Reiko, who tolerates abuse in her marriage to a man 23 years her senior, is friends with Mayumi, a beautiful widow. Reiko meets her husband’s business rival, a young, capable businessman, and falls for him. Mayumi enters into a relationship with Shimotsuma, a friend of her late husband who is caring for wife that has been bedridden for years. The film is the culmination of a melodramatic masterpiece of love and desire, depicting the pain and joy of the two heroines’ journey toward happiness.