Kyle’s Defiant Rejection of Victor, Plus Adam’s Stunning Revelation Leaves Sally Shattered

Jack arrives at home and tells Diane he just heard Faith Newman was in a car accident. He explains that Nick was with Phyllis when he got the news, but she didn’t have details. They worry about the impact on Nick and Sharon before talk turns to work. Diane says there are some people in the office questioning her right to be there. She suspects Kyle planted the seed before he left. Jack thinks that’s plausible.

Jack tells Diane about his run-in with Kyle at the Club. Diane complains about their son being hateful. Jack would like to blame the Mustache, but he thinks something deeper is going on. Diane agrees. Victor’s not the root of their problems with Kyle, “I am.” Jack won’t let her shoulder the blame for Kyle’s behavior. Diane reminds Jack he promoted her over him and then sided with her when she fired him. Jack doesn’t let the personal interfere with business decisions. Diane tells him to take Jabot out of it then. Kyle seemed to forgive her when she came back, but maybe he mistook gratitude for forgiveness. Maybe he’s not past the horrible things she did.

Kyle runs into Victor at the Club bar. Victor makes him sit down and have a tequila with him. Kyle sighs. They cheers and Victor says he’s pleased to hear that there’s been progress between Kyle and Summer. He doesn’t want it to be a distraction from him. Kyle learns that Victor has a favor to ask. Kyle wonders if it’s about taking a jackhammer to Jabot. He’s all in.

On Crimson Lights’ patio, Billy tells Chelsea it’s too soon to know if he can forgive her. She understands. She’s just hoping he’ll hear her out. Billy says he’s listening. Chelsea can see how deeply she’s hurt him. She didn’t want to hurt him or cause him pain, but she’s betrayed him. She keeps asking herself how she could let this happen. Billy quips, “Have you found any answers?” Chelsea goes on about how he saved her. She asks if she can sit out there with him.

Billy thinks they should talk; they’ve been running from this for long enough. He knows she was on the verge of confessing many times. It killed him to see her go through that… it was Adam keeping her quiet. Chelsea says the choice ultimately fell to her. She tells him she loves him. He loves her too, which is why this is crushing him. Chelsea hates this and wants to fix this. Billy tells her it’s one thing that she slept with someone else, it’s a whole other that it was Adam.

At Adam’s place, Sally comes downstairs with a backpack. He gawps, “You’re leaving?!” He tries to stop her from leaving because he’s afraid if she walks out that door he’ll never see her again. Sally responds, “We’re making this about you again?!” Adam tells her he can’t lose her. Sally finds this rich when she repeatedly worried she was losing him and kept blaming herself. She was afraid to remind him of the anniversary of their daughter’s death because she didn’t want to upset him. She was convinced that she’d done something wrong. All of this was about protecting himself, his pride, and his ego. Adam protests that it was about forgetting a stupid mistake. It was a drunken night that meant nothing. He wanted to pretend it never happened. Sally points out that she asked him point blank, and he looked her square in the face and said no, as though she were crazy to even consider it! Adam croons, “Sally, I love you, OK? You have to know that.” He’s convinced they can get through this like other tough times. Sally warns him not to even compare his disgusting actions to the death of their daughter. “Seriously, could you sink any lower?!”

Adam insists that’s not what he meant. He’d never diminish Ava’s passing, ever. He was talking about him being a jerk to her. Pushing her away like an idiot. He promised himself that when they got back together he’d never let her go again. Sally snips, “No, you just cheat on me behind my back and hope I never find out.” Adam tells her she makes him a better person. Sally informs him that if he needs someone else to make him a decent human being, he never had a shot in the first place. He showed his true colors! Adam insists she brings out the best parts of him despite his mistake. He covered it up to prevent this from happening. Sally hollers that this wasn’t altruistic… he lied to her for weeks and made her feel bad for doubting him. Adam hollers that he loves her so much that he just didn’t want to hurt her. Sally cries, “But you did, Adam! And made me a fool in the process! How can you say you love me and make me feel this way?!”

At Crimson Lights, Chelsea tells Billy how desperate she was to escape the pain that night. It didn’t happen because it was Adam… there are no romantic feelings there at all. Billy points out that it’s not an isolated incident. She cheated on him with Adam before. Chelsea says loving Adam broke her and turned her into a person she’ll never be again. “Adam and I have found a good balance in order to parent Connor together, but that’s it.” Billy wants to believe it. Chelsea hopes they’ll eventually get past this. Billy asks what if they don’t. She’d be heartbroken. Billy asks, “And then what?” Chelsea frowns. Is he worried she’ll end up back on that rooftop?

Chelsea tells Billy that woman doesn’t exist anymore. Billy has witnessed her transformation, but he worries. Chelsea says, “Don’t. You may have saved me, Billy, but I did the work.” He was supportive during her darkest times, but the progress came from her. Billy knows that, but the memories haunt him. Chelsea points out that Connor needs her and she’ll be there for him. She hopes he’ll forgive her for what she did, but she’s never going back to that dark place, ever. She couldn’t do it to herself or Connor. Billy’s relieved to hear her say it. Chelsea doesn’t want him to stay with her because he’s scared she’ll unravel. If they don’t have a future, he needs to tell her. Billy is proud of her. Chelsea ask if she’s wrong to have hope.

In Adam’s apartment, he admits to not knowing why he does the things he does. He’s been this way as long as he can remember. Sally tells him his rough childhood and being Victor’s son is not the reason he cheated. Adam says something inside of him is off… or dead. He sabotaged his own happiness and made selfish choices. He wants to stop being like that, but doesn’t know if he can. Sally tries to leave, but Adam blocks the way and wants to go to couples’ counseling. Sally explains that he can’t placate her… he just got done telling her that he doesn’t think he can stop. Adam promises to tell the truth from now on.

At the Abbott mansion, Diane cries to Jack that she can’t run from her history anymore. Jack argues she’s a different person now. Diane says that doesn’t take away the damage she caused their son. Jack won’t let her do this. She was a wonderful mother. Diane says, “Until I abandoned him.” She recalls hiding Kyle in a boarding school and considering having Victor raise him. Jack tells her he never disparaged her to Kyle. Diane cries that for a child that age to believe his mother had been murdered would do serious damage. Then to find out she had stayed away on purpose and was alive? How can that not be the reason he hates her and the source of his anger? Jack thinks she’s being too hard on herself. The dark times are behind them. Diane says that doesn’t erase that she allowed it to happen. Jack believes she’s changed and doesn’t get the sense that Kyle is fixated on this. Diane says he may not be aware that this is the source of his anger. Jack concedes she could be right, but he still thinks taking Victor down a notch or two has to be their first line of attack.

At the Club bar, Kyle tells Victor that conquering Jabot would make a point to his parents, but would also show the world what he’s capable of, “You included.” Victor thinks that bodes well for Glissade, but that’s not the reason he asked him to sit down. “My wife Nikki and I would like to ask you something.” He brings up Claire. Kyle tells him how much Harrison loves her. Victor says they agree that she’s amazing, that’s why they want her in the family business working alongside Nikki. Kyle reminds him she’s committed to working with Harrison. Victor thinks it’s time for a change and suggests that Kyle start looking for a replacement, so she won’t feel so guilty about leaving Harrison. Kyle squints, “Are you asking me to fire her?”

In Adam’s apartment, Sally’s not buying Adam saying he’ll be truthful from now on. “You’re busted and now suddenly you’re a changed man?” Adam wants to do better. Sally wishes him luck with that; his lying is so ingrained it’s next level. Adam is willing to do whatever it takes for them. Sally asks if he rewrites the truth in his head to convince himself that it’s true, or is he so dead inside that he doesn’t care how other people feel. Adam only cares how she feels. He never wants her to be hurt or sad. Sally says, “You told me I could ask you anything and you’d be honest.” She wants to know if there is anyone else, other than Connor, he wants to protect. “Is there anyone else that you love that much?”

At Crimson Lights, Billy asks how Connor would react if they broke up. Chelsea sighs. She knows he senses tension in the air. He’s someone who tends to blame himself. Billy muses that means it could cause him a setback. That’s the last thing he’d want. Chelsea knows adding Connor to his list of concerns is unfair, she’s just asking if things don’t work out, can they tell Connor in the most delicate way, so he doesn’t put the blame on himself?

At the Club bar, Victor says he’s not suggesting Kyle fire Claire, he just wants him to find a replacement, so she feels she can leave. Kyle doesn’t see that happening. Victor thinks it sounds like Claire’s become a mother to the boy and that’s not right. He’ll help find a replacement for her. Kyle tells him, “It wouldn’t be the same.” Victor argues Harrison could still see Claire. “You both can.” Kyle says with him buying a new house, it would be too much change at once.

At the Abbott estate, Jack won’t let Diane shoulder the blame for Kyle’s actions; he’s a grown man. Traci and Alan come in and ask if they’re interrupting something. Diane says, “Not at all,” and asks about their night. Traci and Alan declare that they’ve come to a decision that involves both of them. Jack asks if it’s good news or bad. Diane pipes up that they could use some good news. Traci announces she’s going to live in Genoa City full-time. Alan says he’ll be staying on at the Athletic Club. Diane and Jack are thrilled that Traci will live there and tease them about their “young love”. Jack chortles that this is just the pick-me-up they’ve been looking for.

At Adam’s place, Sally asks again if there is anyone’s else’s feelings he’d want to protect other than hers and Connor’s. Adam says, “You mean Chelsea.” Sally warns him to choose his words carefully. She asks if he was emotionally conflicted because of her. Adam says he and Chelsea are Connor’s parents. There’s history there, but it’s not a good history. This never would have happened under normal circumstances. “I love you, Sally.” Sally screams at him to answer the question!

At the Club bar, Victor tells Kyle that Claire has an MBA and working with Nikki would further her education. Nikki would also like to spend time with her. Kyle would like to honor his request, but he doesn’t think he can.

At Crimson Lights, Billy assures Chelsea that out of anyone, he’s most sensitive to Connor’s needs. She asks how he’s been so even keeled. Billy says he’s all over the place on the inside. She urges him to let it out. Billy’s afraid of where it will take him. He never expected to feel this way again, so he has to make sure it doesn’t get the best of him. Chelsea cries, “I’m so sorry.” Billy knows she’d take it back if she could. Chelsea gulps, “I don’t know what to do!” Billy thinks all she can do is give him time. With that, he grabs his cup and walks off.

At Adam’s place, Sally insists she can’t keep doing this. “The artful dodging, the half answers.” She hollers at Adam to just answer her with a yes or no. Was any of what happened between him and Chelsea about love? Adam finally sighs, “Yes. It was.” Sally cries.

Next on The Young and the Restless: Victor uses Jack and Kyle’s rift to his advantage, Cameron encourages Sharon to visit her dark side, and Nikki gives Lily a history lesson.