Elena has all the sweetness and femininity that her money and social position make irresistible. So she's the jewel every Puerto Rican boy covets to crown his dreams. But her life revolves around a carefully concealed lie and all her goodness cannot save her. She learns early on that only bad girls can keep the devil at bay. Joel is the heartthrob a girl dreams of meeting on the dance floor and taking home to Mami. He's got everything going for him and all of it paid for with his own sweat. But he's also got an ominous past he cannot escape. And he's not sure if machismo is an outdated concept or the only way to keep his family safe. First there was Maria. Then there was Elena. In between them a string of other victims. Joel saw it all. And he echoed the question, "Have women been born to suffer?" Both Joel and Elena are fleeing the intoxication of true love, both are feeling the bite of hand-me-down shame. Both are keeping secrets to conceal their rage. Where is the end to darkness? Where will the dawn come from? If love is not enough, and desire can't take you there, then only the truth can end the generations of pain. ----------------