A young woman visits Dr. Alberto Limonta seeking an abortion because she does not want to have the child, but the doctor attempts to dissuade her by telling her a story. It is the story of the Del Junco family—one of the wealthiest in the city of Veracruz—comprising Don Rafael, the strict patriarch; his devoted wife, Clemencia; and their daughters, María Elena and Matilde, who are in the care of their Black nanny, María Dolores.