The book is about a relationship between a 19 year old woman and a 58 year old married man. He enjoys her dressing up in a school girl-ish way. The man eventually turns their affair into a sado-masochistic one, such as beating her with a belt. When he finds out she slept with someone else, he begins to verbally abuse her and emotionally torture her until she has a minor mental breakdown and almost attempts suicide. He also blames her for miscarrying their child towards the end.