On her wedding day, mary ellen scott is forced to relive all of the hardships she and her husband-to-be, harland musgrove, had to endure to get to this day. he was born in the big house, white, rich and the heir to the huge musgrove's family fortune. she was born two days later in a small three room shotgun house, black, poor and the daughter of the musgrove's beloved family maid. in a small southern town, it is not a match made in heaven. growing up, they shared two dysfunctional families. harland's mother was mentally ill and turned to alcohol, after his father turned his attention to other women, leaving her son to be raised by the family maid. mary ellen still has scars from beatings delivered by her abusive father. yet, mary ellen could not fathom the extent their fathers will go to stop this wedding, as hatred and dark family secrets are revealed. secrets that could not only stop the wedding, but destroy their lives.