Tamara Castellan's life is in ruins.
A year after rushing into marriage with imposing, handsome federal judge Blaine Castellan, Tamara wants out. Struggling to connect with her surly teenage stepson and traumatized adopted daughter, she is completely overwhelmed. Even worse, Tamara soon realizes that Blaine still harbors a macabre fixation with his deceased first wife, Betty, a vivacious and beautiful socialite unparalleled in all she did.
In addition to her troubled stepchildren and critical husband, Tamara works to complete graduate school and worries her older brother, physician Michael Laurier, will succumb to an undiagnosed medical condition. Amid her crumbling marriage and mounting responsibilities, Tamara finds comfort in the gentle and understanding presence of her coworker and friend, therapist Gil Payne.
But as Tamara decides to escape the clutches of the picture-perfect federal judge, she uncovers just how frightening her husband can be, and that a decision to leave will put her in grave danger. As she fights to reclaim her identity and confront her deepest fears, Tamara's life becomes a heart-pounding journey of betrayal, love, and survival.