Young & Restless’ Melissa Ordway on Who Abby Thinks Kidnapped Dominic

It seems life is about to shatter for Abby on The Young and the Restless. What begins as a quiet, happy moment with her young son, Dominic, quickly turns into every parent’s worst fear. As the kidnapping storyline unfolds, Melissa Ordway opens up about Abby’s mindset, her panic as a mother, and why Mariah is the last person Abby would ever suspect.

Melissa Ordway on why Abby doesn’t suspect Mariah as Dominic’s kidnapper on The Young and the Restless

Melissa Ordway told Soap Opera Digest that Abby never even considers Mariah as a possible suspect because she has no idea how far Mariah has emotionally drifted. “Mariah has been isolating herself…for months,” leaving Abby and Devon completely unaware of her fragile mental state.

As a result, Abby’s fear points in a very different direction. “Her first fears are that it’s someone trying to get back at her dad,” Ordway explained, referring to Victor Newman. She added that Abby assumes the threat is aimed at the Newman family, not someone close to them.

The kidnapping begins in an almost innocent way. Abby and Dominic step outside to enjoy the winter weather, building a snowman and playing together. When Dominic suddenly disappears, Abby initially believes he’s hiding as part of a game. She thinks it’s “hide-and-go-seek,” Ordway said, explaining that Dominic is usually well-behaved and would never intentionally scare his parents. However, as minutes turn into panic, Abby realizes something is terribly wrong.

As Abby’s fear grows, so does her heartbreak. Ordway described her character’s thoughts racing nonstop. She thought about Dominic being cold and scared. Finding one of his mittens only deepened her dread. Abby couldn’t eat, sleep, or think about anything except finding her son. “It’s all the things that go through a mom’s head,” Ordway said.

For Ordway, the scenes were very emotional, as she herself has two daughters. “If someone even looks at my kid the wrong way,” she instantly goes on alert, Ordway admitted.