Stella's husband Julian betrays her by having an affair with his late friend's widow, Vanessa. After Julian's physical abuse causes Stella to miscarry, she forces a harsh divorce using recorded evidence of the affair. While Stella travels and heals, Julian and Vanessa's forced marriage crumbles into misery, ending in ruin. Stella ultimately rejects Julian's desperate pleas for reconciliation, embracing her newfound freedom and a hopeful new life.