Joel Clark's kind-hearted and friendly reputation holds strong with his neighbors, but he holds a dark secret within the walls of his late mothers' home. Unable to cope with the untimely death of his mother who abused him into submission as a young child, he seeks another woman to fill the maternal role that is missing in his life. Lucy Patton resides unwillingly in Joel's home, forced to fulfill the role of a perfect, stay-at-home mother. She plots her escape while she plays his sick game for the last time.