: While dining alone at a café, Milly meets Burt Hanson (Cliff Robertson), a charming, much younger man. Despite her initial hesitation about their age gap, Burt is persistent and romantic, and the two quickly fall in love and marry.
: Milly decides to commit Burt to a mental institution for aggressive "shock therapy" treatment. She endures months of separation and doubt, wondering if he will ever recover or if he will hate her for institutionalizing him.
: Shortly after the wedding, Burt’s behavior becomes increasingly erratic and violent. Milly is shocked when Burt’s ex-wife, Virginia, and his father, Mr. Hanson, appear. They reveal a traumatic history of betrayal: Burt had caught his wife and father in an affair, which triggered a severe psychological breakdown.
: After his treatment, Burt emerges as a stabilized, healthier version of himself. He initially doesn't recognize Milly, but as his memory returns, he realizes she is the only person who truly cared for him. The film concludes with a hopeful reconciliation, suggesting they can finally start their life together.
: Millicent "Milly" Wetherby (Joan Crawford) is a self-sufficient but lonely woman in her 40s who works as a freelance typist. She has spent most of her life caring for her late father and feels that life has passed her by.