For 12 years, Esther has toiled away
at her novel with great passion and faith in her own talent. When it is
finished she is sure that she has produced a masterpiece, a divine creation that is no less than absolute perfection. After all, could
anyone evaluate great literature better than her, a sought-after editor with
impeccable taste, whose selection of books in the
series that she is editing are all examples of the finest literature there is? She only respects
the opinion of her friend Bertie, a professor she has admired ever since her
student days. She shows him the manuscript without revealing the author’s
identity. Apart from Bertie, Esther has no
friends other than Mirsky, a virtual friend, who is in love with her though he
has never met her and is not aware that Esther has a rare facial disfigurement
that makes her ugly. To her great surprise, Bertie pans the novel
as the work of a pretentious scribbler without talent.
Around the same time, Hili, an unknown
young actress, comes into Esther’s life. She
pours her heart out to Esther and tells her about the unrequited love she feels
for a married man, and about her powerful desire to become a great and admired
actress.
Hili, who suffers from low self-esteem and
is captured in a circle of self-destruction, worships the wise and self-confident
Esther in the way that a believer worships
his god.
Esther, in turn, becomes addicted to Hili’s admiration and fails to see how
manipulative the young actress can be. Inevitably, their relationship
deteriorates and Hili’s adulation turns into hatred. After she loses the role
of a lifetime to another actress, she commits suicide, but leaves behind the
manuscript of a splendid novel. Esther is thrilled by this literary gem, and
cannot resist the temptation…
The novel is published, it becomes a world-wide success, and Esther takes all the glory for herself.
However, an old friend of Hili’s threatens to expose the fraud. Esther will not
let him ruin her. She has to take extreme, insane action to save herself, and
she does not hesitate.