Jacopo is with his partner Giovana when her sister, Andreina, dies. He has never seen death before and feels as if it has given his life a new meaning. He goes home. He gets into an argument with his sister, Malvina, who comes to visit him. Malvina says that he should never have been around Andreina when she was sick and dying.  He remembers being overpowered by Malvina in their youth. He remembers her fascination with killing things; an obsession he found dreadful and inexplicable. She always bossed him around and prevented him from having relationships. He says it is her fault that he has never seen or done anything. They argue and Malvina says that someday he will come to her when everything he has, including his career, has been ruined. A ringing phone interrupts the conversation. He answers the phone. It is Giovanna asking to meet him at the pool. He finds this odd as her sister just died. The pair say goodbye and he goes to meet Giovanna to swim. They go to a cafe to talk. Giovanna says she wants time to be alone and that is why she left her home to go swimming. Giovanna says she ran into some people she knew at the pool, but they hadn't expressed condolences. She was surprised that this morning, however, Malvina had stopped by to visit Andreina. Jacopo is also surprised because he thinks Malvina is against his and Giovanna's relationship. Giovanna says the truth is that Jacopo is ashamed of her. He remains silent but internally, he agrees. Giovanna calls him an egoist, but she admires him because he is rich with a sure future. He tells her that he can never leave her after what they witnessed together. She calls him mad. Giovana reveals that his sister came to tell her to leave him, because she knew how Jacopo would react to the death. He says he is nothing like his sister and wants to be with Giovanna. He goes to call his sister to sort all of this out, but when he returns Giovanna is gone. Jacopo is close with his extremely elderly Uncle who has paralysis. The uncle lost his wife to suicide and knows his family is awaiting inheritance. He expresses his emotions to Jacopo and they become extremely close. Jacopo only feels close to his uncle in his family. One day Jacopo is going to visit his uncle, but his sister is there urging him not to go. He turns from her. She's always been the one who knows things, and he's always been the one who's afraid and outcast. Jacopo feels so afraid he is cold all over. When he reaches his Uncles room there are no sounds. His cousin Brea invites him inside. The uncle is dead. Jacopo lashes out at Brea because he only comes around when someone dies, making him an evil omen of misfortune. Brea calls him crazy and reveals that Jacopo has inherited all of his uncle's money. Jacopo feels angry, like he's committed a crime. He goes to see his sister and asks why they never told him about what was going on with the Uncle. She says it is because he was spending time with Giovana. On his deathbed, the uncle had been very cruel to Brea. Malvina says Brea will take this out on Jacopo by speaking harshly about him and Giovanna behind his back. Jacopo says he will stop Brea from judging him. He goes to Brea's house, but only his wife, Olimpia, is home. Olimpia says Jacopo has always looked down on Brea and her, so Jacopo deserves judgement. Jacopo remembers that he only came here to stop the family from judging him and Giovanna. Thus, he concludes that he will marry her and they will live happily and have their own family.  He goes to the swimming pool where he knows Giovanna is. It is late. She is there with Dick, a physician and one of Giovanna’s friends who called upon her in the wake of her sister’s death. Giovanna looks sickly. Giovanna jumps off the high dive and injures herself. They order a car to help them take her somewhere for help. Jacopo feels indifferent and that he cannot help. When Giovanna revives she only calls for Dick and asks why Jacopo is there. She says Jacopo's sister was right, but Jacopo just says they should leave together. Finally, she screams at him that all he has is his fear. Jacopo leaves her with Dick and visits his sister. She reveals she has a son who is dying from coldness and hunger, but she has not come to ask for help. Jacopo freaks out again from guilt and fear of being just like his cousin Brea. He gives her all his money and tells her to go make a good life for his son.