Televisa, 1992.
Telefutura Sinopsis: La pobre e inocente María Mercedes debe valerse sola para sacar adelante a su familia. Su padre es un borracho y su madre los abandonó cuando eran muy chicos (aunque Meche siempre piensa en ella). Trabajando de vendedora de boletos de lotería, ella consigue darle a su familia comida y un techo sin importarle lo malagradecidos que son con ella. Santiago del Olmo es un ricachón con una mansión in el rincón más rico en la ciudad. Aunque esta muriendo, no puede hacerlo tranquilo ya que sabe que su codiciosa y malvada cuñada, Malvina, será su heredera. Un día, Santiago esta sentado en su jardín cuando ve a Meche. Una propuesta, un matrimonio, un testamento y las maquinaciones vengativas de una Malvina enloquecida derribaran las vidas de todos en la casa Del Olmo--especialmente la de Jorge Luis, el hijo atormentado de Malvina del que Meche se enamora. A Malvina no se le ocurre mejor idea que casar a María Mercedes, cuando está queda viuda y millonaria, con su hijo, sobre todo porque él sufre de impotencia sexual, por lo que será fácil disolver la unión luego que hayan despojado a la mugrosita de su herencia. Pero, milagrosamente, María Mercedes cura a su esposo de su vergonzosa enfermedad
Original de Inés Rodena, Libreto de Carlos Romero, Versión de Vivian Peztalozzi © Televisa S.A. 1992
Summary of novela by Robyn B. OnLiNE: Maria Mercedes is a professional street urchin who has the ultimate responsibility of raising her family [a brother and sister, Rosario] on her own. Her mother left her when she was a young girl and her father is a drunk. No matter how ungrateful her family is to her, she does everything she can to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. Meanwhile, Santiago del Olmo owns a beautiful mansion in the richest part of the city. He's a wealthy, dying man who doesn't want his sister-in-law Malvina to be his heir. He meets Meche and, in part to spite Malvina and in part because he is really taken with Meche's generosity, he marries her before his death and leaves her everything. Meche falls in love with Malvina's son Jorge Luis and Malvina does everything possible to regain her inheritance.
ADVERTENCIA/ WARNING: The next two paragraphs summarize the entire novela. Los párrafos siguientes resumen la novela entera, incluyendo el final.
Digna is a very timid woman who hasn't the courage to face up to her mother. Cordelio is the major domo; he courts Digna (for her money), helps Malvina make Jorge Luis believe Meche is crazy, courts Malvina herself, tries to kill Meche. Meche's brother is a trouble-maker who lands in jail; her sister is stuck-up. They and her drunk father rely on her to support them. Jorge Luis, Malvina's son and Digna's sister, is tied to Malvina's apron strings. He is in love with Mistica, a gold-digger herself. He marries Meche at his mother's command, in order to obtain the inheritance and because he really does love her but he makes excuses for not making love to her (his health, etc.). Eventually they do and she becomes pregnant but he becomes convinced that the child is not his. Malvina and Cordelia make Jorge Luis believe Meche is crazy and she is put in a hospital for a while.
Magnolia and her husband Rodolfo return to Mexico from New York. Unknown to him, she abandoned two children years before. Ella es la verdadera madre de Maria Mercedes. After she locates Meche, she tries to help her as an anonymous friend because she knows her husband will leave her if he discovers her deception. When he does, he does. It takes a long time, and the help of a neighbor, for Meche to clean up. Meche's father dies, but not until after he meets Magnolia once again. Mistica gets pregnant by her older husband Sebastian but tells Jorge Luis that the child is his.
At the end, a repentant and changed Rosario plans to marry Ricardo, el mejor amigo de Jorgé Luís. Magnolia reconciles with her husband Rodolfo and all her children finally forgive her. Meche's brother turns over a new leaf, thanks to the help of his mother.Cordelio is arrested for attempted murder and tells Jorgé the truth about his mother . Paz, tia de Mistica. tells her to stop fooling around and stay home with her husband Sebastian and her child. Malvina goes crazy and thinks she's Maria Mercedes. Jorge Luis, Meche and their child live happily ever after.
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