[1] A beautiful Italian businesswoman, Lucille Lombardi (Monica Vitti), discovers that her boyfriend and marketing director, Julien Auchard (Robert Hossein), has bankrupted her family business, cheated her out of her wealth, and left her penniless.

Shocked by the betrayal, the loss of her villa in Nice, and feeling that all is lost, Lucille decides to sell her jewelry and binge on champagne and caviar before committing suicide.

After arriving in Paris, Lucille buys an Austin Princess luxury car and sets about planning her revenge while continuing her lavish spending on designer clothing and food.

In the coming days, François desperately tries to locate her as she continues her spending spree on fine clothes and expensive food and champagne while waiting for her ex-boyfriend to arrive in Paris.

Despairing on not finding her, he resigns himself to his work, which involves a lucrative new salvage operation in Venezuela that will make him wealthy (from the shady Spaniard Alberto as it turns out).