After his older brother dies in a car accident, Luke Graham takes over the family business. Forced by his mom, Luke betrays his wife, Scarlett Walker, by having an affair with his sister-in-law, Susan Reynolds, who soon becomes pregnant. From handing over the family heirloom necklace to Susan to forcing Scarlett out of the main house for the sake of Susan's pregnancy, Luke's betrayal of Scarlett escalates gradually.Scarlett endures it all out of her lingering feelings for him. However, on her birthday, she witnesses Luke's tenderness toward Susan, and her heart shatters.That night, she fakes her death on a yacht and activates the divorce agreement she had prepared. Only after losing Scarlett does Luke realize what he has done. With the Walkers pulling out their investment into his company, it collapses, and he spirals into madness searching for Scarlett, only to be rejected at every turn.In the end, he falls into Susan's trap and perishes with her and their child in a fire.By then, Scarlett has already risen from the ashes, taken control of her family's empire, and sealed the past away for good.