Life seems to be good for Ellen Schweizer (Gudrun Landgrebe). The attractive and successful author of historical love stories has been happily married for almost 20 years to businessmen Donald (Walter Kreye). Her children, 10-year-old Lukas (Benno Frevert) and teenager Hella (Kaya Kürten), are no more tiring than other kids of that age. So Ellen should be pretty content on the whole - if only she could find time to write her latest novel. In fact, the problem goes deeper: she simply can’t come up with an inspiring idea for her new work, which her publisher Marta Bosch (Nicole Heesters) is waiting for impatiently. Only in her daydreams does Ellen find herself being creative as she comes up with the kitsch, romantic story of a Countess who mourns her great love Jean.
In contrast, life does not seem to be particularly good for Ellen’s best friend Ulrike (Eleonore Weisgerber). She discovers during her 50th birthday party that her husband Gunther has run off with his young secretary Kikki. And that’s not all: Gunther informs her about this as a “birthday present” on a video which is played back to the assembled guests. But there is one good thing about the situation: Ulrike, who is determined to enjoy life, decides to turn over a new leaf: she reports her husband’s credit cards stolen, has them blocked and takes a young lover.
Ellen finds herself haunted by Ulrike’s story - and suddenly she also begins to wonder whether her husband is faithful to her. Doesn’t Donald meet up suspiciously often with the pretty young Lisette Vronsky (Luci van Org), the new PR director of the company where he works? Has Ellen perhaps been neglecting Donald? Has too much routine crept into their everyday lives? Gradually the poison of jealousy begins to have its effect. On the one hand Ellen now finds herself on the right path to produce another bestseller, but on the other hand it seems high time to reconsider her marriage. In her imagination Ellen still has everything under control, but now she has to prove that she can also bring her own story with Donald to a satisfactory conclusion...