Andrea Durcal is nine years old when the story begins. She is a rebellious, angry, and violent child. Born to a wealthy family in the midst of an impoverished town, she does not understand the struggles of her peers nor sympathize with them. In fact their lives are mysterious to her and a source of endless fascination. Considering her social position, as a result of her father's wealth, an excuse which distinguishes her from all the rest, she absconds from following any rules.
Andrea and her cousin Victor both flunk third grade and are sent to a Catholic school by Andrea's dad, who funds them while there. They're supposed to be studying for their respective first communions, but, far from oversight, they seek out mischief. The two notice a local shop owner, a woman, exchanging sexual favors for money. As they keep watching her, the kids decide her elicit business is probably profitable enough to generate a lot of cash. They visit her home in secret one day and rob her stash. While there, Andrea becomes shocked at the state of poverty in which the local townspeople live. She had never encountered that level of poverty firsthand before.
As news spreads, this woman is outcast. Nobody knew that she was a prostitute, but now they shun her for it. Eventually she becomes the target of violent, angry men. Andrea and Victor actually witness her rape and murder. They remain silent about the entire affair for years, but neither of them are accepted by their community again. As the vehicle by which such violence and betrayal became known, the kids are treated as traitors.
Years later, Andrea has grown up. She still lives in her hometown on the border, still dealing with the same hatred from her peers, when one day she learns that Victor killed himself. He was driven crazy by the guilt of potentially being responsible for that woman's death years ago and the overall emotional destruction of the town. In light of his death, Andrea revisits her memories and realizes how hateful she had been to everyone. She too had been experiencing guilt, but now she chooses to own up to her role in the woman's murder.
