Young & The Restless Update
Recap written by Christine
In the hallway of Newman Locke, Victoria asked Nick what Victor was supposed to be saying to her. Nick was confused. âDad talked to you. You already know,â he said. Victoria was gettinfg upset because she thought Nick was lying to her. She said sheâd always been able to count on him to be honest with her, even if they were disagreeing. She asked what was going on. He wouldnât respond, so she went back into the office to confront their parents. Nick joined her. Victoria accused everyone in the room of conspiring about her behind her back. âPlease tell me whatâs going on,â she said. Victor said that Victoria already knew what was going on â he asked her and Ashland to hold off on signing the paper making him a co-CEO until they knew how Ashlandâs health was doing. Victoria knew all that, but she also knew everyone was keeping something from her.
âNicholas assumed that dad had told me something, but when I asked what that something might be, he wasnât very forthcoming,â Victoria said. âI was just trying tooâŚâ Nick started. Victoria replied that she thought he was trying to cover something up. She asked Victor what was going on, given that he seemed to be spying on her and Ashland. Victor said he didnât need to spy â his name was on the building. Nick pretended that heâd just wanted to ask Victoria about signing the co-CEO contract. She told Nick that he didnât work here, so he had no business knowing about that. He said that, as her brother, he cared about things that affected her. Nikki said Nick was looking out for Victoria. Victor said he cared too, and he didnât think Ashland should become co-CEO. Victor said that Victoria had done a damn good job running the company by herself. Victoria knew something else was going on here, but she decided to go check on her husband. âStay out of my business and leave me and Ashland alone!,â she spat, then she left.
Nick digested the news that Victoria wanted to make Ashland co-CEO. Victor said it was Ashlandâs idea â Ashland was inching closer to wanting to take over the company. Nikki was still giving Ashland the benefit of the doubt, and Nick didnât think she should. Nikki thought there might be more to the story than they knew, but she admitted things werenât looking good for Ashland. Which was why sheâd advised Victoria not to sign the contract. Victor wasnât going to tell Victoria that Ashland faked his cancer, unless he had no choice. Nick wasnât comfortable hiding things from Victoria while Victor figured out how to deal with Ashland. Nick said Victoria was furious with them. Victor said that was too bad â it beat the alternative of Ashland taking over the family business. This was why Nick had wanted to stay out of this, but now he couldnât because he couldnât turn his back on Victoria, and he had to make sure Ashland paid. Victor said heâd take care of everything. Nick hoped so. He left.
Nikki thought Nick was right to be concerned. She said when Victor confronted Ashland, he didnât even blink or show any remorse. Victor said Ashland would be gone soon enough. Nikki said Ashland was trapped in a corner, and that was when men like that were dangerous. Nikki said Ashland wouldnât back down from a fight, the same as Victor. She worried that Victor didnât have as much of a handle on the situation as he thought he did. Victor said that if Ashland tried anything, Victor would show him no mercy.
Ashland finished his drink and was leaving Society when Nate walked in. Nate had been thinking about Ashlandâs job offer, and though theyâd need to discuss terms before he could make a decision, he was leaning toward accepting it. Ashland was friendly, but he kind of blew Nate off and kept walking. Nate asked what was going on. Ashland apologized and said not to read anything into his mood. Ashland was late for a meeting, but he wanted to have a discussion with Nate later, maybe over dinner. Concerned, Nate said Ashland seemed frazzled, and he didnât look well. Ashland said he was fine. Nate said he didnât mean to pry. Ashland said that his old symptoms had returned, and he was feeling a little nervous.
Nate and Ashland sat down at the bar and Nate asked Ashland about his symptoms. Ashland said that he felt fatigued or had trouble breathing a couple times a week, but it was manageable. It might just be a bug. Nate said that Ashland needed to see his oncologist. Ashland said that was the appointment heâd been on his way to when Nate stopped him. Nate offered to accompany Ashland, for support. Ashland appreciated the offer, but he declined and said heâd call Nate afterward and tell him what the doctor said. Ashland got a text from Victoria saying to call her. She mentioned she was at Crimson Lights. After Ashland left, Nikki and Victor ran into Nate at Society. they started talking about Nate possibly coming to work for Newman Locke. Victor and Nikkiâs interest was piqued when Nate mentioned that he just saw Ashland. Nikki asked if Ashlandâs health seemed okay. Nate remembered Victor asking about Ashlandâs health the last time they talked. Victor said Ashland was family, and they were concerned because the last time they saw him, he had a hard time breathing.
Nate didnât want to disclose medical information. Victor said he wasnât asking for test results, just asking if Ashland seemed healthy. Nate admitted Ashland seemed under the weather, but that could be stress or a common cold. Nate left. Victor asked what Nikki thought. Nikki wasnât ready to condemn Ashland for going to Society when he was supposedly sick. She suggested that heâd come to get some takeout on the way home. âMaybe he wasnât acting acting at all. Maybe he just isnât feeling well,â she said. Victor didnât buy it. Nikki was still struggling with the idea that Ashland lied about his health. Victor knew Nikki didnât want to believe Ashland had deceived Victoria. Nikki suggested that the doctors lied to Michael and said what they thought Victor wanted to hear in hopes of a big payout. Victor trusted Michael. Nikki thought they needed to be certain before Victor did anything.
At Crimson Lights, Victoria called Ashland. She said she went home to check on him, and he wasnât there. She was worried. Sharon overheard the call. As Sharon got Victoriaâs drink, Victoria asked if Ashland had stopped in. She explained that heâd been feeling sick, and now she didnât know where he was. Sharon said if she saw Ashland, sheâd tell him Victoria was looking for him. Nick showed up and asked Victoria to talk. She was on her way out, but agreed to give him a minute. He didnât like how they left things at the office. They rehashed the conversation from earlier. He said things hadnât been the same between them since the wedding, and he hated that. He didnât want her to shut him out.
Victoria didnât want to lose the progress she and Nick made, but after today, it was hard for her to believe he was on her side. She knew he didnât like or respect Ashland. He said he was trying, and she said that was all she wanted. Ashland came in and overheard Victoria say she wanted her family to accept Ashland and stop trying to undermine her happiness. Ashland walked up and put his arm around Victoria. Ashland said he and Victoria wanted Nick to see that Ashland loved and cared about Victoria and would do anything to make her happy. Ashland said there was no need to worry about Victoria where he was concerned, and she didnât need protecting. Nick said that was good to know. Ashland thought itâd help if Victoria knew Nick was on her side. Nick said he always was. Victoria wanted to believe that. Ashland wanted Victoria to have anything her heart desired. He asked if they could all just work together. Sharon walked up and told Nick that she needed to talk to him about Mariah and Tessa. She took him out to the patio.
Nick asked what was going on with Mariah and Tessa. Sharon just said that to get Nick away from Ashland. Sharon knew Nick well enough to know he was a split second from doing something heâd regret. Nick admitted he was two minutes from losing it on Ashland and confronting him. It wouldâve been disastrous because Ashland wouldâve denied everything and Victoria wouldâve sided with him. Nick said he went to see Victoria earlier and accidentally created a minefield. He said his dad had a plan to get Ashland out of their lives without Victoria ever knowing the truth. He appreciated Sharon pulling him away from Ashland, and he was glad she was always there for him. She said anytime.
Ashland hoped they got through to Nick. Victoria was more concerned about Ashlandâs health. She thought he should be home in bed. He was feeling better. She hoped her fatherâs interference didn’tâ contribute to how he was feeling. He said it was a momentary thing, and he was fine. She was planning to move ahead with their agreement. She asked if he signed the contract. He said not yet. He got a text. âFound another doctor who gave info to Baldwin. Took care of all three of themâ it said. Ashland told Victoria that there was something he needed to tell her about Victor.
Phyllis and Jack went to the house in LA that heâd learned about through the mysterious texts. âThis is Keemoâs house,â Jack said. He felt nervous, because he didnât know who or what was at the other side of the door. He knocked and nobody answered, so he was going to leave, but she tried the door, and it was unlocked. They debated whether or not itâd be okay to just walk in. Phyllis figured that the texter left the door unlocked on purpose for Jack. He didnât agree. Phyllis reasoned that since Keemoâs obituary didnât mention a wife, Jack was probably next of kin, so he had a right to go into the house. Jack noted that the obituary didnât mention Keemoâs half-sister either. The half sister had been out of the country for decades. Entering the house didnât feel right to Jack, but Phyllis said they didnât come all this way to leave without answers. She opened the door, and he hesitantly went inside and called out asking if anyone was home. Most of Keemoâs personal effects had been moved out, and the furniture was covered, so the walls could be repainted. Jack wondered who packed up the house. He hoped Keemo had someone close in his life.
Jack wondered why someone wanted him to come to this empty house. He felt like he was trespassing. âI feel like Keemo wouldnât want me here,â he said. Phyllis suggested that Jack see this as a way to reconnect with his son. Jack said Keemo died not wanting anything to do with him. Phyllis told Jack she was here for him, but she wasnât going to let him second-guess himself. She told him that he chose not to blow off the texts. She thought that this was a way to reconnect with his son. He thought it was too late, but she believed he could at least find out who Keemo became. She added that they could find out who was sending him the texts. He did want to know who the texter was, and he wanted to find out something about Keemoâs life. He wanted to know Keemo built a happy life, even if Jack wasnât included in it.
They checked the house, and it was all as empty as the living room. Jack wondered if this living room was the place Keemo spent the most of his time â did he enjoy the sunrise here? Sit on this couch and read? It was hard trying to piece together the life of someone you didnât know well, but who was very important to you. Jack went through a box and found a stack of envelopes addressed to him. Letters written by Keemo, but never sent. Phyllis noted that this was the only box in the house, so it was clear that it was left here for Jack. She was going to leave Jack alone with the letters, but he asked her to stay. Jack noted that Keemo signed all his letters with his birth name, Keemo, not Hao.
In the letters, Keemo was clearly working through his feelings about Jack. Jack didnât know if Keemo ever planned to mail them or if writing them was a therapeutic exercise. In one letter, Keemo said he tried to let his anger with Jack go, but after he left Genoa City, something inside him wouldnât be at peace. In another, Keemo apologized for the angry emails heâd sent Jack. Keemo explained that heâd been angry about all the time heâd lost with his mother, because he didnât know she was dying. Jack said Laun didnât want anyone to know she was ill. âShe didnât tell me. I found out by accident. Kept it to myself,â Jack told Phyllis. Phyllis said it mustâve been difficult for Jack to keep that from everyone, including Luan. Jack didnât say anything to Keemo, because he thought he was honoring Luanâs wishes.
âI finally found some peace. I changed my name to Hao Nguyen,â Keemo wrote. Keemo/Hao explained that he was honoring his motherâs memory by taking his maternal grandfatherâs the name, and freeing himself from the conflict of being Jack Abbottâs son. âI feel like Iâm on a new path,â the letter said, and Jackâs voice broke as he read it. Phyllis assured Jack that he was a great man and an incredible father. Jack said it seemed that Keemo found a way to move on. âIâm no longer angry, but I canât look back for fear that rage will return. So while Iâve forgiven you, I canât ever have a relationship with you. Itâs better for everyone. I hope that you can understand that and forgive me. Your son, Keemo.â
Phyllis thought Jack was being selfless. She said Keemo chose something that was good for him, but bad for Jack. Jack agreed that it wasnât good for him. He hated that Keemo never felt comfortable enough to reach out for him, but he was glad Keemo found some forgiveness in his heart at the end. All the letters were written in the last twelve months, as if Keemo knew he didnât have much longer to live. Phyllis pointed out that the obituary said it was a heart attack. Jack knew that heart attacks were usually sudden, but he wondered if Keemo had received a diagnosis that made him decide to work through these issues. Jack sighed about all the questions, and Phyllis promised theyâd get answers.
Phyllis went to the backyard. She returned and reported that it was gorgeous, filled with flowers, and there was an orange tree. She asked if Jack wanted to see it. He wanted to leave, as he was feeling overwhelmed. Phyllis said there were more letters to go through, so he couldnât stop now. She picked up the letters and found a picture of Keemo, two women and a young girl. She showed it to Jack. On the back, it said Vietnam, June 2012.
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