Justin Moore was a God. At least, that was how he saw himself. In truth, he was nothing more than an overconfident (read: cocky) high school athlete that believed the world owed him something just because he was born into a well-to-do family. By the time he graduated from high school, he was a playboy in every sense of the word, trading in his baseball cleats to follow in his father's footsteps. Cassandra Stratford was a small town girl looking to make her own claim in the world. When the two met, there were fireworks (according to Cassandra anyway.) She immediately fell under the young man's spell, and the two had a passionate relationship that lasted for six months. Beneath the physical attraction and sexual chemistry, there was no real connection, and Cassandra ended the relationship. Less than a month later, the woman learned that she was pregnant. Panicked, she sought out Justin to deliver the news only to discover that he had already moved on. He took the news as well as someone in his situation could and promised that she wouldn't have to raise a child on her own. Though they never got back together, he was true to his word and was in the delivery room when Cassandra gave birth to a baby girl.

Cassandra was torn between naming the baby Marissa and naming her after her grandmother, Isabelle. It was Justin's idea to combine the two names together. Thinking it was a brilliant idea, the baby's name became Marisabel Anne (after Justin's grandmother) Moore. All of the fears and anxieties that Justin felt disappeared as he held his daughter for the first time. He was in awe that he could feel so strongly for someone he'd just met, something so small. The young father began to see the world in a somewhat different light. Somewhat. Justin still had a thing for beautiful women and ended up with a second daughter less than a year after Marisabel was born. He somehow managed to remain on good terms with Cassandra, however, and played a pretty prominent role in raising Marisabel.

Marisabel spent the first few years of her life in a small studio apartment with her mother. Though Justin offered on numerous occasions to help her get into something a little more spacious for the two of them, Cassandra refused. She was a victim of her own pride and wanted to do it on her own. The space was cramped with a crib, but it was livable. While Cassandra had to quit school to work full time, Justin continued his education and paid for daycare when Cassandra worked. He also always made sure they had food and diapers.

Once Marisabel grew old enough to grasp an understanding on what was happening, she began spending more and more weekends with her father. The young girl loved those weekends; they always did something fun and exciting. Her favorite thing was going to zoo, and they went often during the warmer months. Justin didn't remain with the woman who had his other daughter, Ashleigh, and their relationship wasn't as friendly as he and Cassandra's. He often tried to get both girls on the same weekends, though, and enjoyed seeing the two play together.

Raising Marisabel wasn't always easy. She was a stubborn child who always wanted to do things her own way instead of how she was told. Her mother was convinced that the girl intentionally did things the hard way just to prove a point. She was possibly correct. Marisabel (who quickly dropped the “bel” as soon as she was old enough to really have a preference) strived for independence early on in life. Even as a child, she would spend hours trying to figure out a problem before finally caving in and seeking help.

Tragedy struck the Stratford clan when Marisa was sixteen years old. Cassandra's sister, Rowan, passed away after losing her battle to breast cancer. The death devastated Cassandra and she withdrew from the world. Because she lived with her mother, Marisa was the one who felt the effects full force. Her mother seemed to have lost interest in her daughter almost completely. This led Marisa to seek attention elsewhere.

She ended up getting involved with some shady people who used prescription pills recreationally. It didn't take long for Marisa to get hooked. At just seventeen and in her senior year of high school, her grades began to suffer. She went from being a B average student to barely passing her classes in just months; she was more concerned with getting drunk and getting high with her friends than studying.

She managed to keep her head above water long enough to graduate and moved out of her mother's house, seemingly to have disappeared altogether for nearly a year. She was living with a group of friends in a rundown house outside of the city limits. An eventual arrest of the friend who “owned” the house meant her returning to live with her mother who was beginning to come to terms with the loss of her younger sister.

Marisa managed to clean up her act a little and get a job. She still abused prescription pills, but she was able to keep it under control. Or, so she thought. A party with some friends on her twenty-first birthday landed her in the hospital after popping too many pills and drinking. She had overdosed. Thankfully, someone had sense enough call 911 and Marisa survived the ordeal. She promised to get clean, but went back to using six months after she was released.

It wasn't until her father settled down with a woman he'd been dating off and on for years that she made the decision that would, undoubtedly, change her life forever. Marisa's new step-mother, Heather, was going to have a baby and Marisa knew that she wanted to be around for many more years. With the complete support of both her mother and father, she checked herself into a rehab center in New York.

Upon her admittance, Marisa quickly realized that, although her addiction was very real, it could have been much worse. She mostly kept to herself in the beginning, only speaking out when it was required, but she eventually met a guy. They were supposed to be focusing on their recoveries, but the attraction was strong between the two. They often spent time outside of their respective treatment programs conversing and getting to know each other. When Marisa was scheduled to be released, they agreed to stay in touch, but that didn't exactly pan out the way they planned.

Marisa has been clean for over four years. Her father got her a job at an insurance company he deals with regularly in his work, and she has managed to work her way up to secretarial work. It's nothing glamorous, but it keeps the bills paid. She rents a three bedroom home with two roommates and hasn't had a drink (or pills for that matter) since she checked herself into rehab.

UPDATE

After a bad altercation with a customer at Liberty Mutual cost her job and with her failed friendships with her roommates, Marisa turned towards alcohol thinking she had was strong enough to handle a few drinks. Her addictive personality got the best of her and soon she was seeking comfort from the very substances that landed her in rehab several years ago. The relationships she was building with her parents began to suffer the most as she laid blame on them for becoming this way in the first place. Unfortunately, it wasn't the only relationship that has suffered. She's grown even more distant and becomes angry quite easily, sometimes snapping in the blink of an eye.

Her addiction (and lack of roommates) cost her the house she'd worked so hard to have, and she now lives with her boyfriend. It was a tough decision to make because while she knows that he cares for her deeply, she is also convinced that he will eventually abandon her like everyone else has done at least once in their lives. It has put a serious strain on their relationship.

UPDATE

Marisa still lives with her boyfriend, and they have somehow managed to make it through some dark times. After relapsing, Marisa is back in therapy/treatment and working on another (hopefully) long streak of sobriety. There are still days where it feels like her addictions are winning, and she refuses to enjoy life out of fear of succumbing. Overall, however, she is a much more content person and a lot more trusting, especially of Noah. She has a new job now that she doesn't dread and finds herself smiling and laughing a lot more.