A few years earlier, Paula fled London after the unsolved murder of her aunt, Alice Alquist, a famous singer. Established for ten years in Italy, she met a pianist, Gregory, whom she married. Out of love for her husband, she allows herself to be convinced to return to live in the house where her aunt was strangled. But happiness is short-lived. Barely settled in London, Gregory begins to show himself more and more distant towards his wife and accuses her of losing her mind. Gradually, Paula lets herself be convinced to doubt her own sanity. By various stratagems, Gregory deprives her of social life and then plans to have her committed to a psychiatric asylum.