Irene Wagner, the spouse of the distinguished German scientist Professor Albert Wagner, had been having an affair with Erich Baumann. She doesn't disclose this to her husband, hoping to protect his innocence and their "excellent marriage". This fills her with anxiousness and guilt. Nevertheless, Johanna Schultze, Erich's jealous ex-girlfriend, learns in regards to the affair and begins to blackmail Irene, turning Irene's psychological torture right into a harsh actuality.
