Victor Newman continued to provide comfort to Nikki, who was stricken by a potentially life-threatening illness. Ashley Abbott, who was pregnant by Victor, declined Matt Newman's proposal. Instead, she aborted Victor's baby. When Victor discovered that Ashley had been pregnant with his baby and had had an abortion, he berated her. Traumatized, Ashley suffered a nervous breakdown in New York City. Since she wasn't carrying any identification, Ashley ended up in an overcrowded mental institution, where she was treated by Dr. Lassister.

Eventually, John Abbott located his daughter, Ashley, in the New York mental institution. He arranged for her return to Genoa City. Meanwhile, Dr. Lassister, who had fallen in love with his patient, also moved to Genoa City so that he could pursue a romance with Ashley.

Nikki discovered that she was facing a possible terminal disease. Determined to make sure that her daughter, Victoria, had a mother figure in her life, Nikki ultimately accepted Ashley's romance with Victor. But before Nikki could step aside, and open the door for Victor and Ashley to reconcile, Nikki's doctor announced that her disease was in remission. Overjoyed, Nikki rushed to tell Victor the news. When Nikki arrived home, she accidentally saw Victor embrace Ashley.

Jumping to the wrong conclusion that Victor and Ashley were lovers again, Nikki decided that Victor was only with her because of her disease. Angered, she also decided not to tell Victor the news about her clean bill of health. She resumed her affair with Jack Abbott and conspired with him to have Victor sign over his shares of the Mergeron stock to her. Victor's close friend, Douglas Austin, accidentally discovered Nikki's involvement with Jack. Soon after, Nikki came down with a bad case of food poisoning and she was rushed to a doctor. Talking to Nikki's doctor, Victor inadvertently discovered that her disease was in remission. Outraged by her deception, Victor announced that he was filing for divorce. And he was left hoping that there was still time for him to reconcile with Ashley.