The film begins in a London park where a teenage girl wearing pig tails, a short, childish skirt and carrying an ice cream cone sits upon a bench beside an older man and promptly performs a sexual act for him. The girl is Stella and the "stranger" is her pimp, Mr. Peters. As harsh as it is bittersweet, this drama follows Stella as she struggles to escape her grim life as a prostitute. As she fights for her freedom, Stella's childhood in Glasgow unfolds via flashback. Also blending into her stories are her many youthful fantasies and hopeful daydreams. Stella makes the decision to escape after one of her friends is badly beaten by gang leader Fitz. She takes with her the drug-addicted Eddie, a member of Fitz's gang, but Peters does not let her off so easily and has her gang raped by his own henchmen as a sort of parting shot. Stella and Eddie return to Glasgow where she vows to get revenge upon the family members whose lack of caring led her to run away. She then settles down for a better life, only to find herself forced to again face her recent past when Peters suddenly shows up.