A Working class woman, Holly Parker (Turner), marries into the rich Anderson family with her husband Clayton (John Forsythe) having strong political aspirations. Her mother-in-law (Constance Bennett) looks down on her and keeps a watchful eye on her activities. Due to Clayton's frequent and long trips abroad, Holly forms a relationship with a well-known playboy (Ricardo Montalbán). When he accidentally dies, and only her mother-in-law knows she is innocent, the latter blackmails her into disappearing into the night during a planned boat trip, leaving her husband and son to grieve and Clayton to achieve his rise in the political world.