When the Parisian bourgeois Genevi�ve Le Theil travels to Dijon to resolve outstanding subjects in the inheritance left by her wealthy aunt she mistakenly opens the door of another room in the hotel finding a suicidal near death on the bed. Later Genevi�ve goes to the hospital and is introduced to Renaud Sarti the nihilistic alcoholic vagrant she saved. Genevi�ve falls in love for Renaud and brings him to her apartment in Paris initiating a destructive masochistic and corrupt relationship with the abusive man.