: Her own adoptive sister, whom she attempts to frame for her own suicide out of spiteful jealousy. Artistic Significance

: Richard’s younger, polio-stricken brother, whom she allows to drown in a chillingly passive act.

The story follows (Gene Tierney), a beautiful but psychotically possessive socialite who falls for novelist Richard Harland (Cornel Wilde) because he resembles her late father. After a whirlwind romance and marriage, Ellen’s "love" is revealed as a lethal obsession. She is determined to keep Richard entirely to herself and will destroy anyone who dares to share his attention, including:

: She deliberately induces a miscarriage to prevent the baby from "replacing" her in Richard's affections.