Victoria waits at Ines's for Luis, and Ines uses the chance to press her case about marrying well again. Ines feels responsible for her, but Victoria patiently puts her off again. Ines needles her about Luis not showing up. Victoria insists Luis wouldn't behave like that, except for a good reason and calls Dona Lidia's; but there's no answer! Victoria wants to go right there, and Ines insists she will drive her.
At Sandra's, Jose Joaquin gleefuly waves his Andres/Victoria photograph under Sandra's jealous nose. I guess they're still on speaking terms anyway. Valentina has lured Andres to the love nest apartment, no doubt with plans of seducing him; but he won't be seduced. Actually, he won't even kiss her, and this gives Valentina pause. She makes it easy on him and guesses that he doesn't love her anymore, so he doesn't even have to say it himself. When they get home she tries to get Andres to feel sorry for her, but he's past that. He tells her he thinks they should sleep in separate rooms. (He must really be in love with Victoria.)
Victoria gets to Lidia's, who's crying her eyes out but finally explains about Maru. Cut to the church, and poor Luis is on his knees praying earnestly (or ernesto-ly) for God to see Maru safely home. Back at Lidia's, she shows Victoria her room, and suddenly the phone rings and Lidia runs out to get it. As Victoria exits, turning the light out, she hears a pitiful cry. She stops suddenly, turns the light back on, and goes toward the cry. It's Maru! And she's under a table skirt. Victoria lifts the skirt, and Maru crawls out, bawling and yelling at Victoria. She wants Victoria gone! She wants to hear nothing, see nothing of Victoria!
Victoria feels terrible and goes into the living room, where Lidia has been on the phone with Luis and told him the good news. He's rushing home, and when he comes in, Victoria's standing so that he can't see her and rushes straight in to crush his daughter to him and reassure himself she's ok. Victoria looks on from the doorway, feeling left out, especially when Luis tells Maru she's the most important thing in his life! Victoria feels completely extraneous and rushes out of the house. After a few moments, Luis leaves Maru and goes looking for Victoria finally. He feels guilty to know she must have left feeling hurt.
Over at Esteban's condo, he's sitting at his desk and slipping the Quintana Enterprises diskette into his home computer. Unexpectedly, Mauricio comes in through the elevator, and Esteban quickly switches the monitor off. Mauricio got bored in Queretaro and says he missed Mexico, but he goes around and puts his hands on Esteban's shoulders when he says this, and it sort of seems like he means he missed Esteban. Esteban then does a funny thing and takes off his toupee with a huge sigh. Guess he's comfortable enough to do that with Mauricio. Mauricio doesn't react as though it's a surprise. Later on, they are both relaxing with a drink, and Mauricio admits Esteban's right to caution him about guarding the excellent living he's providing for them both.
In a quick scene, Toni bangs on Beatriz's door, and she answers it in her jammies. He's all apologetic, having missed a date. She doesn't care, though, and has had it. Beatriz boots him right back out, slams the door in his face and calls herself an idiot.
At dinner at Ines's, Victoria isn't hungry. Ines and her husband both try to talk Victoria into staying in Queretaro. Ines even objects to Victoria feeling like Julia and Lolita are family. The husband offers to find her a job. They thinks she belongs with her kind there with them. Suddenly, the maid comes in and announces that Victoria's boyfriend is there to see her. When she leaves, Ines and her husband vent about how willful Victoria is, spoiled by Alfredo, and the husband vows he's not uttering another peep to the girl on the subject.
Outside the house, Luis tries to mollify Victoria, but she's upset and worried. She insists Luis tell her if Maru is ever going to accept her! Luis swears of course she will. He tries to make her feel more assured and is about to kiss her when Victoria feels bound to clear the air first. She finally tells him about the dinner date with Andres, and he blows his stack. Now they are yelling at each other. He cannot believe she would accept a date, alone, with Mr. Powermonger! Victoria ineffectually throws out that tired, old excuse about having "her reasons," but Luis sarcastically retorts he guesses he's just too stupid to understand! He is so incredibly livid! Luis stalks off. And I don't blame him -- she's taken way too long to trust him and tell him about her desire for revenge.
In a complete change of scene mood, Rufino takes Julia to a nice little restaurant after they went to a romantic movie. She likes Sara Garcia's and Fernando Soler's films (spelling?). Some time afterward at home, Lolita decides that the three of them -- Julia, Rufino and herself -- should go somewhere together as a group, but Julia's not sure about that. Lolita's curious about Esteban and brings up Andres Rivera and Victoria's vengeance wish, which is a distasteful subject for Julia who wants that stopped. She's sure Esteban was always a gentleman and best friend to Alfredo. Is Lolita doubtful?
Next day, Victoria goes to visit her parents' graves by herself and has a talk with her dad. She tells him she loves Luis, but just as she was her dad's most important concern, Maru is Luis's also. She knows she has to accept that. We hear very dimly a chorus of schoolgirls chant something indistinguishable in the background (of her mind?), and Victoria tells Alfredo she takes a lot of comfort in her dad always being with her to help her. Meanwhile at Julia's, she's making a real attempt to get Maru to ease up on poor Luis. She makes Maru promise never to throw in his face that he doesn't love her anymore.
At Ines's, she's on the horn to Sergio, explaining in a rush that Victoria's suddenly decided to go home and that he should get to the bus station to say goodbye. Later, Luis arrives, looking for Victoria, and Ines tells him she's gone, too. Plus, she tries to press on him that he should leave Victoria for her own good. Victoria's had the best of everything and could have again with the right connections; plus your situation isn't even working, what with the daughter rejecting Victoria! And lastly, I wanted to mention that when Victoria was a little girl, she would have acted exactly the same way if Don Alfredo had tried to remarry. Requesting to "tu" him, she earnestly pleads with him to sacrifice for Victoria's good. Boy, she almost gets him with all this. Luis leaves, distressed and downhearted.
The bus pulls out of the station with Victoria inside, watching the departure gate until finally Sergio gets there, too late, of course. She resignedly waves goodbye and he looks frustrated in the extreme. A few minutes later at their club, Sergio's uncle Fernando and Ines and her husband are having dinner when Sergio runs in to join them late, all disarrayed from rushing to the station first. Ines goes to him right away to ask if he succeeded, but he explains "she" was gone already.
Esteban wakes up to find a note from Mauricio, saying he's taken Esteban's car. Next scene, we see Mauricio over at the vecinidad, talking amicably with Toni about where he can find Victoria. Mauricio's cell phone shrills, and it's an angry Esteban, wanting to know where the hell he is. Toni hears Mauricio lie about being at his parents and must think it's strange. I think he notices the car, too. Does he recognize it as Esteban's somehow?
At the circus grounds, Chiripas is jumping with excitement again to be together with Chaquira again, and he playfully tells her that he really likes her. She gets all embarrassed, but cute and shyly admits she likes him a lot, too!
Luis is still in Queretaro and Maru is enjoying being with him again when he takes her and his mother in law out for some lunch. Maru goes to play while the two adults talk. He relates that Ines is quite the gossip and meddler! Lidia has known Ines a long time and thinks she's a good woman. Luis can hardly believe it. Look, Lidia says, I admit I was wrong to think you shouldn't remarry. This perks him up quite a bit. But then she continues, but I don't think you should marry Victoria. He stops and looks at her. She's really in another world from you. He's getting pretty darned tired of hearing this by now, I think.
In Julia's empty apartment in Mexico City, a very sad Victoria comes in, drops her cases on the floor and starts crying right away. Sinking down on the love seat, she takes out her father's wedding band and gazes at it, looking up to heaven for his help.
In Chiripas's trailer, Chaquira decides to go non-alcoholic in support of him and they have a glass of juice together. He tells her how much he hated being lied to before, and this sure makes Chaquira uncomfortable, but she doesn't unload her past on him right then. Good thing, because he's feeling very affectionate and tenderly nuzzles her neck, which she doesn't mind one bit.
Victoria decides to go to the cathedral, but has to negotiate the local busybody, Queta, first. No, she doesn't want to call anybody. In a bit of a coincidence, Andres in another mood of self-examination, has returned to his old haunts to think about his life. You may remember that the cathedral plaza was one of them. He pulls up at the curb on the street just as Victoria has passed in front on the sidewalk on her way to church. Some steps behind, he follows her in and just watches from the doorway as she tearfully prays for guidance. Andres has to quick hide behind the big portal door to keep from being seen as Victoria's leaving.
At the gate of the circus grounds, Chiripas and Chaquira are parting, and he's smooching her to raucous hoots and hollers from his practicing clowns and jugglers in the background. She says haltingly that he's the first special person ever in her life and, haltingly and shyly, admits she thinks she's in love with him. Oh, this makes Chiripas run around with joy, and then he runs back to her and stops and declares, Me, too! And runs around again. What a nut.
Finally, back at Fernando's mansion, he and Sergio are just coming in from dinner at the club, and only get a few steps inside the gate before Fernando jumps all over Sergio about Victoria. It didn't take much to figure out what he and Ines were talking about right when Sergio arrived at the club! Fernando's furious, but this time Sergio's spitting mad, too. I guess hiding behind Ines now, he feels strong enough to stand up to the uncle. Sergio gets in his uncle's face and yells he's going to try to get Victoria back, no matter what Fernando threatens! (YAWN. What do I care about Sergio?) Music up, credits roll; I'll be back tomorrow for the other storylines.