The Rivals Encounter

Gustavo was the first to break the good news to Sebastian the next day that Catalina had agreed to marry him. He was excited and headed to Catalina's house to confirm the news.

Meanwhile, Silvia's obsession with Eduardo drove her to drag him into humiliation by making him to go with her to Catalina's apartment, to tell Catalina to her face that, they would be going for their marriage at the registry next day and she should henceforth stop hustling after Eduardo.

After they left, Catalina wept sorrowfully for the humiliation. While weeping, Sebastian came in unnoticed and overheard her saying: "... I love him". He misunderstood her to mean that she loved him -Sebastian. She concurred, saying yes I loved you.

When the news got to Emilia that Catalina had accepted to marry Sebastian, she deployed her wiles to obtain Catalina's address in Mexico from the detective. She went to Catalina's apartment, to threaten her that she should not meddle with Sebastian because Sebastian belonged to her.

Cataclysmic Catalina was not to be intimidated by Emilia. She countered by declaring that Emilia was a desperate looser, seeking for ways to trap a man that did not love her. Emilia called her a poor gold-digger who wanted top marry Sebastian for his money. Catalina banged the door on her face.

"I left You for Money"

Alicia was given the unenviable job of delivering Eduardo's treacherous blow to Catalina. When that assignment was completed, Catalina almost ran crazy with unbelief, she practically dragged Alicia to Eduardo's flat to witness the fact that Eduardo still loved her, and that, there must have been a misunderstanding somewhere.

She got the greatest shock of her life when she saw Eduardo kissing and esconded in Silvia's arms. Silvia was furious and called her names, warning her to steer clear of Eduardo because he belonged to her (Silvia). The scale fell off Catalina's romantic eyes, as Eduardo told her off, saying: "... I left you for money", and he could not live on puppy and romantic love alone. She was emotionally crushed, walking dazed like a robot on the streets. She sworn never to let any man hurt her, and never to love any man again.

Silvia too angrily walked out and slapped him for cheating on her with a much younger girl. She walked out on him, leaving Eduardo stranded. He later went to her house with roses to reconcile with her. She promised buying Eduardo a "wedding gift" of a new gymnasium, just to make sure Eduardo never strayed back into Catalina's arms.

Back at the ranch, Sebastian discovered that his father had employed a private detective to investigate Catalina's family. He was furious because he felt it was insulting for his father to think that, he was incapable of determining the true character of Catalina and her family by himself. He broke off relationship with his father saying, Don Lupe should not consider him as his son anymore for violating his privacy with Catalina.

It was time of vengeance and rebellion: Sebastian packed his luggages and departed for the city, while Catalina came home soldering; she ordered her mom to get ready and prepare the most expensive wedding in the city, as she was now ready to marry Sebastian Mendoza! She said the old, stupid and romantically foolish Catalina has died, and a new ambitious and cold-calculating Catalina is born! Adela assured her that Sebastian's money would make her to forget the pain of betrayal by Eduardo.

Gustavo was shocked by this new decision of his daughter. When he queried her if she was sure of her new decision of sacrificing herself for the greed of her family, she assured him that was the best thing now to do in order to save him from jail. He admitted that he was weak but would not like to see her suffer in a loveless marriage.