Adopted into the prominent Sterling household, Ethan experiences only cruelty while his adoptive brother Tyler receives every accolade. When Ethan rescues his sister from a burning nursery, Tyler takes credit for the bravery. Later framed for Tyler's vehicular manslaughter, Ethan watches his adoptive mother erase exonerating surveillance footage, resulting in brutal reformatory abuse that leaves Ethan crippled.
On his eighteenth birthday, Ethan severs a finger, renounces the Sterling name, and walks out forever. Allied with an eccentric heiress who remembers his past kindness, Ethan rebuilds his life while exposure strips the Sterlings bare, leaving them sobbing on their knees for his forgiveness.
