Is Michael really through working for Victor?
On the May 23 episode of The Young and the Restless, Michael faces off with Victor, Kyle plays with fire, and Diane and Jack make big plans.
What Happened on Y&R?
At the Abbott house, Diane (Susan Walters) showed Jack (Peter Bergman) some travel plans for their long-overdue honeymoon. Jack loved everything she picked and was thrilled by the idea of whisking her away.
At the office, Kyle (Michael Mealor) was more distracted by a gift basket of sweets from Claire (Hayley Erin) than his parents’ plans. When Diane stopped by, she mentioned their trip could stretch to a month. Kyle assured her he could hold down the fort at Jabot, but Diane worried that his obsession with Audra (Zuleyka Silver) might become a bigger issue than business.
Diane could see that Claire wasn’t comfortable with Kyle’s scheming, and Kyle didn’t deny it. He admitted that the more he thinks about Victor (Eric Braeden) and Audra, the more it eats away at him.
Kyle said he struggled to be the man Claire believed he could be. Diane urged him not to become like Victor and reminded him of how far Claire had come. They shared a touching moment before Kyle got a text from Audra asking to meet. He told his mom he planned to surprise her with a counterattack. Diane wasn’t thrilled but warned him to be careful.
Michael Cuts Ties With Victor
Meanwhile, Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) showed off her new locket to Lauren (Tracey Bregman) at the GCAC and revealed it was just the beginning of her birthday celebrations.
Lauren shared that Michael (Christian Le Blanc)had finally told Victor he was done. When Jack joined them, they all agreed Victor wouldn’t take the news well. Lauren warned she’d kill Victor if he dragged Michael back in, and Nikki noted no other lawyer could rein him in.
Over at the new ranch, Michael broke the news to Victor. He explained it was time to put Lauren first. Victor said he understood…until he didn’t.
Victor refused to accept Michael’s resignation, insisted Michael would always come back, and tried to strong-arm him into staying. Michael stayed firm, said goodbye, and left. When Nikki walked in, Victor fumed and forbade her from ever mentioning Michael again.
Back at home, Jack filled Diane in and promised that if Victor brought the fight to them, they’d hit back hard.
At the jazz lounge, Michael met Lauren and told her he’d done it. She promised to stand by him and make sure he never regretted it.
