After her parents die in a car accident, Jeanette Jenkins' life is turned upside down. She goes to live with her grandmother, where she spirals into a life of juvenile delinquency, eventually ending up in prison. Soon after her release, her grandmother passes away, leaving her a small inheritance. Jeanette uses this to start over. Changing her name to Lucinda Preston, she moves from her home in Quincy, MA to the West Coast. She goes to college and eventually lands a job as a paralegal with an up-and-coming law firm. However, when Lucinda kills her married lover in a fit of jealousy, her new life is now in jeopardy. A detective shows up in her office and she resigns herself to going back to jail. Surprisingly, the detective is not there to arrest her, but instead has come with an envelope. Inside, she finds another inheritance put aside by her grandmother. Along with this newfound wealth, Lucinda discovers information about her old life, her family, and one person she thought she left behind. As the law closes in, Lucinda's search for answers stretches from California to New Mexico, and from her childhood home to Portugal. Will she get her "happily-ever-after" or does fate have other plans?