Ed MacAffrey, a loving husband and father, is terrorized by the violent behavior of his wife. He tolerates this not only because he loves her and is concerned over the welfare of his children, but also because men are traditionally regarded as weaklings if they allow themselves to be battered by their wives. After one of Laura's destructive tantrums brings the attention of the police, Ed is suspected of being the aggressor. Finally, Laura goes too far when she physically assaults the couple's young daughter Cindy (who did nothing more than tell Laura to stop yelling), and Ed intervenes to protect her - whereupon Laura crashes through the front window of her home and is rendered comatose. As a result, Ed is arrested for domestic violence and attempted murder.<ref name="allmovie1"/>