Outside Casa Zúñiga, there is a dramatic paternity announcement sans Maury Povich: Ricardo Márquez is the father of Lety TMZ! After the initial shock, it’s time for the airing of grievances: Why didn’t you tell me I had a daughter? You disappeared. Why didn’t you look for me? You wouldn’t have done the right thing. You wouldn’t have married me and taken care of our child. Sara warns Ricardo to stay away from her daughter and drives off.
Brígida missed quite a spectacle here. She goes downstairs to let Ricardo know that her husband is ready to receive him only to find out that the guest has disappeared. She goes back upstairs to let Amador know that his friend and Sara Ezquerra know each other. Yep, in the biblical sense too and they’ve created a younger version of you!
Outside Casa Gaxiola, an adorable meet-cute occurs between Lalo and Tere. He came to deliver a pottery catalogue and got flèched by Cupid. Though she acts serious around him, Tere isn’t entirely immune to his charm “What an odd guy!” she thinks to herself, suppressing a smile.
Inside the house, in Alonso’s study, Rebeca enquires about the scandal that Amador caused at the fábrica/factory earlier. Alonso says he didn’t believe the allegations Amadiva made because he doesn’t think Marcelo is capable of doing such a thing. What about me? Do you think I’m capable? wonders Whora Major. Alonso is like: Vitch, have you seen you lately? I have discovered stuff about you that indicates anything could be expected of you! Instead of recoiling to her pit and calling it a day, she slithers closer to his desk and asks if this means he doesn’t care whether she cheats on him. Cool as a cucumber, he tells her that if that were the case, he hopes she’d have the courage to admit it to him. He’d never stand in the way of her moving on with her life and shacking up with whomever does him the huge favor of taking her off his hands. “You’re only looking for a pretext to get rid of me, aren’t you?” Alonso ignores her and pretends to admire pottery designs in the catalogue that Tere brought him.
At the fábrica, Marcelo seeks the advice of Don Nazario. He wants to tell Alonso the truth but Lucía won’t let him do it. So he’ll keep dragging his feet until the villains beat him to the punch and runteldat on his ill-advised attempts to revenge-boink Alonso’s wife. Nazario reckons that when Alonso finds out, the chances of Marcelo formalizing his relationship with Lucía will be very slim. However, the decision to come clean is something that only Marcelo and his conscience can make. In other words: When you gotta talk, talk, don’t dilly-dally!
Back at Casa Gaxiola, Lucía is sitting in her room, looking angsty and minding her own business. Nora barges in and demands to know why Lucía broke up with Marcelo. Is it related to what happened at the fábrica with Amador? Is it because she discovered that Marcelo and Auntie Tarty had something going on? Lucía asks Whora Minor if she thinks her sainted mother is capable of such a thing. In any event, Lucía says that she dumped Marcelo because she has discovered that he isn’t the man everyone thought he was. Whora Minor is skeptical: “I don’t know why but I’m sure that you’re hiding something. Yet at the same time, hay algo que no encaja, something is very amiss here. If you had the slightest proof against my mom you wouldn’t have hesitated for a second to rat her out to my dad and have her kicked out of the house!” Lucía agrees. Nothing would make her happier but she can’t do it because the rumors are unfounded. So stop torturing yourself, let sleeping dogs lie and get the heck out of my room!
Sara informs Magdalena that Ricardo knows the truth. Magdalena advises her to fess up to her daughter. Waterworks.
Ligia’s absence has people at the office talking. Lety TMZ wishes she would never return. Sergio knows why she’s saying that. She thinks she could get Ligia’s job and be able to follow Mario around all day like a lovesick labradoodle, but that won’t happen. Lety TMZ suggests Sergio call his friend Rodrigo. Surely he can locate Ligia. Right underneath him.
At Casa Zúñiga, Brígida scolds her no-good son for disappearing from the house while his poor father is sick as a dog. Where have you been all day? Rodrigo says he was out looking for a job. What about the company you were setting up with your father? That gig went ar$eways, Ma. I’m sick of Pa making a scapegoat (chivo expiatorio) out of me.
Upstairs, Amador’s suppressed conscience is haunting his dreams. He’s strangling Ligia and sweating bullets. Brígida checks on him. She is sure there is something else going on with him, in addition to the infection. “Traigo problemas, Brígida. I got problems, lady and you’re one of them”. She says she wants to help him. He replies that she’ll help him a lot if she brings him the newspaper. What do you want the paper for? To read the news, lady, that’s all.
Sergio and Mario find it odd that Ligia hasn’t shown up to work or called to notify she wasn’t coming. She has always been very committed to her job. Sergio says he’ll swing by her apartment after work to check on her.
At the Harpies’ Nest, Milagros has dismissed her newly-hired housekeeper because she doesn’t approve of the way that young lady uses the duster (sacudidor). Rafaela arrives and offers to keep Mother Terror company now that the Human Barnacle has gone back to Mexico City. Milagros says she doesn’t need a nanny. What about help with the house chores (el quehacer)? It’s not like her Royal Pain in the Neck is going to grab a mop (trapeador) or broom (escoba) and do the cleaning herself. Not to mention the cooking. “Fine, you can stay,” concedes Milagros, acting like she’s doing Rafaela a big favor. “Until I find a new housekeeper, that is. In the meantime, go ahead and fix me a meal. I’m starving.” Rafaela announces that it’s too late to start working today but she’ll be back tomorrow, bright and early. She walks out leaving Mother Terror livid and rolling her eyes at her former housekeeper’s impertinence.
At the fábrica, Lalo is daydreaming. He confides to Marcelo that he has met the most beautiful woman in the world today, with all due respect to Miss Lucía, of course. The only thing is, Lalo doesn’t know the young lady’s name. All he knows is that he rang the bell (tocar el timbre), the door opened, “¡y apareció un ángel grandodote! And a great big angel appeared!” Marcelo tells him that her name is Tere and remarks that it’s strange Lalo had never seen her before today. It turns out that a bunch of housekeepers have paraded (desfilar) through Casa Gaxiola over the years, due to Rebeca’s temperament, but Lalo has never had the pleasure of meeting “Teresita” before. He enquires whether she is single or not. Marcelo has no idea. All he knows is that she is a lovely person, though a little meddlesome (entrometida). Lalo thinks this just confirms that he and Teresita are made for one another! Aww, qué cute!
At Casa Gaxiola, Lucía goes to Rebeca’s room to announce that Nora had asked her earlier about Amador’s allegations. Rebeca says she hopes Lucía hasn’t been talking ill (hablar pestes) of her to her spawn. Lucía suggests that Whora Major pack up a suitcase and travel away for a while, with Whora Minor in tow. Just until Lucía manages to convince Marcelo to leave Puebla and their lives forever. Hopefully, by the time the two Whoras come back, everything would have returned to normal at Casa Gaxiola. Rebeca says she is surprised by Lucía’s good intentions. Lucía adds that putting a little distance between Rebeca and Alonso is a good idea because their relationship is really worn-out (gastada). Maybe this opportune trip would help them out as a couple? Rebeca scoffs that she isn’t falling for this! What if it’s all a ploy to get her out of the way and bring in Sara Ezquerra? Lucía doesn’t understand what Whora Major is alluding to. Don’t you know that Sara is in luuurve with your daddy? Come to think of it, Lucía reckons that Sara wouldn’t be a bad replacement option at all. An incensed Rebeca orders her out of the room.
At Casa Ezquerra, Sara tells Lety TMZ the truth about her father. Waterworks. Lety TMZ is understandably devastated, and more so when she discovers that her dad is the same man who ditched her best friend’s aunt at the altar, thus making Magdalena available to marry the man Lety TMZ has her eyes on. Waterworks. Poor lamb! The daddy issues she had been dragging for donkey’s years have just gotten an upgrade. She goes outside to finish crying her eyes out. ¡No puede ser! This can’t be happening! Ricardo witnesses her breakdown from afar and walks away. This isn’t a good time to have a father-daughter reunion.
With the super’s help, Sergio gets into Ligia’s apartment and discovers her dead body sprawled on the floor. He calls Mario who instructs him to notify the police and avoid touching anything in that crime scene.
At Casa Zúñiga, Amador is still scouring the newspapers. Brígida wonders what he is looking for. Maybe she could help. He’s just reading the news, lady, that’s all. In a crime tabloid (nota roja)? He snaps at her. Rodrigo brings in a box with the personal items that Amador had in his office at the fábrica. Marcelo Escalante dispatched it to the house. Amadiva totally loses his rag. He cusses Marcelo out, kicks the box around and throws his son and wife out of the room. Brígida tearfully tells her son that she can’t take this anymore. His father is going nuts and driving her crazy in the process.
At the fábrica, Normita is about to go home. She says goodbye to Marcelo on her way out. He tells her that he’s going to stay late at the office to finalize a report for Alonso.
At Casa Gaxiola, Tere informs Lucía that her best friend is bawling her eyes out on the mansion’s front steps. Lucía goes out to see what’s going on. Waterworks.
The police take Ligia’s body out. Naturally, Detective Juárez is in charge of investigating this case as well. This ensures that Amadiva is a free man until the penultimate episode. He asks Sergio and Mario a few routine questions that people who stumble upon dead bodies tend to get. Agent Ramos brings his boss a note he has just found in the victim’s apartment.
At Casa Zúñiga, Amadiva’s bout of hysterics has subsided. He is now on the floor drinking and flashbacking to the moment when Marcelo forbade him from taking anything out of the office, except his personal items. Amador had then shoved Marcelo, threatening: “You don’t know who I am, you smug little Chilango (Chilanguito engreído)!” He takes another swig and mutters: “You still don’t know me!”
At the fábrica, Marcelo is still working on his report when Rafaela calls to ask whether he’ll be home for supper. He’ll be late, so no need to wait for him. He’ll heat up his dinner plate when he gets home. Vinicio comes to check why the light in Marcelo’s office is on. He says he’ll be out doing his rounds (recorrido) in case Marcelo needs something.
At Casa Gaxiola, Lucía has managed to calm her friend down a bit and has convinced her to stay the night. She goes downstairs to notify Sara by phone and bumps into her father. He asks who she is calling this late. She fills him in on Sara’s baby daddy drama. Alonso offers to go tell Sara himself that her daughter is spending the night at Casa Gaxiola. After he leaves, Rebeca makes a jealous scene: Where did Alonso go? Why is Sara’s daughter here? Lucía tunes her out.
At Casa Treviño, Nazario talks to the portrait of his late lamented Trini and tells her how much he misses her. Magdalena walks in to let him know that she needs to go see Mario because his secretary has been murdered. Nazario offers to accompany her but she declines. She has ordered a taxi and it’s already here.
At Casa Ezquerra, Alonso tries to comfort Sara. He assures her that she isn’t alone. He is here to stand by her and by her daughter. Sara appreciates his kindness but she doesn’t want problems with his wife. Rebeca would be very displeased to learn that Alonso has decided to face the music (dar la cara) on Sara’s behalf. Alonso tells her he doesn’t care what his wife thinks and gives her a comforting hug. Waterworks.
At the fábrica, Marcelo has finished his report and is ready to head home. He walks past Vinicio’s post to let him know that he’s leaving but the night watchman is not around. Outside, Marcelo discovers a punctured tire. He opens the trunk of his car to get the spare tire and the scissor jack. An assailant attacks him from behind then plunges what looks like a screwdriver in his side. Marcelo collapses to the ground writhing in pain and bleeding profusely. The attacker takes Marcelo’s wallet out of his back pocket and walks away. Marcelo’s cellphone was in the trunk so our Fetching Papasito can’t call an ambulance. If this guy wasn’t the male protagonist of this novela, I would be very worried right now. Instead, I'm looking forward to the smooching and loveydoveyness that will ensue. Our lovebirds only get together when fatal and near-fatal accidents occur! Arson? Check! Strangulation? Check! Stabbing? Check!
