On The Young and the Restless, few storylines unfold quietly by accident. When the show begins circling back to long-buried emotional ground, history tells us that something explosive is coming. And right now, all signs point to a storyline that could permanently reshape one of Genoa City’s most fragile families. At the center of it all is little Dominic Newman Abbott — and the shocking possibility that Abby Newman may not be his biological mother after all.

What began as a subtle narrative echo has rapidly turned into one of the most unsettling arcs the show has teased in years. Executive producer and head writer Josh Griffith has already warned viewers that devastating heartache lies ahead for Abby Newman and Devon Hamilton. But heartbreak may be the least of their worries. If the breadcrumbs are leading where many fans suspect, a vicious courtroom showdown — one that questions Dominic’s very parentage — could be on the horizon.

Mariah’s Trauma Isn’t Just a Side Story

The warning signs began with Mariah Copeland, whose emotional unravelling has been impossible to ignore. After enduring a deeply traumatic incident during a business trip, Mariah’s mental health spiraled. She sought treatment, left prematurely, isolated herself in a bleak hotel room, and began experiencing terrifying hallucinations involving Ian Ward.

On this show, Ian never appears without purpose. His presence is a psychological weapon — a manifestation of fear, manipulation, and unresolved trauma. And just before he began invading Mariah’s thoughts again, her mind drifted somewhere very specific: her pregnancy. Not just any pregnancy, but the one where she carried Dominic as a surrogate.

At the time, the arrangement seemed clean on paper. Mariah carried the child. Devon was the biological father. Abby was meant to be the biological mother. A modern family built on trust, consent, and medical precision.

But in Genoa City, “clean” arrangements rarely stay clean.

A Whisper That Changes Everything

Ian’s chilling encouragement — urging Mariah to “take back what’s hers” — struck viewers as disturbingly specific. Fans immediately began asking the same question: what exactly does Mariah believe belongs to her?

Is it her peace of mind? Her stolen sense of safety? Or something far more dangerous?

Online speculation exploded. Some fans joked nervously about a potential kidnapping storyline. Others went further, revisiting old episodes and questioning whether Abby’s eggs were ever definitively confirmed. As one viewer pointed out, Abby did undergo fertility treatments. But soaps thrive on medical twists — switched samples, mislabeled files, and buried secrets are part of the genre’s DNA.

And then came Josh Griffith’s tease: a major mystery involving Abby and Devon, directly tied to Mariah’s current arc.

That wasn’t subtle. That was a warning shot.

What If Dominic Isn’t Abby’s After All?

Imagine the implications if Mariah begins to believe — or worse, discovers — that her own egg was used in the surrogacy process without her knowledge. A medical mix-up. A falsified record. A secret covered up in the chaos of desperation and grief.

Suddenly, Dominic isn’t just a child caught between adults. He becomes the focal point of a legal and emotional earthquake.

If Mariah is biologically tied to Dominic, Abby’s claim as his mother becomes vulnerable. Devon, already grappling with guilt and fractured loyalties, would be forced to confront the reality that his son’s life was built on a lie. And Mariah — unstable, traumatized, and psychologically manipulated by Ian — could become dangerously determined to reclaim what she believes is rightfully hers.

This isn’t just family drama. This is scorched-earth territory.

A Courtroom Battle Waiting to Explode

Legal fallout feels inevitable. Longtime fans have already noted the narrative timing lining up perfectly for the return of Christine Blair in full courtroom mode. If this storyline reaches the justice system, it won’t be polite. It won’t be quick. And it certainly won’t spare anyone’s reputation.

Abby, a woman who has already fought tooth and nail to become a mother, would be forced into the fight of her life — defending not just custody, but her very identity as Dominic’s mom. Mariah would be battling for recognition, truth, and emotional survival. Devon would be torn between them, facing the devastating possibility that every decision he made came at the cost of someone else’s child.

And hovering over it all is Ian Ward, a master manipulator who thrives on chaos. Whether he’s exploiting a real secret or planting a catastrophic lie, the damage may be irreversible by the time the truth comes out.

A Storyline That Changes Everything

If The Young and the Restless commits fully to this arc, the consequences will echo for years. Families will fracture. Loyalties will shatter. And Dominic — too young to understand any of it — will grow up in the shadow of a battle that defines his future before he can speak.

The question isn’t whether this storyline will get ugly. It’s how far the show is willing to go.

Is Mariah truly Dominic’s biological mother, robbed of the truth and pushed to the brink by trauma and manipulation? Or is Ian weaponizing her pain, steering her toward an unforgivable act that will destroy multiple families?

One thing is certain: if this secret breaks, Genoa City will never look the same again.