Hungary on the eve of the Second World War. Rich and inferior Szilvia (Lili Monori) is married to Akos (Jan Nowicki), the good-looking military officer, who owes his career to his wife but they can not have a child. In order to inherit family wealth, she needs an heir. She persuades the beautiful, intelligent, but poor Jewish girl, Irene (Isabelle Huppert) to become pregnant with Akos and to give the child for adoption. However, when the time comes, the marriage of Sylvia and Akos derails because he starts a relationship with Irene, he leaves his wife. The child is born. Szilvia is looking for revenge and gets this chance 1944.