Lynette is forced to marry Alfred, who’s rumored to be a playboy. Because her older sister ran off with the marriage portion (dower), Lynette lacks the money to avoid being turned out of the marriage. To prevent her situation from getting worse, she decides to act like the kind of “woman with many loves” that people expect—painting herself into a reputation. But as she puts on the act, she begins to notice Alfred’s behavior growing strangely attentive, softened, and… different. Secrets, feelings, and misunderstandings begin to complicate what she thought was just a performance.