Sandra had always been Elijah's first love—a fact whispered throughout their social circles. The James family, however, had never approved, deeming her modest background unworthy. Forced apart by family pressure, Sandra ended their relationship, but the past proved difficult to forget.

Elijah tirelessly ascended to the head of the James family, driven by the dream of reuniting with Sandra. Yet, upon achieving his goal, he found she had moved on.

In defiance of his family—and perhaps out of spite—Elijah chose Elizabeth, a woman of similarly modest means, to become Mrs. James and thwart his relatives' matchmaking schemes. Elizabeth, at the time, was under immense pressure from her father, Oliver, to marry a notorious playboy to fund her grandmother's expensive medical care.

Motivated by their individual struggles, Elijah and Elizabeth agreed to a marriage of convenience. Intended to last one year, their arrangement far outlasted its term, built on a silent understanding. Over time, Elizabeth allowed herself to believe in the authenticity of their union, unaware it was a charade sustained by her own hopes.

But moments ago, a fire nearly claimed her life. In that pivotal moment, she reached out to Elijah, only to be ignored twice while he remained with Sandra. This brutal truth shattered Elizabeth's illusions, revealing her belief in their evolving bond to be a fragile facade, fueled by her own desires. Elizabeth was not even a temporary replacement; she was merely a tool in Elijah's calculated defiance.