In 2006, Nick Newman and Phyllis Summers became attracted to each other, and began a steamy affair. Nick's wife Sharon found out, she and Nick separated. Phyllis turned up miraculously pregnant after doctors told that she could never conceive again. She admitted to Nick that the baby could also be Jack's, so Nick took a paternity test. He informed Phyllis that he was the father, but that he intended to stay with Sharon and their son Noah. Phyllis was disappointed, but insisted she could raise their child alone. Jack was disappointed too since he'd always hoped for a reconciliation with Phyllis and a child of his own to raise from birth.
But after Nick told Sharon about the pregnancy, they were divorced. Nick and Phyllis eloped in New Mexico, and returned to Genoa City married and looking forward to the birth of their daughter. On her way to the hospital for a caesarean because her baby was in the breech position, Phyllis and Jack became trapped in the Newman elevator, and Phyllis went into labor. Fearful that the baby would not deliver normally and die, Phyllis implored Jack to cut the baby out of her using a nail scissors. But Jack ended up turning and delivering the baby, who was later named Summer Ann. Jack developed a close bond with Summer, and set up a nursery for her at Newman Enterprises, where Jack and Phyllis both worked.
By 2010, the tables were turned, and Nick left Phyllis when he got Sharon pregnant. Patty Williams attempted to frame Phyllis by making Summer have an allergic reaction and go into a coma by kissing her with peanut butter on her lips. After seeing Nick so distraught over his daughter Summer being in a coma, Sharon realized that Nick needed to be there for Summer and Phyllis. Summer came out of the coma, but with brain damage affecting her speech. Summer’s obsession with watching the video of their wedding made Nick realize how much he really loved Phyllis and wanted them to stay together, even marry her all over again. After their remarriage, Phyllis took Summer to Switzerland for expert help with her recovery from her disability. After she returned to Genoa City, Phyllis quit her job to stay home and spend more time with Summer.
In 2012, Summer showed up at Nick and Phyllis' remarriage aged to a teenager. Not long afterward, she was sent to camp to be a counselor to not have to deal with Daniel's arrest for suspicion of murder. Summer returned home to find her mother, Phyllis, arrested for attempted murder of a federal officer (Christine Blair from back in 1994). Nick tried to send her to New York to live with Noah, but Summer refused and convinced Nick to stand by Phyllis with her.
Summer reacted to hearing that her mother was having an affair with Detective Ronan Malloy by spiking her drink with alcohol, but Ronan caught her, and took her home to her parents. Nick decided to move out and move back to the former tack house at the ranch, and Summer left with him. Later, Abby convinced her to give her mother another chance, but when she entered Phyllis' penthouse, she discovered Phyllis and Ronan getting hot and heavy on the couch, so she left unnoticed. Summer then vandalized Ronan's car, saying that she hated them both. Nick told Ronan he would be after him next if he pressed charges, to let Nick handle Summer. Summer disappeared with Fen, and they hid out in the skating rink, spent the night there, and kissed the next morning. After they were found, and another altercation with Phyllis, Summer took off in her car. Driving recklessly and in tears, she collided with Adam and Chelsea, then ran into a tree, totaling her car. Summer was devastated when Chelsea let her know that the accident had caused Chelsea to miscarry. Phyllis was freed on after her case was dismissed on a technicality, and Nick filed for divorce. Still mad at her parents, Summer went to Avery to get her help to file for emancipation.
After observing Ronan with a teenage boy at Crimson Lights, Summer stole the kid's wallet and quizzed him discovering that he was Jamie Vernon, a juvenile delinquent who was being mentored by Ronan. Using a fake FacePlace profile as "Brittni", Summer friended Jamie and got him to admit he had been arrested for breaking into his dad's girlfriend's house and trashed the place because she ruined his family. When Fen discovered Summer posting it online to get back at Ronan, Fen accused her of bullying and begged her to stop. After confiding in Ronan, Jamie unfriended "Brittni," and Ronan told Phyllis he suspected it was Summer. Phyllis tried to get close to Summer again, but failed, so she enlisted her sister Avery's help. Avery made cupcakes with Summer, and she seemed to bond with her, helping Summer to realize that emancipation was not a good idea. Summer encouraged Avery to get serious with her father Nick.
Noah found out about her bullying Jamie, and cautioned Summer about her irresponsible actions. Summer went to Jamie and assured him that she was not "Brittni" or like the rest of the kids who picked on him. Fen accused her of faking it, but she claimed she actually liked him. Summer came on to Fen again to try to get him not to rat her out to their parents, and Fen reacted by pulling away and telling her he didn’t really like her very much. But Fen jealously took over taunting Jamie due to Summer and his father Michael's sudden interest in the boy. Phyllis found out that Summer had been skipping school, and they came to an understanding after Phyllis related how she had left home when she was too young, and that she didn't want Summer to have the life she had by heading down the same path. For her birthday, Summer received a new car from Nick and an infinity charm necklace from Phyllis, and everything appeared to be forgiven.
Jamie's father was arrested for a hit and run DUI, and causing an injury. Once his father went to jail, Jamie would have no one to live with, and would be headed for foster care. Hearing about this, Fen became jealous, sure that his parents would take the kid in. Later, while talking with Summer, Jamie kissed her. Jamie was put in a group home, and Michael discovered Jamie had been beaten up by his roommates, but was unable to persuade a judge to intercede. Fen saw Summer hugging Jamie again over his injuries and went off on them, telling Jamie that Summer was his FacePlace stalker Brittni, causing Jamie to pack his things and disappear. Michael confided in Paul how concerned he was that Fen was heading toward becoming another Ricky or young Michael or Kevin, being so full of rage. Paul tried to reason with Fen and convince him that Michael loved and wanted to help him.
Jamie was found unconscious after falling from a roof and Fen's camera was found at the scene. Jamie regained consciousness and was released, but he refused to tell anyone what had happened. Jamie told Summer that she and Fen were both responsible for everything that had happened to him. Summer apologized, explaining that by bullying him as Britni she had only been trying to get back at Ronan, but now realized it was pretty dumb. Then after a verbal fight between Fen and Jamie, Jamie decided to press charges against Fen, and Fen was arrested for assault. After Fen was bailed out by Lauren, he decided to run away. Summer picked him up hitchhiking, and talked him into going home.
After Paul found Jamie attempting to jump from the same roof, he convinced Jamie that he could help him make things better. Jamie admitted that he had lied and had been attempting suicide that night on the roof with Fen, and the changes were dropped against Fen. Jamie told Paul about being bullied by Summer and Fen, so Paul visited Phyllis and let her in on what had been going on. Phyllis and Summer had a heart to heart, and they seemed to be on the road to understanding that they were so much alike. Much to Fen's relief, Ronan was granted guardianship of Jamie and he moved to Washington, D.C. to live with Ronan after apologizing to the Baldwins for all the trouble he had caused them. Summer happened upon Jamie and Paul on their way to the airport and apologized to Jamie and wished him well.
Abby warned Kyle that Summer had crush on him, but he wouldn't believe it. Meanwhile Summer wrangled a job as an intern at Jabot working with Jack to be close to Kyle, and pumped Jack for information on Kyle. Unable to get Kyle to pay attention to her, Summer arranged for him to walk in on her without her blouse, claiming that she had spilled coffee on it. Kyle was mortified and tried to turn away, finally giving her his jacket to cover herself – just as Phyllis walked in on them. Phyllis saw through Summer's ruse and sent Kyle away. Phyllis told Summer that she wanted her first time to be special, that Kyle had no feelings for Summer, and she would only get hurt. Phyllis asked Summer, "How many times have you said you did not want to be like me?" and told her to back off. Afterward Phyllis told Nick about Summer's bullying of Jamie, and that she was going to be doing community service for it that summer.
Kyle walked out of his shower to find Summer naked in his bed. He asked her to get dressed, and told her he thought of her as family, as the little girl with her dolls. When Summer was not dissuaded, Kyle told her he was involved with someone else, and that she was too young. So Summer's friend Courtney gave her a makeover to show him she was no longer a kid. Kyle did a double-take when he saw Summer, but still told her no.
Phyllis returned from a romantic trip to Istanbul with Jack, ready to move in with him. Summer approved, hoping it would mean that she could live where Kyle lived, at Abbott Manor. Claiming to want to be close to Phyllis and put off by Avery's presence in Nick's life, Phyllis asked Jack if Summer could move in too, and he reluctantly agreed.
Lily came up with a Jabot Face of Fashion marketing campaign called "Dare to be Different" for Chelsea's designs using unknown models, and it was approved with Lily working with Tyler. Tyler suggested Summer as their model. Chelsea forgave Summer for the death of her unborn child, saying that they were both getting a second chance. Tyler offered Mason Wilder a modeling job. All were impressed with the test shoot with Mason and Summer. Summer celebrated by going to The Underground with her friend Courtney using a fake ID. She was caught by Tyler, who cautioned her that she would be jeopardizing her new job. Then both Noah and Nick arrived, and they were busted.
After Nick overheard Summer confiding in Avery about wanting Kyle to be her first sexual experience, he went ballistic on Kyle. As Summer told her mother how Nick over-reacts to the very idea of her and Kyle, Nick pulled Summer's paternity results from a locked box.
