Raised by a poverty-stricken family in Granville, Ohio, Joseph Hall has been poor his entire life. Frustrated at how little his life has offered him, he turns to dreams to get him through his days of want. Now a young man in 1940, he's ready to settle down with a girl, but even that is settling in his eyes. He wants more-but has no idea how he'll ever be able to rise above his humble beginnings. One fateful day, however, an act of chivalry for Margret, a beautiful heiress, sparks in him a dark ambition to seize what he feels he is owed-and his life begins to change.
He surrenders decency and anything else pure and launches himself into the privileged life he is determined to get by any means possible. In search of power, admiration, and acceptance in high society, he marries for all the wrong reasons. His new world is one of misdeeds, conspiracy, and intrigue, and he teams up with the antichrist himself, his brother-in-law. Neither cares to dwell on the tricky morality of their actions; that's for others to debate. Caught up in the whirlwind, Joseph doesn't see what dangers lurk ahead. By the time he realizes his mistake, it's too late.
Now he is faced with another life-changing decision. Secrets revealed lead him toward a betrayal of another sort. He knows that the only path to salvation lies in escaping the deceitful ways that have made every dream come true. He needs to make a decision and has only minutes to do so. Will he make the right choice?