On the Monday, May 26th episode of The Young and the Restless, Phyllis reveals her plans to Amanda, Holden pushes Claire’s buttons, and Billy assuages Sally’s fears about Phyllis.
What happened on The Young and the Restless
At the Athletic Club, Claire rambled to Kyle about how Nikki had put a cocky male colleague in his place. Kyle informed her that he had a meeting with Audra in the jazz lounge, and Claire complained about Audra interrupting their dinner plans. Kyle anticipated that it wouldn’t take long for Audra to brag about what she was up to. Kyle planned to take the information and use it against Audra, since it was how the corporate game was played.
Claire suggested she tag along to play referee, but Kyle imagined Audra would be more candid if it was just the two of them. Kyle expected the meeting would allow Claire just enough time to enjoy a vesper before dinner, and he kissed her cheek before heading off. She sighed.
In the jazz lounge, Holden observed that Audra was drinking alone and thought she could use some company. She coldly informed him that she was waiting for Kyle, but it wasn’t what Holden thought. Holden pondered why the heads of competing companies would meet, and he wanted to stay looking out for her the way he had in L.A. Audra groaned that what they’d shared in L.A. was over, but he wasn’t making it easy for her to forget about it. Holden admitted that he wasn’t trying to make it easy.
Kyle approached Audra and Holden and observed that he kept finding them together. Audra chalked it up to both of them living at the club. Holden stepped away, and Kyle noted that it looked like Holden wasn’t ready to give up on what Audra had called a “business history.” Audra ordered Kyle not to read into something that wasn’t there.
Kyle turned the topic to Audra’s text message, and he voiced surprise to get a proposition from a rival who’d already warned that she’d blow him out of the water. Audra cited the buzz around Vibrante hitting the market, and she wanted to control the narrative by turning her rivalry with Kyle into a publicity gimmick. She suggested that they play up the competition between their companies in the media, enticing people to check out both product brands to decide for themselves which one they liked best. Audra envisioned openly arguing and convincing influencers to compare their products to blow up social media.
Kyle admitted he was intrigued, but he pointed out that the idea stood to benefit a startup like Vibrante more than an established empire like Jabot. Audra countered that there was nothing new or exciting about Jabot anymore, but the campaign would hit the refresh button and broaden its consumer base. Kyle considered it a clever pitch that only stood to help Audra grab Jabot’s customers.
Audra compared her idea to the classic film Miracle on 34th Street, in which Kris Kringle sent Macy’s customers to competitors’ stores, only for Macy’s to end up more packed than ever. Audra reminded Kyle that Jabot’s sunscreen had gone viral after he’d exposed himself to the world, and she pictured them leaking internal memos or private text messages on social media while working together to coordinate their responses. Kyle agreed to think about the idea, but he cautioned her against popping the Champagne just yet. She purred that she’d put the bottle on ice.
Holden joined Claire at the Athletic Club bar, and they ordered vespers for one another. He questioned why she was drinking alone when he’d just seen Kyle downstairs with Audra. Holden voiced surprise that Kyle had agreed to discuss business with a direct competitor. Claire contended that she and Kyle kept their personal and professional lives separate. Holden asked if Kyle and Audra had ever had a relationship that wasn’t professional.
Claire wondered why Holden was so curious when Kyle and Audra clearly weren’t together then – unless Holden was suggesting otherwise. Holden pointed out that Kyle and Audra obviously knew one another well, but he hadn’t meant to upset Claire. Claire assured him he hadn’t, but she questioned whether he jealous. Holden claimed that he was just a curious guy, and he told her to forget he’d asked.
Holden referred to what Claire had told him about her history, and he inquired whether Victor was as intimidating as people said. Claire remained silent, and Holden worried that he’d said something wrong. Claire stated that Victor was a loving, generous man who would do anything to protect his family. Holden mentioned that he’d heard Victor could be ruthless with his enemies, and Jack was at the top of that list. Holden imagined Victor wasn’t happy that Claire was dating an Abbott. Kyle returned and asked if everything was okay.
Claire claimed that Holden had just been keeping her company during Kyle’s meeting, and she’d owed Holden one for introducing her to vespers. Kyle figured the two could call it even. Audra appeared and sweetly apologized for stealing Kyle, but Claire flatly replied that Audra hadn’t stolen anyone. Audra thanked Kyle for listening and looked forward to hearing from him. Audra sauntered off, and Holden chased after her. Holden demanded to know if she was trying to work with Kyle or if she was secretly setting him up to fail.
Meanwhile, Kyle shared that Audra had pitched an outrageous idea about playing up their rivalry in the media to benefit from the publicity. Claire remarked that it wasn’t a bad idea, but Kyle cited a flaw in that Audra didn’t want Jabot to succeed. Claire suspected that Audra’s plan had nothing to do with Jabot but something to do with Kyle.
Sally and Billy jogged through the park, and she called it a welcome distraction from Phyllis. Billy offered to touch grass again to convince Sally he wasn’t reconsidering firing Phyllis. Sally conceded that she believed Billy wouldn’t pull Phyllis back into Abbott Communications, but she was still concerned about Phyllis’ threat that they’d be sorry for what they’d done to her. Billy crowed that Phyllis had no power over them, but Sally worried that Phyllis was capable of anything.
Billy figured that Phyllis had just been lashing out because she’d been angry and hurt, and he doubted it was a concern because she was focused on helping her son. Sally feared Phyllis’ mama-bear instinct would only make things worse. Sally marveled that things were going well in her life, and she didn’t want to deal with Phyllis’ drama. She opted to focus on the good, and she vowed to fight back against “the unpredictable mess of Phyllis.”
At Crimson Lights, Amanda told Dumas over the phone that Lily and Devon were confused by what she’d told them about Dumas wanting to protect their company. Phyllis listened as Amanda recounted that the Winters siblings had demanded a face-to-face meeting with Dumas. Amanda promised to handle it, and she noticed Phyllis watching her as she hung up. Phyllis remarked that she wasn’t the only one trying to get an audience with Dumas.
Amanda scolded Phyllis for eavesdropping. Phyllis considered it destiny that they’d crossed paths so they could help one another. Phyllis again appealed to Amanda to help her get a meeting with Dumas, and she envisioned that Dumas would give Amanda a raise for brokering a profitable partnership. Amanda maintained that he wouldn’t change his mind.
Phyllis suggested that Amanda give her a heads-up the next time Dumas had a dinner reservation, so Phyllis could jump on a plane and show up at the same place and time. Amanda balked at risking her lucrative job for Phyllis. Phyllis wondered why Dumas was obsessed with hiding in the shadows, and Amanda queried why Phyllis was fixated on Dumas. Phyllis declared that everything she was doing was for her son.
Phyllis contended that Daniel needed something to throw himself into to find peace and passion in his work again. Amanda sympathized with Phyllis and her family, but she sensed there was more to why it mattered to Phyllis that Dumas be her backer. Phyllis admitted that she had an agenda – and it would blow Amanda’s mind. Phyllis revealed that she was interested in Dumas’ interest in Chancellor, and she expressed her support if he was planning a corporate takeover because Victor and Nikki deserved to fail.
Amanda realized Phyllis was hoping to convince Dumas to put her in charge if he pulled off a Chancellor takeover. Phyllis considered it achievable with Amanda’s help. Amanda admitted it was an inspired plan, but she insisted that Phyllis let it go. Phyllis proposed that she and Amanda run Chancellor together.
Phyllis predicted she and Amanda would be dynamite together, but Amanda warned about what happened to dynamite when it was lit. Amanda swore she was happy with the stability she had, but Phyllis offered to make Amanda a top executive if Amanda helped her get a leadership position. Phyllis imagined the two of them rocking the business world together, and she pledged to make it work. Billy and Sally overheard as they walked by, and he asked what Phyllis meant.
Phyllis barked that it was none of Billy’s business. Billy swore that he’d been asking as a friend, but Phyllis groused that his wellness checks were insulting and patronizing. Phyllis warned that Billy and Sally would find out soon enough that what they’d done to her had been a huge mistake, since she was about to bounce back. Sally reasoned that Billy letting Phyllis go had been the best thing for Phyllis.
Phyllis spat that the only thing Sally had earned was an extravagant gift from her latest conquest, and it was what a roll in hay with Billy was going for those days. Sally retorted that she felt sorry for Phyllis, who had a lot of steam to blow off after being single for such a long time. Billy chimed in that Sally had already proven her worth at the company, and he turned the topic to Phyllis’ new venture. Sally assumed it was a pathetic fantasy.
Phyllis promised that what she had planned would blow everyone out of the water, and she stalked out. Billy asked Amanda if something was really going on or if it was just Phyllis being Phyllis. “I guess we’ll have to wait and see. Won’t we?” Amanda vaguely replied.
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