This book is a dark, classic collection of ten distinct short stories exploring the complex undercurrents of married life. Each story focuses on a different couple—such as the Wellingtons, the Bryces, and the Chisholms—whose relationships are strained to the breaking point. Rather than idyllic romances, Rinehart exposes marriages filled with emotional torment, petty cruelty, stinginess, and, in some cases, physical violence or impending murder. The collection illustrates the unsettling idea that for these fractured couples, only death will bring their vows to an end.