Juan de la Cruz, a young seminarian, visits the home of his mother, Ana Joaquina—a religious zealot who has always imposed her will on her son and instilled in him a calling to serve God. Working in Ana Joaquina’s household is Luciana, an innocent, dreamy young woman who falls in love with Juan de la Cruz. One night, swept up in the passion of youth, they give in to their feelings with tenderness and innocence. Upon discovering this, Ana Joaquina throws Luciana out; by then, Luciana is already pregnant with Juan de la Cruz’s child. When the time comes to give birth, she leaves her daughter at a stranger's doorstep, hoping the child will be raised there, but the baby is instead taken to an orphanage. To survive, Luciana becomes involved with a series of unsavory men—including Pedro Trujillo, a brutal man who beats and abuses her.