Mildred Pierce

After a bitter argument with her husband, Mildred Pierce is left to raise her two young daughters alone. Though she is skilled at baking, she struggles to find work outside the home, as clerical and office jobs are scarce. With encouragement from her friend Lucy Gessler, she eventually accepts a position as a waitress at a hash house, hoping to keep her new job a secret from her daughters, especially her older one, Veda.

Mildred introduces her homemade pies at the diner, where they become popular and lead to increasing orders from other restaurants. When Veda finds out about Mildred's work, she disapproves, but Mildred remains determined to open her own restaurant. After getting a divorce, Mildred buys a house to convert into a restaurant, but returns home to find her youngest daughter seriously ill in the hospital.

After the funeral of her youngest daughter, Mildred focuses on launching her new restaurant, which is a success on opening night. As business picks up, friends help manage the crowd, and the arrival of prominent guest Monty Beragon brings new opportunities and complications. While Veda grows fond of Monty and receives a music recommendation from him, tensions rise at home as Vera resents a Christmas gift and accuses Monty of driving a wedge between her and Veda.

In 1937, Mildred, now a successful businesswoman, partners with Lucy to open a third restaurant in Laguna Beach. Their daughter Veda, an 18-year-old aspiring actress, continues to defy her mother's expectations, engaging in reckless behavior and becoming pregnant by a man who refuses to marry her. After Mildred discovers the truth through the boy's mother and throws Veda out, she later learns that Veda has become a successful singer.

Mildred, proud of her daughter Veda's singing success, struggles with their growing emotional distance, as Veda ignores her calls and letters. While she and Monty Beragon prepare to marry and buy his family mansion, Mildred is thrilled when Monty arranges for Veda to perform at their wedding. Meanwhile, Mildred faces financial difficulties with her restaurant and increasing personal debt, as Veda's rising fame and demands create further strain.