General Hospital Relationship Timeline: Chase And Willow
In 2022, Harrison Chase (Josh Swickard) and Willow Tait (Katelyn MacMullen) are in two completely different places in their lives and quite possibly may never be together again as a romantic pair on "General Hospital," but of course, never say never, after all this is a soap opera. She may be madly in love with Michael Corinthos (Chad Duell), according to Soaps In Depth, and he may be confused about Brook Lyn Quartermaine (Amanda Setton) and she is confused about him (via Michael Fairman TV). But when Chase and Willow were together, the pair shared a sweet and passionate romance that ended because of what Chase believed was a selfless act, but it also may have not been his best move.
Chase and Willow even married at one point (via Soaps.com), but that marriage was never meant to last long and didn't. As of this writing, the police detective and the former third-grade teacher turned nurse are loyal friends. But how did Chase and Willow's brief romance turn from loving and adorable to nothing but friends in such a short period of time?
Chase arrives in Port Charles followed by Willow
Harrison Chase first arrived in Port Charles to replace the slain detective, Nathan West (Ryan Pavey) in early 2019. He got off to a slow start in the dating department, but he was instantly smitten months later when he met a young woman named Willow Tait in a parking garage (via Soaps In Depth). Willow was feisty and devoted. As the new schoolteacher in town, she also attended grief therapy for people who lost a child. Willow later confessed that her child wasn't dead. She had just given him up for adoption to protect him from his cult leader father, Shiloh (Coby Ryan McLaughlin).
As Willow and Chase got to know one another, she confessed to him how she had spent her teenage and early adult years in a cult called Dawn of Day, thanks to her mother, Harmony Miller (Inga Cadranel), who liked to live a nomadic life. She had become sexually involved with the cult leader and ran away when she became pregnant, changing her name legally from Callie Miller to Willow Tait (via Soaps In Depth).
Chase was there to rescue Willow
Eventually, Shiloh figured out where Willow Tait was. The cult leader also learned that Willow had his son, but that he was adopted by Brad Cooper (Parry Shen) and Lucas Jones (Ryan Carnes). When Shiloh kidnapped little Wiley, Willow went after him to save the baby. Harrison Chase rescued both mother and son, and Willow was forever grateful. Unfortunately, he was also the man tasked to tell her the truth a few months later (via Soaps In Depth). Her own son had died at just a few days old and Wiley was really the son that Nelle Benson (Chloe Lanier) told Michael Corinthos (Chad Duell) had died at birth. Michael retained custody of Wiley and Willow mourned her lost baby.
Michael and Willow were already friends when the truth came out about Wiley, and like Lucas and Brad, Michael allowed Willow to become a part of his life since she already thought of him as her child. When Nelle was released from prison and sued for custody of Wiley, Chase made a decision he later came to regret (via Soaps In Depth).
Willow marries Michael Corinthos
Michael Corinthos' girlfriend, Sasha Gilmore (Sofia Mattsson), and Willow Tait's boyfriend, Harrison Chase knew that Michael had a much better chance of retaining custody of Wiley if he and Willow were married, with Willow being the closest thing to a mother Wiley had ever known. So, they pretended to have an affair when they knew Willow would walk in on them (via Soaps In Depth). By then, Willow and Chase were lying together so this was easy to accomplish.
So, what else was Willow to do except marry Michael, as his lawyer had already suggested. Although both their hearts weren't in it, Willow and Michael wed (via Soap Hub) and went to court as a united front to parent Wiley. They won their case and debated how long they should stay married, for Wiley's sake, of course. They also began to realize they were falling in love (via Soaps In Depth).
Willow and Michael learn the truth
Eventually, the truth came out that Sasha Gilmore and Harrison Chase had faked their relationship in order to get Willow Tait and Michael Corinthos to marry. So, Michael and Willow ended their marriage and tried again with their former significant others. The problem was, Michael and Willow still had feelings for one another and Willow was about to tell Chase when she learned he had been poisoned and was on his deathbed (via Soaps In Depth).
Chase's dying wish was to marry Willow, so she went through with the ceremony with dread and then looked like she was going to be sick when the doctors announced that Chase would live. She really did not love Chase anymore and found herself in quite a predicament she didn't know how to get out of. Willow kept promising Michael she would tell Chase the truth, but he found himself paralyzed, and to help him heal, Monica Quartermaine (Leslie Charleson) moved him into the Quartetmaine mansion where Willow and Michael lived in a guest house. For weeks Willow waffled about what to do, but her mind was eventually made up for her (via Soaps In Depth).
Chase learns the truth about Michael and Willow
At Wiley's birthday party, Willow Tait had to leave the main house because she was thinking about her own baby, who was born the same day. When Michael left to comfort her, grief turned into passion and Michael and Willow had sex in the guest house while Chase partied with Wiley from his wheelchair. But Chase had a secret, he could walk and he couldn't wait to show Willow, thinking that they could finally share an amazing life together.
New Quartermaine family member Austin Holt (Roger Howarth) knew exactly what Willow and Michael were up to, so he made sure Chase saw the bedroom after their little romp, and it was quite obvious what had happened up there with Chase's wife and his best friend. Chase was furious and eventually confronted Willow, ending their marriage (via Soap Hub). It was a relief to Willow, who just wanted to be with Michael, but Chase was left angered and heartbroken. Months later, he forgave the pair as he embarked on a new romance with Brook Lyn Quartermaine (via Soap Hub).