Charlie Deegan is a lawyer who married into his wife Olivia's wealthy family but has become unhappy in their relationship and has become involved in an affair with his assistant Laura. Charlie wants to divorce Olivia, but their prenuptial agreement would prevent him from getting any money, meaning that he will not be able to transition to his dream job as a judge because it pays less than being a lawyer.
Charlie sleeps with Olivia's friend Victoria to misdirect her from his real affair. He then convinces Olivia to go with him to a cabin to work out their problems, where he drowns her in the nearby lake. Charlie and Laura place Olivia's body and various red herring clues in a car that they dump in the water. Several days later Laura's body is found and Charlie is a suspect. Victoria tells Charlie that she had him followed and knew about his affair with Laura, which angered her. She agrees to keep quiet if he agrees to marry her once Olivia is declared dead. Charlie is once again stuck in an unhappy relationship and is then visited by Lou, Laura's secret husband.