Harry Sterndale, a failed photographer, is given a diagnosis of cancer and told that he has only three months to live. After thinking things over, he decides that since he is dying anyway, he will kill or destroy all the people that ever crossed or hurt him during his life – after all, he will be dead anyway long before he can come to trial and get his just desserts from society. Harry hires an assassin to finish himself off in style, and even has time to fall in love with Jill. However, there’s just one small problem with Harry’s master plan – the cancer diagnosis is totally inaccurate and now he’s got a hitman on his trail and several policemen wanting to talk to him about some murders…

Stan is a sailor whose girl gets kidnapped by a rough sea captain. Stan dresses in drag and seduces the captain but the captain’s wife catches him. Stan and his girl beat a hasty retreat as the captain’s wife fires off a parting shot.

As a parting shot, fired reporter Ann Mitchell prints a fake letter from unemployed “John Doe,” who threatens suicide in protest of social ills. The paper is forced to rehire Ann and hires John Willoughby to impersonate “Doe.” Ann and her bosses cynically milk the story for all it’s worth, until the made-up “John Doe” philosophy starts a whole political movement.

Shot over the course of ten years, the story revolves around 16-year-old Alice who becomes a mother to Aristo, a child conceived out of her deep affection for Dorian, despite their remarkable 35-year age difference. However, their trajectories quickly separate, compelling Alice to make the heart-wrenching choice of parting ways with both Dorian and Aristo.