Barbara Stanwyck reprises her original 1946 film role as the protagonist of the story, Martha Ivers who as a child kills her bullying aunt. A murder has many parts, the murdered, the murderer and those who see, the witnesses. When Martha kills her aunt who she hates the only witnesses are her two friends, Sam Masterton who ran away to join the circus and Walter O'Neil. Martha tells Walter's dad, Mr. O'Neil that a man had entered the room and committed the murder before fleeing and Walter backs her up. Mr. O'Neil knowing that Martha will inherit her aunts fortune tells Martha in a sinister way, that he and his son will never leave her.  Walter and Martha marry and as a successful attorney, Walter convicts a criminal for the "murder" of Martha's aunt.  Now a bitter alcoholic in a sour marriage he becomes enraged with jealousy when Sam Masterton turns up in their life again.