While taking a short cut, Philip, a successful car salesman from Wolfsburg, accidentally knocks a boy off his bicycle. He missed seeing the child because he was arguing with his girlfriend on the telephone. Philip hesitates for a moment at the scene of the crime, but craven self-preservation defeats moral responsibility and he drives on. It seems that Philip may be lucky: the boy comes out of his coma and the police seek another car. Philip and his girlfriend leave for a holiday but cannot patch up their relationship. While they are away the boy dies. Laura, the boy′s single mother, is shattered. She makes her way from one scrap metal yard to another, hoping to trace the hit-and-run driver. As she tries to pick up the pieces of her life, Laura has a chance encounter with Philip. A cautious relationship develops between them. The guilt-ridden Philip gives her support and tries to find her a better job. Soon Laura begins to feel secure and close to Philip, but she has no idea that she is dating her son′s killer.