In the middle of the night, a car with two passengers drives off a pier. An elderly man drowns, but his young wife, Kumako Onizuka, lives. Kumako, with a past stained by yakuza entanglements and criminal activity, is accused of orchestrating the accident for a large insurance payout. Local journalist Moichi Akitani enjoys newfound success after writing a series of articles about the crime. Given her past, Kumako's guilt seems obvious to him, and as he portrays her as a devious femme fatale, the community turns against her.

Kumako's lawyers are hounded by the press, yet all the reporters can glean is her unwavering declaration of innocence. This amuses Akitani, who basks in the glory of his journalistic success. But when a surprisingly scrupulous public defender takes on her case, Akitani begins to doubt himself, and he fears what might happen if Kumako ever gets wind of the contempt he spread about her.