Samantha grew up in Los Angeles, and was a friend of the Forresters. She was sent away to New York at seventeen after getting pregnant, and when her baby was born, she was told he died. She tried to write to Hector, the baby's father, at the 'new address' her mother provided her with, only to have her letters returned. She never forgot Hector, but tried to move on with her life. She became a well-known interior designer, and returned to Los Angeles years later with her little dog Pucci. After a short-lived crush on Ridge, the death of Pucci brought out the truth that Samantha had hidden for years about her baby daughter. When she ran into Hector in Los Angeles, it brought back all the memories, and she didn't understand why Hector was so angry with her, until the two finally talked and she realized that her mother had lied about her baby being dead and had given her to Hector, saying that Sam didn't want her. Sam and Hector reunited and got engaged to be married, but then Sam dropped out of sight. Hector later revealed to Taylor and Darla that he and Samantha hadn't worked out because Sam had wanted all the material things in life, and he wasn't able to give them to her. So Samantha left Los Angeles and returned to New York, where Caitlin later joined her.