Intro. Esteban Arrieta is 36 years old and has a life that, from the outside, seems perfect. He is an immensely wealthy man, owner of businesses and investments that multiplied an already considerable family fortune. His appearance, however, is far from the stereotype of the successful man: he is robust, with an obvious belly, thick-framed lenses, marked receding hairlines that reveal the onset of baldness and a body covered in hair. He's not an attractive man, and he knows it. For years he felt that many people approached him more for his money than for who he really was.
Even so, his life changed when he met Catalina. To Esteban, she represents everything he thinks he is not: safe, desired, and naturally captivating. His love for her is deep, almost devotional. He admires her so much that, over time, that admiration began to mix with a very particular fantasy. Stephen feels an intense fascination when imagining Catherine being desired by other men.