Anna Karenina knows her position is false and dishonorable, and she longs with her entire soul to change it. On the way home from the races, she had revealed to her husband the truth about her love for Vronsky; it had burst from her in a moment of excitement, and despite her current agony, she is relieved to have told him. The lying and deception is over; although her new situation could be bad, at least it would be honest. She sees Vronsky that night but does not tell him about her conversation with Alexey Alexandrovitch.

This morning her position again seems hopeless, and she wonders why she did not immediately tell Vronsky about the conversation with her husband. It is because she is ashamed. Now she visualizes the terrible action her husband may take: He may turn her out of the house and proclaim her shame to the world. Anna Karenina wonders what she will do when the inevitable happens.

As she thinks of Vronsky, she believes he is beginning tire of her, and she resents him for it. She is so ashamed that she cannot even look directly at her household staff or spend time with her son. After waiting a long time, her maid finally enters Anna Karenina’s room without being summoned, apologizing for disturbing her. She gives her mistress a note from Princess Betsy, reminding her of their croquet date with several other women later that morning. Anna Karenina sighs and dismisses her maid.

Although she has a religious faith, she doesn't rely on it to help her now any more than she relies on her husband. As she contemplates her sorry state, Anna Karenina finds herself pulling on her hair in distress. Then Annushka arrives with a message. Seryozha is waiting for her. He has gotten in trouble, and his governess would like to talk to her employer.

The thought of her son finally rouses Anna Karenina from her misery. She realizes it is her son who will be her support though this difficult time. No matter what else happens, she will always have him, and she must do whatever is necessary to ensure he will not be taken from her. This, she determines, will become her sole purpose in life. She meets her son and his governess in the drawing room, but she does not listen as the woman explains Seryozha’s bad behavior.

Anna Karenina dismisses the governess immediately, deciding she will not take the woman with her when she and Seryozha leave. She looks at her son with such love that the boy is thrilled by what he sees in her face. Anna Karenina wonders if he will join his father one day in punishing her, not understanding how such disaster could have happened to her.

She prepares to leave for Moscow with Annushka and her son. She writes a letter to her husband, telling him where she is going and asking him to be generous enough to let her have her son; she starts a letter to Vronsky to inform him she has told her husband the truth. Then Anna Karenina tears up both letters and begins packing for her journey.