El alma herida

Plot

A family, driven by hope, makes the hard choice to cross into the United States chasing the American dream, leaving their old life behind unaware that fate has a cruel turn in store. Eleven-year-old Eugenia Granados, along with her father Salvador and brother Daniel, is stopped at the border by police pursuit and cannot cross. Her mother Catalina, described as beautiful and noble, is taken by a coyote who is attracted to her; when she resists his attempt to assault her, he stabs her in the stomach and leaves her for dead. A young truck driver named Juan Manuel Mendoza appears and, shocked by what he finds, rescues Eugenia, Daniel, and Salvador. Through a series of events, Salvador becomes convinced his wife has died. Overcome by grief and hardship, the family moves in with Juan Manuel, a shy and generous worker who has been supporting himself since age fourteen. He becomes their protector and gives Salvador a job. Eugenia grows deeply grateful to him and later falls madly in love.

Meanwhile, Catalina survives on the other side of the border. Despite endless struggles, she never stops searching for her family. She earns a living honestly and with dignity until a man marries her solely to grant her American citizenship and a small inheritance, which she uses to travel to Patzcuaro, Michoacan, Mexico. Believing her family still lives in the U.S., she decides to return. Salvador, however, learns his wife is alive but thinks she abandoned him for another man. When Eugenia finds out her mother is alive, she sets out to find her. Before leaving, she kisses Juan Manuel goodbye, startling him; he admits he has always wanted her. He is confused because he saw her only as a friend as she grew up. In Los Angeles, Eugenia focuses on her studies and self-improvement. Her letters to Juan Manuel fuel her romantic hopes, but she does not realize the replies are actually from his younger brother, Alejandro, who treats the correspondence as a harmless game, unaware of the illusions he is creating.