Jack, a sly and cunning man, was introduced as the abusive and criminal husband of Amanda Woodward. The two had been separated for five years due to Amanda faking her death to escape him. When the marriage was discovered by Brooke Armstrong, an employee at Amanda's advertising agency, Brooke eventually tracked Jack down in Florida to learn about him. Their brief encounter prompted a curious Jack to investigate Brooke, which gradually led to clues that Amanda was still alive.