Episode 37: Your Life Is In My Hands

Consuela Alcantara has sprung back unto the main stage of this telenovela. This time, she has dared the devil's right-hand man, Luis Alejandro Montero, and drew him into a mortal combat. From now on, it would be more than the battle of wits, it shall be a grim warfare prosecuted with utter recklessness without mercy. It shall bring out the worst virtues in the combatants, I would not be surprised if, like any other warfare in real life, it leads to heavy death casualties. Because none of them wants to die, and to win the war, you must exterminate the enemy. But that is precisely what Consuela seem to have told L.A. tonite, showing him that she held all the aces, therefore, she said: "...like it or not, your life is in my hands..."

So it was a matter of life and death: that is what is at stake.... her real mission was, for the first time, openly declared to L.A: "Modify my father's will to favor me with his fortune, or I would expose you to your wife as cheating on her with her secretary, and that you have a secret daughter by another woman ". She also called L.A's bluff by telling him that if he refuses, she would find a less scrupulous lawyer to do it for a fee and would use medical evidences to show that her father Don Alcantara was already suffering from memory loss (Alzheimer's dieaseas) by the time he made a new will. She did not fail to rub-in the fact that L.A's interest in Luisa was not because he loved his daughter, but because of Don's Will, which gave all his fortune to Luisa Fernanda.

The Cookies of Luis Alenjandro seem to be crumbling so fast and in rapid succession this week, just as he was coming out of a gruelling ordeal of infidelity, he 'strolled' into another phase matrimonial trauma tonite, when Marissa, in the company of Leopoldo, caught Andreina as she was coming out of his office...: Andreina walked into what looked like a trap but no, it wasn't.

Marissa came to share the 'good news' of her reconcilliation with her husband. Jennifer asked her why the sudden change of heart for a man whom she swore, a few days ago, that she would divorce? She told both Andreina and Jenny that her husband had confessed of a 'fling' with one woman of insignificance. She also told them how L.A. terminated his love-affair with the prostitute and, after repentance, had promised never to be involved with women of easy virtues again. Andreina was boiling under her skin with shame and anger. She took excuse to leave immediately for an 'appointment' with her 'Dentist'. Marissa and Jenny wondered at her strange behaviour after she left. Leopoldo came in, looking for Andreina. Marissa told him that she just left for an 'appointment' with her 'dentist'. Marissa suggested that Leopoldo should accompany her to L.A's office so that they all, could go to lunch together and she even asked him to get Andreina on phone to come and join them for the lunch.

Andreina firmly insisted that the body-guard whom Leopoldo had employed should not follow her this time, that he should go home and rest. She drove straight to L.A's office, throwing his miserable ring of turmoil at him. She declared, that marks the end of all relationship with him. She was mad he behaved cowardly by calling her a woman of insignificance to save his face with Marissa. She also told him that she is packing out of the apartment he rented for her as their love hide-out, to prove she is a woman of dignity and not a mistress to a scumbag and selfish coward like him. She turned and headed for the door in blazing anger, as she opened the door, Marissa and Leopoldo appeared..., Andreina cringed, with fear and surprise written all over her face. Leopoldo asked her: "...Andreina, what are you doing here?..." Smart L.A quickly used his feet to cover the ring that Andreina had thrown on the floor... Wait for the BOMB next episode.

Cowards Die Many Times Before Their Death
The last message of L.A. haunted Pedro so much that he had to persuade a reluctant Luisa Fernanda to follow Joaquina and other Catholic nuns who were going for a retreat on an island for a few days. He wanted Luisa Fernanda to be out of reach of L.A. After they had left, he locked himself up and began a drinking spree to quench his sorrow. In his drunken state, he poured out his bottled feelings, saying: "...Ameeelia, you were a godess to me..., I loved you since I was a little kid..., but you could never love me back..., You were right, ...I'm just a miserable loser..." For 3 days and 3 nights Pedro indulged and drowned in liquor pool. No food no water, just liquor.

By the third day his two friends Pancho and Ceasar came to call him out of stupor to start work again. He drove them away and told them to let him destroy himself. Luisa too called on phone for 3 days without Pedro picking the phone. She got worried and packed her luggages and left for home. On getting home he found Pedro sprawled on the floor, having swallowed all the sleeping pills in a bottle, in a sucidal attempt. She ran to the phone and called Carlos who responded with alarcrity. Abulance rushed him to the hospital and Pedro's bowel and system were pumped and drained of every substance he might have swallowed. While waiting for his recovery from coma, Carlos came with the news that his condition is stable and out of danger. She was so appreciative of Carlos' compassion and rescue this time.

As Luisa escorted Sister Joaquina out of the hospital, cunning Jennifer saw and called her, asking what she was doing at the hospital. She looked back and simply told her that it's none of her business. jenny pleaded for attention saying, "...we have lot of things to talk about".

Don Alcantara came out of the comprehensive test ran by the medical experts on him. Accompanied by Consuela, Don asked the doctor if he had lost his mind. The doc said no, but they just ran a test to determine the level of memory loss caused by Alzheimer's syndromme. The doctor assured him that it could be treated, when the result comes out next day, that he would determine his prescription then.