1979: Nurse Sybil Thorne had planned out in her mind her happy ending with Dr. Cliff Warner. She was well on her way of achieving this goal when Nina Cortlandt was admitted to the hospital with appendicitis. Sybil watched helplessly as Cliff fell in love with Nina. Sybil’s affections did not go unnoticed. Nina’s father, Palmer Cortlandt, approached her with a plan. He did not like Cliff, and Sybil wanted him. They would work together to tear Nina and Cliff apart. Their first plot had them paying off Cliff’s ex-girlfirend, Janice Rawlins, to tell Nina that he had walked out on her when she got pregnant with his child. Their plot fizzled when they could not get their hands on a child to pass off as Cliff’s.

1980: Sybil and Palmer's plan failed, but Sybil refused to be down for the count. She began an affair with Sean Cudahy, Palmer’s newest gopher. He was to keep an eye on Nina while Sybil pursued Cliff.
When Nina broke off her engagement to Cliff, he turned to Sybil. She did not even have to try to seduce him. Cliff slept with Sybil. The next morning, he was gone. Sybil got word that Cliff and Nina had reconciled; but, Sybil’s world was about to change. She was pregnant with Cliff’s son.

1981: Sybil tried to keep to Palmer’s plan, but being pregnant alone was not an easy task. When she learned Nina had taken Cliff back, Sybil left for the Cortlandt Manor to confront her. After a heated argument, she went in labor. Cliff delivered his son, Bobby Warner.
But life as a single mother proved to be more that Sybil could handle. All the money that Palmer offered her was never enough to make ends meet. Nina approached Sybil to adopt Bobby. Sybil refused, telling Nina she would sooner give the child to a stranger. She was going to do just that if Nina did not leave Cliff.
That night, Palmer sent Sean to scare Sybil into compliance. Sybil refused to listen to Sean. He was so nervous that he accidentally pulled the trigger on the gun Palmer gave him. Sybil pleaded with Sean to help her, but he panicked and ran away. She died alone in her apartment.