Can the ugly duckling turn into a beautiful swan? For Nell Calder, the quiet and homely wife of a bank employee, this transformation occurs not of her own free will, but due to tragic circumstances: her little daughter dies at the hands of a murderer. Nell also loses her husband, her face is disfigured. A talented cosmetic surgeon turns yesterday's ugly woman into a beauty. But for the reborn Nell, beauty doesn't matter. She is obsessed with one all-consuming goal, and even her love for the mysterious and irresistible Nicholas cannot distract her...