Yang Eun-ja, a dreamy young woman who graduated from a rural high school and enjoys pen pals, is promised to a country youth, Na Gi-soo. However, she succumbs to the courtship of Moon Dae-seon, a man from Seoul whom she met through correspondence, and comes to Seoul. After a hollow breakup with Dae-seon, Eun-ja, starting as a restaurant waitress, experiences various abuses and false love, falling into emptiness and despair. With the help of Myung-hee, she tries to get back on her feet by becoming a mistress, but when Myung-hee cannot bear the suffering of being a mistress and commits suicide, Eun-ja curses all men and heads for her hometown. Na Gi-soo, who was looking for Eun-ja, reunites with her, consoles her sad past, and leaves with her for home.