Jean Banks, a bright and attractive young doctor, falls suddenly in love with a prominent captain of industry, Victor Pattison. There is only one problem: he is already married, and has a disabled wife whom, as he warns Jean at the outset, he will never leave. From that point on Jean's life changes forever - her own engagement is cancelled, she gives up her hospital career, and even has a discrete abortion in order to avoid complicating their secret affair. But despite her acceptance of these difficulties, slowly her situation becomes harder and harder to bear...