Gang Hyeon-hui (Mun Jeong-suk), who takes care of her illegitimate daughter (Jeon Yeong-seon) and her mother (Hwang Jeong-sun), makes a living by managing a dabang (cafe) called 'Madonna.' Hyeon-hui experiences difficulties in life, but tries not to lose her dignity. However, it is not easy, for the fact that she runs a dabang and has an illegitimate child is enough for people to treat her with disdain. Gang Hyeon-hui falls in love with one of her customers, an editorial writer named Lee Sang-hyeon (Kim Jin-gyu). However, he happens to already be married to her college schoolmate. On the other hand, a frequent customer to 'Madonna,' the young poet Min-u (Choe Mu-ryong), is attracted to Hyeon-hui, but when she does not accept him he becomes drunk and behaves badly. An employee of the dabang, Gwang-hui (Eom Aeng-ran), likes Min-u and spends the night with him, but as he does not accept her love she becomes devastated. Refusing Hyeon-hui's help, she sells her body to a stranger in the street, loses her mind, and commits suicide. Hyeon-hui is conflicted between love and morality, but continues to love Sang-hyeon. The day he leaves on a business trip to the U.S., Hyeon-hui overhears the conversation of one of her customers, Choe Yeong-cheol (Heo Jang-gang), who is talking about his plans to sell her to a foreigner. Furious, she throws a vase at Yeong-cheol, accidentally killing him. Gravely ill, Hyeon-hui is released on bail, and goes to an isolated island with Sang-hyeon. Ho