Lotte Pronk, a young woman from a modest background, is a brilliant business economist who graduated cum laude and has a heart of gold. Lotte's greatest flaw is her appearance—she is considered unattractive, so people tend to overlook her. Everything changes when she applies for a job at the fashion company Emoda in Zaandrecht. There, she meets Vico Maesland, the director's son, and instantly falls in love with him. Although she is initially regarded as "as ugly as the night," she gradually blossoms into a true "swan."