Marina, a beautiful young woman with leprous parents, marries a shipyard owner to escape an institution. She moves to a coastal village, faces gossip, and is assaulted by her husband’s partner. After her husband dies in a boat accident, a handsome sailor arrives, and Marina is blackmailed about her family’s health issues.
The story follows the experiences of Marina, a young country bumpkin who marries the mysterious and charismatic widower Roberto Stein, a fabulously wealthy businessman living in 1920s Rio de Janeiro. As Marina attempts to acclimate to her new marriage and responsibilities, she discovers that Stein's late wife, Alice, still seems to have a strong hold over the household. Despite her new husband's affection for her, Marina is nonetheless threatened by Alice's presence, which is made conspicuous through her old maid Juliana's obsessions and her intimidating portrait.
