Rocío Banquells

Extremely loose adaptation of Little Women, set in 1970s; three teenaged girls and a younger sister live alone after the death of their parents.

Mistreated by the Narváez family, the poor and innocent Maricruz is humiliated, abandoned, and imprisoned, losing everything. Upon discovering her true origins, she transforms into a wealthy and powerful woman. Driven by grief and the loss of her father, she vows revenge against everyone who made her suffer.

Natalie, a poor but beautiful girl from a humble neighborhood, falls in love with and wins the heart of Victor Afonso—her childhood friend and the son of the city's wealthiest family. Natalie lives with a cruel old woman who forces her to beg to support her, yet also foresees through fortune-telling cards that "The Beast"—as Natalie is known—will one day find happiness and wealth. Believing this fortune is linked to "The Greek," a wealthy man in love with Natalie, the old woman sells her to him—unaware that Natalie and Victor Afonso had secretly married before he left the country for his studies. When the young man's parents discover the truth, they annul the marriage, indifferent to the fact that "The Beast" is pregnant with his child. Supported by her friend—a cabaret performer known as "La Costeña"—and by The Greek himself, Natalie turns her life around and gives birth to twins; however, she has no idea that The Greek intends to exact a price for all his generosity.

Popular telenovela produced in Mexico in 1979, starring Verónica Castro, Rogelio Guerra and Rocío Banquells. Castro also sang the theme Aprendí a Llorar, a song written by Lolita de la Colina. The telenovela was produced by Chilean Valentín Pimstein and Carlos Romero, it was directed by Rafael Banquells. The story was written by Inés Rodena and adapted by Valeria Philips.

When Marichuy was born, her mother—believing she was on the verge of death—handed her over to a priest, who took her to an orphanage. At the age of fourteen, Marichuy ran away from the institution and began wandering from place to place, scraping together a living however she could. Years later, she was attacked by a drunkard; the incident left her harboring resentment toward men and plagued by harrowing nightmares.