The telenovela revolves around the family dramas and corporate power struggles of two rival families. This rivalry dates back many years to when Arturo Montenegro and Eládio Gómez Luna vied for the love of the beautiful Ana Laura; ultimately, it was Eládio who married her. Years later, Ana Laura is deeply unhappy, enduring her husband's abuse and cruelty; her only solace is the love of her son Federico, who is the complete opposite of his father. Meanwhile, after being widowed, Arturo married the frivolous Nina, with whom he had three children: Rogelio, Ana Karen, and Paulina. Arturo is so consumed by his business affairs that he fails to notice the humiliations Nina and her children—Rogelio and Paulina—inflict upon Pedro, his son from his first marriage.