Next week on The Young and the Restless, Clare Newman steps into a new chapter of her life — one filled not with excitement, but with a quiet, creeping dread. What was supposed to be a simple escape to Los Angeles becomes a turning point she never expected. In L.A.’s fast pace and seductive freedom, Clare let her guard down. Her impulsive night with Holden Novak felt harmless at the time — one night where she stopped thinking and simply felt. She convinced herself she could leave it behind.

But back in Genoa City, her body tells a different story. Fatigue. Nausea. A late period. Unwanted signs whisper the same fear: she might be pregnant.

Clare tries to push the thought away, but it follows her everywhere. The memory of her night with Holden no longer feels carefree — it becomes a shadow hanging over every decision she tries to make. And Victoria Newman sees it. A mother’s intuition tells her something is wrong. She fears Holden, fears his recklessness, fears he could undo the progress Clare has made rebuilding her life. Victoria senses that Clare has stepped out of her safe orbit… and may now be facing consequences she can’t outrun.

Meanwhile, Clare instinctively begins to pull away from Holden. Slow texts. Dodged conversations. Cancelled plans. She’s not pretending the night didn’t matter — she’s simply terrified of letting it become more than she can control.

Her heart, however, moves in another direction entirely.

During the Thanksgiving gathering, Clare and Kyle Abbott share a kiss — one filled with unresolved history, familiarity, and a quiet comfort she hasn’t felt in years. It doesn’t solve anything, but it reveals everything: Clare’s heart is drifting toward Kyle, not Holden. And that truth makes the possibility of pregnancy even more frightening.

As Clare cautiously rebuilds her connection with Kyle, the fear of what might be growing inside her becomes unbearable. Yet she still avoids taking the pregnancy test — unable to face an answer that could rewrite her future overnight.

Everything finally erupts during a confrontation with Audra. Their long-standing rivalry boils over. Sharp words fly. Old insecurities are exposed. Clare’s stress, exhaustion, and fear collide… and she collapses.

The fainting spell shatters the facade Clare has been clinging to. Audra, stunned, rushes to help — and in that moment of panic, her mind pieces together the truth. The symptoms. The rumors about Holden. The emotional shift. The collapse.

Audra realizes: Clare might be pregnant.

And Audra is not the type to forget a weapon like that.

Even while showing concern, she quietly stores the information away — a secret she could unleash at the perfect moment against Clare, Holden, or anyone tied to the fallout.

Clare, meanwhile, reaches the unavoidable line in the sand. The pregnancy test — and everything it represents — waits for her. Whether the result is positive or negative, Clare’s life is already changing. Her choices, her relationships, her future with Kyle or Holden — everything now hinges on the truth she has been too afraid to face.

Next week, Clare stands on the edge of the biggest turning point of her adult life… and there’s no more room to hide.