15-year-old orphan Jolene breaks free from foster care, marrying Mickey, a nerdy 20-year-old. They live with Mickey's Uncle Phil and Aunt Kay. On the night before her sixteenth birthday, Jolene asks Mickey about his mother, but he rebuffs her and starts crying. To make him feel better, she seduces him, but Mickey's inexperience leads to uncomfortable and joyless sex. The next day, Mickey and Uncle Phil wish Jolene a "Happy Birthday" with Aunt Kay asking Jolene to clean the floor. Uncle Phil later walks in as Jolene is cleaning the floors, is aroused and they have sex. They start a passionate affair, and Phil promises to build a house for the two of them, but asks Jolene to keep their relationship secret. Upon catching Phil and Jolene in bed, Aunt Kay throws Jolene out of the house. Mickey, Phil and Kay argue violently, and Mickey later commits suicide by jumping off a bridge.