I was born in Rochester, New York, in 1915; I had two younger brothers, a housewife for a mother, and my father worked at a bank. My father's job helped keep the family wealthy during the Great Depression. I was born beautiful and constantly praised, making my vain and self-centered. My parents took pride in my looks, which I enjoyed. I also enjoyed my father's pleasure in buying me beautiful clothes, my girlfriends' envy, and the admiration of every man I passed. The result of all this attention was that I was self-absorbed, shallow, and materialistic. However, unlike my social-climbing parents, who always wanted more out of life despite their already elevated status, I was just happy in the knowledge that I was myself, and that I was very beautiful.

One day, my mother had her dress up to deliver my father's forgotten lunch to his job, in the hopes that the son of the bank's owner would take notice of me, and it worked. Royce King II sent roses to me and, after making a comment that my eyes were like violets, I began receiving them, too. My relationship with him was solely based on physical attraction, as Royce was often too busy at the bank. We became engaged and one week before the wedding, I visited my good friend Vera, who I envied for her baby boy. At one point, when Vera's husband kissed her, I finally noticed the lack of love in my relationship with Royce that was so obvious in Vera's. While walking home, shaken by my thoughts about my loveless relationship, I stumbled across my drunken fiancée and his equally drunk friends; Royce bragged about my beauty.

I was found by Carlisle Cullen, the scent of blood having attracted him to my dying body. He carried me to a room where he turned me in a vampire. I awoke to the voices of the Cullens arguing with Carlisle about him saving me. Edward was unhappy with the idea that Carlisle had changed me in the hopes that I could be his mate. I was furious at Edward's rejection, even despite my own lack of feelings for him as well. I vanity still needed feeding and I was surprised and hurt that Edward didn't seem attracted to me. Upon seeing my reflection, My unhappy mood increased with me now improved vampiric beauty. Soon avenged my death by killing Royce's friends. Having saved Royce for last, I donned a bridal gown for dramatic effect and found him locked in a windowless room with a thick, vault-like door guarded by two men. Killing the guards, I entered the room where I tortured Royce to death. Though I killed seven men, I was very careful to not spill even the smallest drop of their blood, knowing that I wouldn't be able to resist. After my transformation, I became a permanent member of the Cullen family. Carlisle had intended for Edward and I to be like he and Esme were, but Edward only loved me as a sister.

Two years after my transformation, in 1935, I stumbled across a young man named Emmett McCarty being mauled by a bear outside of Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Emmett's features reminded me of Vera's young son Henry, and, as such, I chose to rescue the dying man. I resisted the urge to drink Emmett's blood and carried him over one hundred miles to Carlisle, who turned him into a vampire. Emmett and I were rarely separated after this. We both marry often and sometimes lived separate from the rest of our adopted family so as to live as a newlywed couple.

Jasper and I play often the role of biological siblings, twins, who had been adopted by Carlisle and Esme Cullen. During the long decades of my life, I developed a passion for collecting cars akin to my adopted brother Edward Cullen, and I'm a brilliant mechanic, even though I never practiced those skills in my human life. I have attended several high schools and universities, and earned degrees in electrical engineering, business, and astrophysics, and have also studied medicine to help Carlisle keep up-to-date with the latest advances.