2007: Ava Benton’s childhood left something to be desired. Her father, Denny Benton, abandoned her when she was a child. As a teenager, she lived on the streets as a prostitute. Her luck changed when Aidan Devane confronted her thinking she was someone else. Ava had a remarkable likeness to Pine Valley resident Lily Benton Montgomery, Denny’s child from a second marriage.
Ava’s wild ways made the Montgomery family apprehensive because Lily was autistic. But Lily insisted Ava be a part of her life. Ava pushed the limits, sleeping with Lily’s cousin Sean Montgomery and even helping Adam Chandler plant drugs on him. This was the last straw for Lily’s adoptive father, Jackson Montgomery, who kicked Ava out of the house. Ava’s own drug problems caught up with her when she overdosed.
Ava found refuge in Wildwind with Lily’s ex-husband, Jonathan Lavery. Ava tried to launch her career as model by posing as Lily at FUSION cosmetics. The advertisers liked Lily’s looks, but her autism came in the way of her being a model. Ava was FUSION’s best bet, much to chagrin of Kendall Slater and Greenlee duPres, Lily’s adoptive sisters and FUSION’s founders. Ava's risque behavior compromised the high-end brand name of FUSION. Ava showed no signs of calming down.
All the while, Ava and Jonathan’s relationship continued to blossom. Soon, the couple was engaged. Ava was insecure about Jonathan after learning more about his marriage with Lily. Ava did not want to just be a replacement for Lily. She turned to JR Chandler, who had offered her a spokesmodel job with his new company. They began sleeping with each other.

2008: Working at FUSION helped Ava take control of her life. Now a hot commodity, Ava saw potential for her career outside of Pine Valley. She decided to move to Hollywood, leaving behind the drama of her last year. FUSION let Ava out of her exclusive contract.