Karen marries a man with a child and works desperately to become a true mother. Her determination to build a good relationship with her adult stepson even brings her into conflict with the parents of his classmates, but she endures it all in the belief that a happy family awaits. Then, during a trip arranged through those parents, she is told that her stepson has caused an accident. Humiliated and cornered, Karen accepts their sexual demands, telling herself it is for her son and her family...