Before marrying Juans mother, Juans father Ranz had been married to her sister--for a few days. Shortly after their honeymoon, the woman committed suicide. Ranz is traumatized by this to such a degree that his personality becomes quite menacing; Juan and his new wife Luisa, translators for diplomats, try to come to grips with the past of Juans family and how it affects the future of their own marriage.