Teen
Dustin was raised by a happy but poor family, with his mother Brandi, father Skip, and younger brother Beau. Skip drowned when Dustin was a teen, Beau a toddler, and left Brandi pregnant. The absense of Skip caused Dustin to become rebellious, ignoring his little brother and lashing out at his pregnant widowed mother. Dustin's rebellious and abusive behaviour became so bad that Brandi considered leaving him with distant relatives so she, Beau, and her unborn third son could live in peace. When Brandi's friends Dina and Nina talked some sense into Dustin, he apologised to Brandi and Beau, all in time for Brandi to give birth to Shane Broke. Dustin got a new job in the Medical career, and began dating Angela Pleasant. With Dustin and Brandi's jobs earning them money, the family bought a bigger house. The timing was just right, when Dustin's girlfriend and her disapproving father Daniel came to stay, following the death of their family and the burning of their house. Dustin and Angela grew closer, as he knew what it was like to have a parent die, and soon Daniel died of an illness. When Dustin saw how quickly Angela became friends with his mother and brothers, he was impressed, and decided to someday marry Angela.
College
Dustin and Angela soon moved to the college town of Academie Le Tour to study. Dustin, still deeply in love with Angela, was taken by how friendly she was to every living in the dorm and began to plan the proposal. Unaware that Angela was planning the same.