A young Parisian woman falls for an abusive, alcoholic, and less than faithful man.

Geneviève Le Theil, a financially independent Parisienne, goes to Dijon to collect an inheritance. She enters the wrong hotel room and accidentally foils the suicide of a penniless alcoholic, Renaud, who has taken an overdose of sleeping pills. Renaud, rebellious and unconventional, seduces Geneviève and persuades her to take him with her to Paris, whereupon she serves ties with her mother, her friends, and her fiancé, Pierre. Renaud, who is interested mainly in liquor, sex, and reading mystery novels, continually insults and maltreats Geneviève, but out of love she accepts her degradation. Katov, a sculptor and friend of Renaud, invites the couple of to and there Renaud brashly picks up a prostitute while Geneviève is watching. As a result, Geneviève leaves him, but they are reunited when Renaud declares his love and asks her to marry him.