The Young and the Restless spoilers for the episode set to air on January 14, 2026

Victor Newman’s deal falls apart

Victor Newman starts Wednesday’s episode dealing with the fallout of failed negotiations. His attempt at making a deal with Cane Ashby and Phyllis Summers fails, leaving Victor stuck at a time when his company is in a weak spot. Phyllis, who always looks for a chance to win, enjoys Victor’s failure and teases him about losing his power.

Phyllis uses the success she and Cane have built, making it clear she thinks their plan to take over Victor’s business is working. Even though Victor refuses to say he lost, his usual strength is shaken. He might promise to get even and say he will win in the end, but for now, the truth is clear, Victor lost this fight, and his enemies know it.

---

Nikki Newman questions Victor’s judgment

After the failed deal, Victor talks to Nikki Newman, but instead of working together, they get into a fight. Nikki is very angry that Victor’s long standing fight with Jack Abbott messed up his recent decisions. She believes he was so focused on beating Jack that he missed smarter ways to stop the current mess.

Nikki points out that if Victor had secured the AI program he wanted to use against Jack, his company might not be in such trouble now. What worries her even more is that Victor keeps saying everything is fine. The more he tries to tell Nikki not to worry, the less she believes him, suspecting he is just saying what she wants to hear instead of facing the truth.

---

Sharon Newman learns Mariah and Tessa are unraveling

Across town, Sharon Newman talks to Tessa Porter and quickly sees that something is wrong. Tessa shares that her relationship with Mariah Copeland has gotten even worse. Mariah left a clinic in Boston and has refused to come home, stopping almost all talk between them.

Tessa admits that the distance and Mariah’s refusal to share her feelings have been too much to handle. After months of being pushed away, she has reached her limit. Sharon listens closely, worried about how serious Tessa sounds, especially because it feels like there might be no easy way to fix their relationship.

---

Tessa moves forward with divorce plans

In a heartbreaking revelation, Tessa tells Sharon that she has already started the divorce process. Sharon gently asks if Tessa might be moving too fast and asks her to think about how long Mariah has been having a hard time. However, Tessa explains that this has been happening for months and she cannot handle the constant emotional pain anymore.

Tessa feels she has given all she can and believes ending the marriage is the only way to stop herself from being hurt more. While Sharon tries to be understanding and give her advice, it is clear that Tessa has made up her mind.

---

Nick Newman takes matters into his own hands

Nick Newman decides he is done waiting for other people to fix the mess involving Matt Clark. Nick plans to leave the hospital and take charge of the situation himself. He gets more frustrated when he hears that Jack Abbott’s deal with Victor failed, leaving no easy way to solve the problem.

Instead of just standing there, Nick chooses to act. He decides to go talk to Jack directly, hoping to make his own deal about Matt. Nick is ready to try his best to convince him, believing a new plan might work where others failed.