get used to that because you’re never going back there again.” He tells her there’s no turning back now; their plan is coming together like clockwork. Phyllis looks dazed as he adds, “Good for you. You’re getting everything you ever wanted.”

At the Abbott house, Kyle asks Jack how he’s doing. Jack feels he’s in a nightmare and can’t seem to wake up. The fact that he hasn’t been on good terms with Phyllis doesn’t make the loss less profound. He tells his son he sent Diane to the spa. Kyle feels that was good thinking. He doesn’t know what to do about Summer, who is overwhelmed and consumed with the idea that his mother had something to do with Phyllis collapsing. Jack finds that ludicrous. Kyle agrees but wonders if in the past it was something she could have done. “I’m just afraid this doesn’t look good for Mom and who knows where that will lead the police.” Jack hopes it leads them right to Stark.

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In the hotel, Phyllis is shocked when a knock comes at the door. She says to Stark, “Who is that? No one is supposed to know that we’re here.” Jeremy opens the door and asks, “Did anyone follow you?” The man says he’s sure no one knows he’s there. Jeremy ushers the EMT who Chance interviewed after the accident into the room and pays him. Phyllis asks, “Did the police buy it? Did Chance? Did he take note of when I was whispering in the ambulance about poison?” the man assures her he stuck to the script exactly. They totally bought that he was the lone survivor and he made sure they got her blood sample. He just wants this done and over with. Jeremy tells him to take the money and forget he ever met them. He warns the guy to stick to his story if the police question him again. After the man leaves, Phyllis complains that he’s skittish. “Are you sure he can be trusted?”

On the Crimson Lights patio, Chance and Christine worry that if the tox screen reveals Phyllis was poisoned they’ll have a whole new mystery on their hands. She complains that Stark is a wild card and that the quickie wedding caught everyone off guard. Michael walks in, still shaken, and Chance excuses himself after telling Christine he’ll let her know when the results are in.

Michael tells Chris there are no words for how he and Lauren are feeling and he’s sure they’re not the only ones. He relays that Lauren is shaken to her core and told him she could literally feel her heart breaking. “Phyllis was one of the best friends she’s ever had. It’s unreal to think she’s just gone like that.” Chris admits there have been many times she’s wished Phyllis would leave the town for good. Michael adds, “But not like this.” Chris promises Michael she’ll get to the bottom of what happened and make sure justice is served. Michael wants to share a thought with the District Attorney.

At the Abbott mansion, Summer comes downstairs. Jack and Kyle fuss and offer her breakfast but she’s not hungry. She learns the nanny got Harrison out of the house and wonders if they feared she’d go off on Diane again. Summer declares that he can come back because she’s done with grief and all of that and she has work she needs to do. It’s not to do with Marchetti and it can’t wait. Kyle asks what she could possibly have to do. Summer has to plan her mother’s memorial service. “My mom deserves a proper tribute and I’m going to be the one who arranges it.”

In the hotel room, Phyllis asks Jeremy why the ambulance driver was okay with giving up his identity. Jeremy says he had no attachments and is probably halfway to a beach somewhere by now. Phyllis asks about the bodies from the morgue — Mr. and Mrs. John Doe — that were put at the crash site as her and the driver. Jeremy muses, “Poetic justice, isn’t it?” It’s the same scheme Diane used to fake her death all those years ago except this time she’ll be behind bars for attempted murder. Phyllis whispers, “And I’ll be wiped out of existence.” Jeremy hopes that not regret he’s hearing.

On Crimson Lights’ patio, Michael tells Christine that he and Lauren left the gala and went home in a daze, and he shut off his phone. It wasn’t until later that he realized he’d missed a call from Phyllis last night. “She left a voicemail… and you need to hear it.”

In the hotel room, Phyllis tells Jeremy she doesn’t have regrets exactly, she’s just concerned about her kids. She noticed they seemed alarmed and worried when she started stumbling. When she fell to the floor they seemed really frightened. “I wasn’t expecting that.” She grills Jeremy about how they reacted afterward. He asks, “What does it matter?!” He reminds her how furious she was and how she felt utterly disillusioned and betrayed. “Your kids made you the enemy, remember that? They chose her side and pushed you away.” Stark says they’ll grieve, heal, and move on, “Which is precisely what you need to do.”

At the Abbott house, Summer thanks Nikki and Victor for coming. She’s not going to waste another minute falling apart. “It’s not the Newman way, right Grandpa?” Kyle explains that Summer plans to focus on Phyllis’s memorial. Summer declares it should be elegant and stylish like her. Nikki tells her she can count on them. She offers to take it off her hands but Summer snaps at them not to coddle her or treat her like a child. Victor hugs her.

In their suite, Nick tells Sally it’s not right — Phyllis was the embodiment of life. She never phoned it in and lived life to the fullest at all times, even though there were times he wished she didn’t. That energy drew him to her. He recalls he was at the lowest point in his life when they first got together. “I want you to know that I don’t…” He feels terrible for betraying Sharon but he was drowning and Phyllis was a lifeline for him.

At Crimson Lights, Sharon is recalling the same time in history as she talks to Chance. She remembers finding out about Nick and Phyllis’ affair. It was the beginning of their relationship and her rivalry with the redhead. She gave as good as she got. “Look, whether you hated Phyllis or you loved her she had a talent for sparking very strong emotions. And she made sure she was a presence that could not be ignored.”

In the suite, Nick tells Sally it was always extremes with Phyllis. She was unpredictable, exciting, stubborn, and infuriating. Sally asks what happened between the two of them. Nick says that in the long run, they weren’t meant to be together but they always stayed close. Underneath the maddening exterior was someone with a really big heart.

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At Crimson Lights, Sharon tells Chance that she and Phyllis ultimately found a way to get along. She recalls how she showed her genuine kindness during her cancer treatment, which was the last thing she expected. “She was full of surprises.” They agree you never knew which side of her you’d get. Sharon sighs, “And now they’re both gone.”

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In the suite, Nick tells Sally he and Phyllis have an unbreakable bond. She loved her kids with every fiber of her being and they loved her just as much. It scares him to think about how Summer is going to find a way to get through this.

At the Abbott house, Nikki just wants to help. Summer apologizes for snapping at her but she has to make sure every detail of the memorial is the way her mom would have wanted it. Her mother left this world feeling abandoned and she’s not going to abandon her now. Kyle urges her to handle the memorial as she sees fit but to let them all be there for her. Summer says, “Okay,” and walks off.

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At the hotel, Jeremy orders Phyllis to get her doubts out of her head now. They did this and will have to live with it. He says it’s time for them to go their separate ways now and he’ll always look back fondly on their brief marriage. Phyllis says he should; he benefitted from it. Jeremy says it was nice of her to change her will so that half goes to her kids and the other half to her loving husband. She muses that he made out like a bandit. Stark reminds her she has a new identity and a hefty amount of cash, “You can start over. You can go anywhere, do anything, to your heart’s desire.” He asks if she’s decided where she’s going to reinvent herself. Phyllis didn’t think that far ahead in case part of their scheme went wrong. Jeremy says the world is her playground. “You are shrewd enough to build a whole new future for yourself and Diane will get the future she deserves — behind bars.”

On Crimson Lights’ patio, Michael plays the voicemail from Phyllis, who tells him that Diane is out of control. “I am actually terrified. She tricked Jack into proposing to her and she’s going to get rid of anyone and anything that stands in her way. I know you probably think I’m being overly dramatic but please listen to me. This is serious. That woman just attacked me and threatened to kill me. I can’t believe I’m saying this: I’m actually afraid of that crazy bitch.” Christine gawps and then can’t help but titter. After all the decades of fighting with Phyllis, she is gone… under mysterious circumstances, “And the one person who is in charge of finding out what happened and bringing justice for Phyllis is me: her worst enemy.” Michael laughs out loud. Finally, he chuckles. “It’s almost as if Phyllis planned this.”

At the Abbott house, Jack tells Victor discuss their concern for Summer. They marvel at the unbelievable news of Phyllis’ death. Victor asks if Jack finds it strange that the ambulance crashed. He explains his people went to the crash site and learned that the ambulance had taken a rather secluded route to get to the hospital. Jack has no idea why they were on Collins Road. He tells Victor that if he wants answers he should start with Jeremy Stark. Victor kind of agrees, but wonders if they’re asking him the right questions.

In the suite, Nick paces and looks at his phone. Sally assures him Summer will find a way thought this because he has him. She has no doubt he’ll help her. Nick complains she’s already shutting him out. Sally reminds him she’s reeling right now. “I relate to that. She just needs you to guide her like you’ve been doing for me with this pregnancy.” Nick wants to do that. Sally says Summer will come to him when she’s ready. “Your daughter adores you. I think she just wants to know that you’ll be there for her and you’ll always be there.” Nick would do anything to take her pain away and make her feel safe again. But he can’t promise everything will be okay. Her mother’s gone and nothing will ever be the same. Sally hugs him.

On Crimson Lights’ patio, Chris knows Michael must be conflicted and asks what he makes of the voicemail. Michael says they both know Phyllis wasn’t afraid of anything but for her to leave a message like that… Chris feels she was clearly afraid of Diane, “But why?”

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At the hotel, Jeremy calls for a call to the airport and then tells Phyllis she needs to get as far away from Genoa City as possible. Phyllis doesn’t know where she wants to go. Starks says it’s too dangerous for her to be there. “You’re leaving tonight.” On her phone, Phyllis sees a news article saying memorial services are being planned for her.

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Next on The Young and the Restless: Victor uncovers deception at Newman Enterprises, Devon and Lily reach an understanding, and Adam fights for his place at Newman.

Look back on Phyllis’s many lies and loves in the gallery below.

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