1982
Alan and Monica started hostile divorce proceedings. Alan became impotent with Susan and reunited with Monica. The Quartermaines awarded Jason a $1 million trust fund. Susan and Scotty married.

1983
Lila's first husband, Crane Tolliver, secretly teamed with Susan to extort money from the Quartermaines by revealing that he and Lila had never divorced. Jimmy Lee Holt arrived and told the family that he was Edward's illegitimate son. Susan was killed and Alan, Edward and Monica were suspected of killing her. Crane was found guilty and was later killed. Edward and Lila legally married. Distant cousin Celia came to town with her fiance, Grant. Celia fell for Jimmy Lee but married Grant, a secret international spy working for the evil DVX. Jason moved into the mansion.

1984
The real Grant Putnam escaped the sanitarium that the faux Grant and the DVX had admitted him to. Angry at losing his life and love to an impostor, the real Grant went off the deep end and tried to kill Celia. Faux Grant saved Celia's life. Beatrice, Jimmy Lee's mother, blackmailed the Quartermaines with proof that Alan and Tracy were illegitimate. Beatrice died suddenly before she could lower the boom on the Qs, but her death was declared accidental.

1985
Celia divorced faux Grant and married Jimmy Lee. Monica was infatuated with Dr. Buzz Stryker while Alan had an affair with a nurse. Monica agreed to keep her new patient, ex-WSB Chief Sean Donely's secret that he was faking his heart condition to avoid imprisonment for stealing the Aztec treasure.

1986
Jimmy Lee and Celia divorced. Monica became involved with Sean and helped him swindle the Quartermaines. She demanded a divorce from Alan and threw the family out of the mansion. Broke, the Qs moved into an apartment above Kelly's. Lila and their former maid, Stella, concocted a relish recipe that earned the family millions. To win back the family fortune, Alan faked his own death and framed Sean for his murder, forcing Sean to return the money. Alan and Monica reconciled and Jimmy Lee left town with country girl Charity Gatlin.