Refugio Para el Amor #72 Mon 7/16/12 Stepford Wife Rosa Will Not Be Moved From Her Happy Place, but Paz Takes Away the Last of Rod’s Peace of Mind

Luci has hightailed it over to Empresas Torreslanda to try to stop her mama before she rips Rod a new one, or he reveals details about what went down between them. She arrives just as Emperor Max has pulled up in his black town car. He calls to her and they greet each other. Luci tells him she is looking for her mama, and he is surprised that her mother has come to D.F. He invites Luci up to his office.

Meanwhile, Paz is letting loose a whole lot of righteous indignation on Rod.

P: Rodrigo, I didn’t want to say this, but you deceived/disappointed me. You promised you would take care of my daughter-- that you would make my Luciana happy. And now I find her alone, unhappy, and unable to tell me that you no longer love her. She kept it a secret!
R: I love her a lot Doña Paz.
P: You love her?! Well, I don’t believe it. No, I don’t believe it, and it hurts me a lot Rodrigo. Because I believed in you-- your promises. In spite of knowing that your mother didn’t like her!
R: Doña Paz, you can’t image how much this situation hurts me.
P: Well just imagine how much it hurts me. You can’t imagine the sadness I feel seeing my Luciana like this.  Because you married my little girl Rodrigo. And all of this *love* that you promised, just ended, just like that?! That is called deception, sir! Deception!
R: The only thing I can say to you Doña Paz is that I’m going to love Luci all my life.
P: Well, hopefully SHE won’t (love you forever). Hopefully she’ll forget about you quickly. Hopefully she’ll forget the happiness that you promised her, and that you didn’t deliver! What sadness you bring me Rodrigo! Because you have never had, nor will you ever have, a woman as worthy/valuable as my Luciana. You! You didn’t know how to appreciate her.

Rod looks shamefaced through the entire conversation and at the point of tears.

Over in Max’s office, Luci is nervous and explains to Max that she didn’t tell her mom about the divorce. Her mom surprised them by coming to D.F., and has found nothing but bad news with her kids- Lorenzo in jail and her getting a divorce. Luci wanted to avoid causing her all this pain. Max tells Luci not to worry about her brother and gives a secretive smile. (I think we can now be sure that Lor will go free.) He then tells Luci how badly he feels about what’s going on with her and Rod, and knows that things have been unjust for her.  Luci wants Max to go find her mama; she herself does not want to encounter Rod. Max takes Luci’s hands and says that we all have to face our problems head on. He suggests they go look for her mama in Rod’s office together. Considering that means facing the last two people she wants to face right now, Luci looks more than a little reluctant.

Paz continues the tongue lashing of Rod, telling him that she’s leaving very disappointed in him. She never imagined that she would have to rip him a new one like she’s just done.
R: Doña Paz, I offer you an apology. The last thing I wanted to do was harm Luci, and you. (He reaches for her arm and she looks at his hand like he’s a leper.) You don’t know how much I regret this situation. And believe one thing—this morning I separated from her, loving her profoundly.

Paz stares at him and shakes her head in disbelief.

Aldo, who never seems to learn, calls Nicole’s salon asking for Vicky. She hasn’t answered her phone or texts, and he’s surprised to hear she hasn’t been to work… We next see Vicky waking up in the chalet in the woods. Yay!! She’s alive. Oh, but wait. She naked and handcuffed to the bed, with not a key or cell phone in sight. She freaks out and cries for her Osito.

Rod is sitting on the couch in his office, in deep thought, when Max brings Luci in. Rod explains that Paz just left and Luci immediately makes to leave. Rod delays her a bit by apologizing and saying he never meant to cause her mother this pain. Luci says nothing. (It’s a case of too little, too late.) Max gives Rod a stern look and tells Luci the chauffer is waiting downstairs to take her and her mom wherever they want. Luci refuses it, but Max insists. She leaves and Rod watches her leave longingly. Max’s phone rings at that moment. Rosa wants him to advise Rod and Aldo that they are having a special family dinner that afternoon. Rod refuses to go. Max understands his anger. He disagrees with many of Rosa’s actions, but she’s always done things thinking of her children’s well-being. Well, at least from her *particular* (meaning crazy) point of view. Rod still refuses and doesn’t want to talk about Rosa.

Aldo catches Max just as he returns to his office. He’s been dying to talk to him about the Lorenzo situation. Max informs Aldo that as of today, he’s his personal assistant. Aldo is shocked but then super happy about it. Max wants him to be available to him 24 hours a day. He is to obey ALL orders. He won’t be allowed to make one single error! Aldo promises. Max then tells him about the dinner. Aldo brings up Lorenzo again and begs him to intercede. Max doesn’t give him an answer, but just dismisses him by saying he’ll see him at the house later. Max then immediately picks up the phone and calls Lastra with a p*ssed off look on his face.

Outside the building, Luci is searching frantically for Paz. Cuco, the driver, has not seen her. Marcos arrives, calls to Luci and asks if she needs help. She is just telling him about trying to find her mom, when one of the security guys brings Paz back. She got lost. Cuco takes them home in the town car.

In Het Het, Procopio seems to have adjusted to his new job as funeral home director pretty quickly. He’s wearing Don Serapio’s bowler hat and black suit, and making a flower arrangement. Don Aquiles comes busting in and makes fun of Copio. Copio says he prefers the dead who are quiet, to Aquiles who’s always yelling or kicking him. Aquiles tells him he can stick with his peace and says he’s ashamed of him. He leaves without much of a fight. Copio gets reassurance from Theo that this job is just as honorable and good as any other. Copio thinks that Aquiles just misses him, and misses bossing him around. It’s not easy to find another Procopio! Theo agrees.

Rosa is being played by her Stepford Wife clone this evening. She sets the table and asks Frigida to inform Pato and Hannah to come down for the meal. She asks Mati to bring the wine because she wants to make a special celebratory toast. Mati does her best to ignore her. Connie walks in and wants to know what they’re celebrating. Why, Luci and Rod’s divorce, of course! La, la, la! Rosa smiles happily. Frigida listens in. Frigida then goes to the kitchen and tells Mati that she will take care of chilling the wine. (All she has to do is put her hands on the bottle.) What she really wants is to be alone to report in to Gala and Julie.

At Vio’s apartment, the two girls are holding their moms. Magda is saying that everything happens for a reason. If Luci has made this decision, then Paz has to help Luci overcome this life test. Everything will turn out well in the end, as God wishes. Vio tries to cheer Luci up by saying she will have other beaus lining up at her door soon. Luci says she will never fall in love again. This will never happen to her again. Paz says she’s very disappointed, but not by her kids. She’s disappointed that her kids did not have enough faith in her to tell her what was going on with them. They thought that she wouldn’t help them resolve their problems. They didn’t trust her. Luci asks her pardon and says she does trust her. Paz has always taught her and her brother to stay on the right path. She didn’t go wrong with them. If they didn’t tell her, it was only to avoid causing her this pain. Paz shouldn’t have to cry because of their errors. Paz kisses her and hugs Luci to her bosom.

At Casa Torreslanda, the family has started to gather around the table. Hannah and Pato bring up needing to have the elevator checked. Pato finds it very suspicious that it locked Mati in like that and wants to talk to the architect. Frigida does a lousy job of hiding her guilt. But she looks like that all the time, so I guess it would be hard to tell. Aldo is the last to arrive (aside from Rod), and seems to be the only one to notice that Rosa has been replaced by a Stepford Wife or a Pod Person when she calls him mi amor and politely asks him to sit. Rosa prays and blesses the meal. Aldo continues to look at her like she’s an alien. Maybe he can see the lizard skin peeking out from underneath her fake human skin. Max notes that it’s strange that they are all together, but informs everyone that Rod is not coming. Aldo, Melissa and Hannah want to know what they’re celebrating. Rosa happily tells them. They are celebrating the return of tranquility to their home. Rod walks in just then behind Rosa. She doesn’t see him. “Today, as of a few hours ago, Rodridgo finally got his divorce! Cheers, to the happiness of my son Rodrigo!” No one else raises a glass and Rod approaches the table slowly and looks at Rosa with scorn. He picks up a glass of wine and swigs it. “Cheers. Because I will be unhappy the rest of my life. Thank you mama.” He puts the glass back on the table and walks out the way he came. Everyone gives Rosa the stink eye, but she continues on as if nothing happened.

Over in their posh apartment, Gala and Julie are also toasting to the divorce over a meal, but with champagne, of course. Gala is happy that Rod is now a free man. Julie is happy that they now have the matriarch of the Torreslanda family in the palm of their hand. Bwahahaha!! Gala is pleased about this too. Rosa will have to help her get Rod back—it doesn’t matter to Gala how she does it. Julie has no doubt. Rosa is terrible and will do all kinds of horrid things (including stealing babies and faking their deaths) to get what she wants. Gala wants to see Rod, but doesn’t want to risk the cling-wrap act yet. Carola calls and Julie invites her out with Gala and her girls to celebrate.

Rosa is trying to persuade the other members of the family to get on her happy train about the Rod-Luci divorce. No one is buying a ticket for that train to Crazytown. Rosa says this pain Rod is feeling is fleeting. Luci deceived him. S/He who deceives once, will deceive a second time and many more times. Rosa just wants love and trust to return to this house. (Ha! What house is she talking about?) She knows she’s been anxious lately, and a TINY bit intolerant, but it was just her nerves. She’s sick. But now she’s feeling mighty fine and content. Max now seems to have realized that Rosa has been replaced by a Pod Person. He looks like he’s running all the names of the local manicomios through his head. Rosa says she just wants to recuperate her family and the warmth of her home. She apologizes for being such a bitch to them all lately.  Pato finally cuts into this crazy speech by saying she will always have their love and affection because she’s their mom, but if she wants to recuperate this harmony she’s talking about, she will have to apologize to Luci. He then leaves the dining room. He’s soon followed by everyone else. Max says he has an important “appointment.” Connie is the only one remaining. Rosa, still with a smile on her face, asks if she will join her for wine. Connie takes her glass of wine, gets up, and leaves.

Luci and Paz speak about the money Rod sent Paz. Paz actually brought it all with her to give back to Rod. Luci is in agreement with this. Vio, once again, doesn’t see the harm in keeping the money since it was given to them. There’s a knock on the door. It’s Estella, Ariche and Marianita. Estella brought cookies. The kiddies want to show off the gifts Marianita’s mom sent—a puzzle and a magic princess wand.  Ariche asks Luci if it’s true that if you make a wish with all your heart that it will come true. She says it is, but you have to ask with all your forces. Marianita makes Luci take the wand and make a wish. Luci closes her eyes and does so. There is immediately a knock at the door. The kids answer and it’s Fabian looking a little sheepish and a lot happy. He addresses Paz and shows her what he’s brought. It’s Lorenzo! He steps up to his mama and she acts like she’s going to smack him good. Instead, she pulls him into an embrace. Everyone rejoices. Luci and Lorenzo hug and everyone else then hugs him.

Pato reports to Rod via video the rest of the happenings at the strange meal with their mama. Rod says he doesn’t know when he’ll next return to the house. He doesn’t want to see Rosa and he can’t stand her right now (no la aguanto). He knows he shouldn’t speak that way about his mother, but she ruined his life. Pato gets it. She ruined his life, but Rod could have avoided it. Rod admits this is true. Marcos comes into his office and asks if Luci came to speak to him earlier, since he saw her out front. Rod says she did not come to see him, but to get her mother. Marcos can’t believe they are still mad at each other. Not mad, but now divorced Rod points out. Marcos is impactdado. Marcos says he can’t divorce Luci. Rod clarifies. It’s already done.  Marcos feels sorry for them all, who will now no longer have Luci in their lives, thanks to Rod. Pato says he will. He will go looking for Luci to see her. Luci is still part of his family, and no piece of paper will tell him different! Rod once again looks surprised to see the intensity of Pato’s feelings for Luci.

Max returns to the scene of the crime. Vicky is still cuffed to the bed, looking terrified. She cries and begs him not to do anything else to her. He gives her a death glare from the doorway.

Back to a celebration that’s actually happy. Lorenzo remembers that they left Claudio waiting outside. Luci rushes to hug him when he enters, and thanks him.  She then introduces him to Magda and then to her mama. Paz stares at him in shocked silence. He takes her hand and formally introduces himself. Her eyes go even wider and her mouth drops open when he says his name. She nearly faints once again. They all make her sit and Paz apologizes to Claudio. Claudio thinks she’s just tired from the long journey, and the surprises. He says he won’t stay long, but he wants to invite them all out soon. Luci says it has to be really soon, because they are leaving as soon as she takes her exam. She gives Claudio some of the special tea she made before he leaves. Paz tells him she will always be grateful to him. He has NO idea the happiness he has brought into her life. (He thinks she is speaking about freeing Lorenzo, but Magda, Estella and the audience all know she is also speaking about him giving her a daughter.) Claudio takes her hand again and says she has absolutely nothing to thank him for. Paz gives Magda a meaningful look.

At the chalet of fear, Max approaches the bed with keys. He undoes the handcuffs. In a soft threatening voice, he asks his little doll Vicky why she’s scared. She asks why he did this to her. She thought he was going to leave her there. He kisses and caresses the hand that was just cuffed to the bed and says he would never leave her. She asks him what’s going on—he’s never done this to her. He points out that she’s never betrayed him before. Then he angrily flings her arm down. She swears she never betrayed him. He says he believes her, because if she had betrayed him, they wouldn’t be having this conversation now. (Meaning, she wouldn’t be alive.) She begs him to never do this to her again. He kisses her shoulder and whispers sweet menaces in her ear.  “It’s just a game muñequita, just a game.”

Rosa has followed Connie to the sitting room with her wine. She wants to know why Connie is so upset by her change in attitude, when Connie has been hounding her for months about changing. She says Connie is right. She has all that she needs to be happy, and the good Padre Honesto also told her this. She credits him with this change in her. He told her to repair the path she was walking, and she’s done so. Rosa tells Connie to stop looking at her like she’s crazy, ‘cause she’s not. Ha! Life has given her a new opportunity to change her bad ways. Connie wants to know if it’s all fixed, just like that? Yep. The threat has gone, says Rosa. All will return to normal and Rosa intends to enjoy every minute of it. Connie looks extremely frustrated about what to do with the pod person who is posing as her sister.

The B/Witch Posse have gone out to a hopping club to celebrate the divorce.  Gala toasts to Rod living through this pain to eventually live by her side. Julie goes over to hit on some young thing at the bar.

Rod’s body is seated in his office chair, but his mind is definitely miles away. Marcos and Gabriel decide they need to take him out for drinking and distraction. This gets his attention. “Let’s go.”

In Het Het, Aquiles can’t get used to life without Procopio—he has to bend over and pick up his darts, for example. He can’t believe he hasn’t found another Copio in this whole two bit town. He has even resorted to speaking to and abusing his stuffed coati mundi, in place of Copio.

Linares tells his assistant Norma about meeting Paz. Now he knows why Luci is so sweet. Norman scolds him for being out all day. Claudio admits to neglecting his other duties in order to help Luci and her brother. He hasn’t even looked through the documents he brought back from Europe. Now that Luci is divorced and Lorenzo is out of jail, he’s going to dedicate himself full time to his fraud case. But he’s going to proceed very carefully (andar con pies de plomo). He doesn’t want to make one wrong move because this is his only chance to clear his name and unmask Max.

Vicky returns home crying. Don Jero was worried about her and asks where she’s been all day. Vicky tries to pretend that nothing is wrong and says she was working at a client’s house out of the city and had no cell reception. She starts to bawl and embraces her papa. Jero gets even more worried. He can feel her trembling.  He wonders if Aldo did something to her; he just wants her to tell him what’s wrong. She lies and says it’s the stress of everything—him losing his job. Jero gives her the happy news that Max gave him his job back and it was all a misunderstanding (malintendido). Vicky hugs him again, but she still can’t stop crying. Jero tries to assure her that all will be well.

Max, the bastard, walks into Pato’s room and kisses him. Tomorrow, Pato starts his new therapy. He thanks Max for his faith in him and support. Max tells him to save his thanks till he can walk again. He’s not going to rest until Pato achieves this. Pato asks if he saw Rod at the office and how was he. Max lies without hesitation that he had a work appointment, and so did not see Rod after the disastrous meal. Pato thinks Rod must be down in the dumps. Max tells Pato about Paz showing up at the offices. Pato would like to meet her; he’s sure she’s as sweet as Luci. “You care for Luci a lot, right?” “A whole lot.”  Max likes her too, but points out that now that Luci is out of Rod’s life, she’s out of theirs too. Pato disagrees. She’s not out of his life. Max says she’ll most likely return to her town and not come back. Pato is still determined. He’ll go looking for her when he’s recovered. Max agrees with him.

Magda tries to get Vio to eat something before she goes to her “nursing” job. Vio continues with her lie about her uniform being at Serena’s place. Magda gives her the blessing, and Vio says how much she missed having her do that. The boys take Ariche up to their little place to go to bed. Before he goes, Ariche reminds Marianita to make her wish and to hold her wand all night. Estella and Marianita also then leave. Luci begins to clear up, but looks sad again. Paz asks her why she and Rod separated so quickly. What happened between them that Luci doesn’t want to tell her? Luci sits her down. She has learned by now that this is the best position for Paz to be in when she gets bad news. Paz sits next to Magda. They both stare wide eyed at Luci, anticipating the worst.

L: I’m going to tell you both the truth, although I’m dying of shame.
P: Luciana, don’t scare me daughter.
M: My goodness! What happened Luciana?

Luci goes to the drawer and pulls out the envelope with the infamous magazine.

L: Ama, Magda- When I came here to the capital, things weren’t like I thought. God and the Virgin know how many streets I walked, looking for so many jobs. But each time I arrived, something happened and they didn’t give me the job. In desperation, I went to work in a place as a waitress—a night club.
P: But daughter! How did you end up in a place like that?
M: Who took you there Luciana? (If only she knew…)
L: That’s not important Magda. I didn’t even go there to work as a waitress. I went to be a bathroom attendant, but…
P: But? But what daughter?

Luci pulls out the magazine and shows it to them. Paz and Magda immediately recognize her under the makeup, wig and costume.

P: Luciana. No, no Luciana, no.

Avances: Paz is ticked. She says her silence is over and she’s going to put Rosa in her place. She and Magda go to Casa Torreslanda!