Love is Like Wildfire, It Never Stops

Jim Marshall offers Evelyn three million dollars to become the replacement for her late half-sister, Emma, and stay by his side for a year. He blames Evelyn for Emma's death and treats her with open contempt, tossing the money at her and parading her before their former college classmates, who mock the girl who once refused every handout. Evelyn, raised to believe poverty does not mean a lack of ambition, accepts the offer and forces a smile, though she needs the money for reasons of her own.

At the party, Jim orders her to pour drinks, sing and swallow whiskey, then demands she strip for the crowd. Evelyn refuses, insisting that being a replacement does not mean surrendering her body, and Jim warns her to learn to act the part. He wants her to become Emma, the delicate, kind girl everyone adored. Only Evelyn knows the cruelty Emma hid, and only she knows the truth of how Emma died. As the mockery closes in and her body begins to fail her, she must decide how much of herself she can keep.