For 30 years, José João Batista—better known as Zezão—worked for the same company. After being forced into retirement by the board, he is left bitter and resentful, only to win a major lottery prize. However, he never collects the winnings, as he is struck and killed by a vehicle beforehand; the winning ticket ends up being buried with him. Angelina, Zezão’s wife, and their four children—Pedro, Jesus, André, and Maria de Fátima—search everywhere for the ticket, until Angelina has a vision of her late husband. In the vision, he reveals that he was buried with the ticket, which was tucked into the pocket of his suit jacket. Angelina then decides to exhume Zezão’s body. When the coffin is opened, the family discovers the corpse wearing only his underwear and concludes that the ticket has been stolen. This sets the stage for the soap opera's main plot: the search for the missing ticket.