A fateful rescue from an ambush led to a drug-induced encounter between Erik and Beth, resulting in her secret pregnancy and subsequent family scorn. Years later, living in hardship with her daughter and mother, Beth was unwittingly swept into a banquet held by Erik's mother to find him a wife. Gaining the matriarch's favor, she became the target of her jealous stepsister Stella, who revealed her status as an unwed mother. As the enraged matriarch ordered Beth's execution, Erik's timely arrival set the stage for a dramatic recognition of his long-lost love.