In the small town of Renwood, Ohio, Lil Andrews, Jean Harlow, a young secretary with big dreams, hatches a plan to climb the social ladder by pursuing her wealthy boss, William “Bill” Legendre Jr., Chester Morris. She goes to his house under the pretense of delivering his mail while his wife Irene is away, and she eventually confesses her feelings before kissing him. Bill, who insists he loves Irene, finally yields when he learns Lil wears his picture in her garter. When Irene returns home that night, Lil quickly slips away, and Bill reassures a heartbroken Irene that he will not see Lil again.
The next day, Bill’s father, William Legendre Sr., Lewis Stone, offers Lil money and a Cleveland job in an effort to keep her away from his son. Lil pretends to be offended, but she remains determined to see Bill again, and he orders her to leave town. Some time later, after spotting Bill and Irene at a nightclub, Lil lures him into a phone booth where, despite his protests, they share a kiss and he agrees to meet her at her place the following night. Irene forgives Bill, and the couple reconciles for a time.
Yet Lil’s ambitions keep pulling her back into trouble. The next night, when Bill fails to show up, an intoxicated Lil marches to his house and creates a scene in front of Irene, revealing their nightclub kiss. Bill follows her to her apartment, offers money to leave town and slaps her, but they end up having sex. Not long after, Bill and Irene divorce, and Lil hopes to cement a place in high society through a calculated friendship with a powerful visitor.
When the illustrious New York coal tycoon Charles B. Gaerste, Henry Stephenson, visits Renwood, Lil seduces him and uses blackmail to secure an invitation for his social circle to a party at her mansion in his honor. She envisions being accepted among Gaerste’s friends, but the guests leave early to celebrate Irene, who lives just across the street. Humiliated, Lil decides to head to New York City to chase her dreams.
Having found Lil’s handkerchief in Gaerste’s hotel room, William Legendre Sr. shows it to his son, who reluctantly allows her to go to New York alone, though he warns that a divorce will follow if she cheats. In the metropolis, Lil begins an affair with Gaerste, who asks her to marry him, while she is also entangled with his handsome French chauffeur, Albert. Bill eventually confronts Gaerste with compromising photographs of Lil and Albert, which he has obtained through his detectives, and Gaerste fires Albert.
Back in Renwood, Bill reconciles with Irene, and Irene warns Lil that their marriage is unlikely to last if it’s built on shallow foundations. Undeterred, Lil renews her pursuit of status, while Bill’s suspicions about her intentions grow. After a tense confrontation, Bill and Irene remain together for the moment, but the shadow of Lil’s schemes lingers.
Two years later, Bill, now remarried to Irene, spots Lil at a racetrack in Paris in the company of an aging French millionaire. He quietly hides Irene’s binoculars, and Lil, accompanied by her aging companion, leaves in a limousine driven by Albert, signaling that Lil’s relentless quest for status has carried her through a life built on temptation and chance encounters.
