The wife (Ann Harding) of a distinguished judge (Harry Bannister) finds herself unwittingly caught in the midst of blackmail and betrayal after having written incriminating letters during a brief separation with her husband. In an attempt to set things straight with the blackmailer, she accidentally shoots him, wounding him fatally after he violently accosts her. Things become more complicated as the family butler is charged and acquitted with the murder. Tormented from the guilt and pain, she struggles to keep her secret from her husband and come to terms with her actions.