1986: Teenage runaway Julie Rand tried to make ends meet by living on the streets. She was down on her luck when benevolent Ellen Chandler found her and offered her a warm place to stay. Julie did not know such kindness existed. Ellen and her husband, Ross Chandler, decided to adopt Julie.

1987: Julie was beginning to enjoy her newfound life. She had fallen in love with good guy Charlie Brent. The only matter on her mind was how to keep Cecily Davidson away from her boyfriend. She also reconciled with biological mother, Elizabeth Carlyle. Elizabeth told Julie that she had been a prostitute when Julie was conceived. Unable to support her daughter, she had put her up for adoption. Julie's homelife was so unbearable she felt like she had to run away.
But, her newfound happiness was shattered one evening when she caught Ross and Natalie Cortlandt in a passionate embrace. Unable to summon the courage to tell her mother, Julie wrote her feelings in a diary. Words could not express the terror Julie witnessed when she caught Ross a month later raping Natalie. She fled Cortlandt Manor.
Julie wound up in New York City, where she met Creed Kelly, someone who allegedly was friends with Elizabeth. Creed took Julie in off the streets, but he had ulterior motives. With the help of his nephew, Nico Kelly, Creed planned on raping Julie in front of Elizabeth, who he was holding captive. Creed revealed he hated Elizabeth for betraying him years ago. But, before he could execute his plan, Nico turned on him and helped Julie and Elizabeth to escape. Upon arriving in Pine Valley, Nico was arrested as an accomplice to Creed’s crime. Julie did her best to defend Nico, but she had bigger matters on her hands.
Julie arrived at the courthouse just when the jury was about to begin deliberations in Natalie’s rape trial. Armed with her diary in her hands, Julie pleaded with Ross to come clean. Her tears convinced Ross to do the right thing and admit to his crime.
Elizabeth had another bombshell for Julie. She had known who her father was all along: Mark Dalton, Ellen's first husband.

1988: Julie and Charlie could not piece together their broken relationship. Julie began spending more time with Nico. Charlie announced he would be leaving for Stanford Medical School.
Ellen and Mark remarried. Julie was not ready to accept Mark as part of her life, so she began acting out. Her greatest act of rebellion was running away to elope with Nico. Being married to him would mean she no longer had to live at home. Unfortunately, their marriage proved to be invalid.

1989: Julie and Nico’s happy marriage came to an abrupt end when she miscarried their child. Julie needed a fresh start and left Pine Valley for Washington.