In 1983, Carl swept into town intent on revenge against Mac Cory for his
role in the suicide death of Carl's father. Throughout 1984, Mac found
himself in competition with Carl, both in business and in his personal life.
Carl quickly became enamored of Rachel, as much for her own charms as
well as being Mac's wife. Carl's desire to prove himself the better of Mac
soon came to involve wooing Rachel to his side.
As 1985 got under way, Carl's schemes and past history were revealed. Mac sought to protect his family from Carl's vengeance, but Carl was able to kidnap Rachel while she and Mac were visiting New York City. He brought her back to Bay City and held her hostage in the Chapin mansion, where he made sexual overtures. Rachel resisted, but not without paying the price of Carl's wrath. Mac arrived to rescue her and in the ensuing shoot-out, Carl accidentally shot Rachel. Questioned about the shooting by the police, Carl remarked blithely that Rachel shouldn't have got in the way.
He was imprisoned, but made his way back to town that fall in search of
Egytpian treasure. He was shot by Nancy McGowan and presumed dead at the end
of the year.
Carl survived, but was jailed in 1987 and remained there until 1991. Upon his release, he returned to Bay City to settle the score with various old enemies. He quickly became obsessed with Amanda Cory, and taunted Rachel that he preferred younger women.
For Hallowe'en, Rachel pretended to poison Carl so that he
would confess to his latest crimes in hopes of being given the
antidote. Carl did indeed confess and was taken to jail. He was later
released because his confession had been coerced.
In 1993, Carl found he had some leverage over Rachel. He owned 10% of Cory Publishing stock which she desperately needed to fight a hostile takeover. Carl offered loan of the stock on the condition that she consent to be seen with him in public (by this, Carl hoped to gain respectability in the eyes of his son, Ryan Harrison).
When he eventually released Rachel from her obligations, Carl
discovered that he had fallen in love with her. He began a relentless
pursuit of her affections, professing that loving her had transformed
him into a good person. She couldn't believe him and rebuffed all his
advances. Eventually though, Rachel came to realize that Carl really
had changed. Seeing him in this new light, she was able to return his
love.
Carl and Rachel tried to exchange vows in June 1994, but the
ceremony was halted when Iris Wheeler shot Carl. Carl recovered
from the shooting, but he now had amnesia and shunned Rachel in
pursuit of Iris. Within a short time his memory returned, and in
August 1994, he and Rachel were married.
Their marriage suffered that fall when Carl took the blame for
Amanda's car accident (which his assistant Ito had caused without
Carl's knowledge). Rachel left him, but returned when Carl was
revealed to be innocent.
In 1995, Carl's old lover Justine
Duvalier returned, kidnapped Rachel,
and took her place. Carl did not know
that this lookalike was not his wife, and even slept with her. When he
noticed old scars on her wrists he realized that she was Justine and
not Rachel.
Carl was forced to maintain the charade for fear that Rachel would
be killed. He loathed every minute of it and could barely restrain
himself from killing Justine. Finally he went off to rescue Rachel,
and they were reunited. Even though Carl had slept with Justine only
when he believed her to be Rachel, he couldn't bring himself to admit
his lapse with Rachel and instead chose to lie to her.