Why The Young And The Restless' Jack And Nick Feared Summer And Kyle Were Siblings
"The Young and the Restless" has no shortage of legendary couples, including Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) and Nikki Reed (Melody Thomas Scott), Nick Newman (Joshua Morrow) and Sharon Newman (Sharon Case), and Michael Baldwin (Christian LeBlanc) and Lauren Fenmore (Tracy Bregman). However, one of the supercouples that have emerged over the last few years is of the younger variety. Kyle Abbott and Summer Newman have been put through the wringer to get where they are today.
Before they were happily married in an off-screen Italian wedding, per Soaps, they jumped over numerous obstacles to finally be together. Whether it was another woman in the picture like Sasha Calle's Lola Rosales or the unexpected wrinkle of Kyle fathering a child years before they were together, Kyle and Summer have had a lot to work through (via Soaps Spoilers). Unfortunately for the happy couple, their first — and possibly largest issue — was through no fault of their own.
There was a clear attraction between Kyle and Summer from the moment they shared the screen together as young adults, then played by Lachlan Buchanan and Hunter King, respectively. However, an unexpected and appalling dirty deed by someone in their inner circle threatened everything. Innocent feelings that seemed poised for something greater became a cesspool of shame and confusion. After developing a romantic connection, a bombshell that Summer and Kyle could be siblings sent everyone involved spiraling.
Sharon wanted revenge against Nick and Phyllis
To state that Sharon Newman has created her fair share of mayhem in Genoa City would be a massive understatement. According to Soaps In Depth, at one point, Sharon torched the Newman ranch during her ongoing feud with Victor Newman. However, in Sharon's defense, most of her wicked ways occurred when she was off of her bipolar medication, something that led to the moment that changed Summer Newman and Kyle Abbott's lives forever. They weren't her intended victims, though.
At the time, Sharon couldn't handle seeing her former husband, Nick Newman, enthralled in a relationship with Phyllis Summers (Michelle Stafford). Sharon was already the mother of Nick's children, so it was difficult for her to see Nick having a daughter with another woman, especially after the death of her oldest, Cassie Newman (Camryn Grimes). Due to Phyllis' sexual encounters with both Nick and Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman), there was always some speculation about the paternity of her daughter, Summer, though everyone accepted Nick as her father. With her bipolar disorder not in check, Sharon opted for an aggressive, revenge-based approach to getting back at Phyllis (via Michael Fairman TV).
Summer's growing closeness with Jack's son Kyle gave Nick pause and led him to finally seek clarification regarding Summer's paternity in case things further developed between the kids. What Nick didn't account for, however, was how far Sharon was willing to go to achieve the ultimate payback.
Phyllis confronted Sharon about her deceit
Focused on revenge, Sharon Newman believed she had no other option but to inflict punishment and ruin Nick Newman and Phyllis Summers' lives by altering the paternity test results to make it appear that Jack was Summer's true biological father (via Soap Central). Not only was Nick crushed by the false revelation, but it stopped any forward movement of Summer Newman and Kyle Abbott's romance in its tracks.
Naturally, this created some weirdness and conflicting emotions between Kyle and Summer. They went from being blooming lovebirds to being trapped in an uncomfortable position as half-siblings. Sharon's antics wreaked havoc on everyone's lives, but her careless decisions came back to haunt her after a conversation at the grave of her deceased daughter, Cassie Newman.
Phyllis overheard Sharon spilling the beans about her horrendous actions and ultimately decided to confront her about it, hoping to expose the treachery and bring peace back to everyone's lives. However, during their heated exchange, Phyllis tumbled down the stairs, and her injuries landed her in a long-term coma (via Soaps In Depth). This was the biggest relief Sharon could've asked for at the time, but thankfully for Kyle and Summer, her secret wouldn't stay buried for too long.
Summer's paternity was finally revealed
Sharon's actions went undiscovered for about a year because Phyllis was comatose. During that time, Summer Newman and Jack Abbott grew closer under the false assumption they were father and daughter. However, once Phyllis emerged from her coma, she found her way back to Genoa City, determined to reclaim her life (via Soap Central).
During her mother's time in a coma, Summer married someone else, believing that Kyle Abbott was off-limits since the test showed them to be brother and sister. When she returned, Phyllis brought Sharon back to the scene of the crime, the infamous stairwell, ready to expose her lies (via Michael Fairman TV). Eventually, the kids learned the truth, and Summer and Nick Newman were reunited as father and daughter. However, Jack's heart was deeply broken because of the closeness he developed with Summer.
Further down the road, Kyle and Summer reunited, and after overcoming a few more obstacles. They are now in a loving, committed marriage and raising Kyle's son, Harrison, together at the Abbott mansion. Even though there is always the potential for their relationship to be shaken up in the future, they can rest easy knowing the nightmare of being siblings is a thing of the past.