Celyn Buenaventura (
Kim Chiu) is an ambitious, kindhearted working-class girl living in
Cebu with her widowed mother, Theresa Apolinario (
Cherry Pie Picache). When she receives an acceptance letter from the
University of the Philippines Diliman, Theresa is furious and forbids her to go. Defying her mother, Celyn travels alone to
Manila, enrolls at the university, and finds work at a
carinderia, where the owner lets her sleep in the eatery. On the first day of school, Celyn meets Margaux Marasigan (
Maja Salvador), the adoptive daughter of Julio (
Ariel Rivera) and Beatrice Marasigan (
Janice de Belen), who are wealthy owners of the chic Memorata shoe company. Margaux lives a privileged life, which Celyn has long admired from afar. Celyn also meets Ethan Castillo (
Enchong Dee) and Liam Lagdameo (
Xian Lim), Margaux's childhood friends. Celyn and Liam clash at first, and she secretly harbors a crush on Ethan, who once saved her life as a child. Celyn and Margaux quickly become best friends and study-buddies. When Celyn discovers that Ethan and Margaux are secretly dating, they convince her to pose as Ethan's girlfriend to continue seeing each other. Margaux chafes under Beatrice’s strict rules, hiding her relationship with Ethan using the ruse he is dating Celyn because her family disapproves of him. Matters worsen when Ethan’s father goes into hiding after Margaux’s grandfather, Lucas Elizalde (
Eddie Gutierrez), accuses him of
embezzling money from his company. This causes Ethan's family to become shunned at the
country club and his mother, Lulu (
Mickey Ferriols), suffers a mental breakdown, but Liam's family continues to offer them support. Meanwhile, Celyn learns that Liam has long been in love with Margaux, even though it is unrequited and Ethan is his best friend. When Liam discovers Celyn also has feelings for Ethan, they begin to understand each other better and agree to keep each other’s secrets. Beatrice initially dislikes Celyn, believing she is a bad influence on Margaux, but Julio defends her until Beatrice gradually tolerates her. Theresa meanwhile decides to move to Manila with her father, Zacharias (
Ronaldo Valdez) and cousin, Oscar (
Jayson Gainza), in order to be closer to Celyn. Julio eventually encounters and confronts Theresa, demanding to know where she took his real biological child. Though Theresa tries to hide the truth and prevent Celyn from interacting with the Marasigans, Julio and Celyn have already met. When Margaux and Ethan attempt to elope, Beatrice thwarts them after Celyn is pressured to reveal their plan. Margaux, already hurt after overhearing Celyn confess her crush for Ethan, feels betrayed and begins a bitter feud with her. Ethan, rejected by Margaux in favor of her family, grows closer to Celyn and begins having feelings for her. Margaux turns to Liam for comfort but resents his constant defense of Celyn, as he tries to keep the peace among all of them. Celyn is hurt by how Margaux treats her and refusal to fix their friendship. Beatrice, revealed to be Theresa’s maternal half-sister through their mother Yolanda (
Pilar Pilapil), discovers Julio and Theresa have been meeting. Furious, she confronts Theresa. Julio then shocks Celyn by revealing she is his and Beatrice’s missing biological daughter. After a
DNA test confirms the truth, Beatrice tearfully regrets mistreating Celyn when they had first met, and is determined to make up for lost time with her long-lost daughter. Arguments and legal threats over custody follow, but a compromise is reached where Celyn will stay with Beatrice during the week and with Theresa on weekends. After graduation, Celyn and Margaux’s rivalry intensifies. Celyn rises to vice president of Memorata, fueling Margaux’s determination to outdo her. Margaux pursues her love for Liam and craves for his company, while Celyn forgives Ethan after a dispute during their graduation. Celyn remains angered at Liam, while Liam confesses he too has feelings to Celyn. A jealous Margaux then tries to win Liam back. Theresa's cousin, Oscar, has flashbacks of Theresa's pregnancy which unravels the truth. After years of struggling to have a child, Beatrice and Julio conceive via
in-vitro fertilization and convince Theresa to carry their baby to term as a surrogate. Theresa reneges on their agreement after an argument with Beatrice regarding a suspected affair with Julio, as well as the rekindling of Theresa's traumatic memories from previously losing a child. When Theresa unexpectedly gives birth to twin girls, Oscar takes the more sickly child and gives her to Beatrice as promised, knowing she will ensure the baby grows healthy. Meanwhile the other baby girl remains to be raised by Theresa, who lost consciousness after labor and is unaware she gave birth to twins. Oscar pays off the midwife and keeps everything a secret until he finally confesses that Celyn and Margaux are indeed the twin babies carried and delivered by Theresa. Zacharias admits orchestrating the twins' separation to keep peace between the two half sisters, Beatrice and Theresa. Though Margaux’s resentment lingers, she accepts that she and Celyn are family. Theresa’s supposedly dead husband, Mio Buenaventura (
John Regala), resurfaces seeking revenge. He shoots Julio, leaving him in a coma. While keeping vigil over their father in the hospital, Celyn and Margaux finally reconcile. Julio wakes up and is discharged after recovering. Mio meanwhile continues to threaten Theresa and Beatrice’s family. Theresa eventually discovers that Ethan's friend, Diego Medina (
Alex Medina) is Joshua, her long-lost firstborn whom Mio had
spirited away years earlier. Driven by guilt and grief, Theresa tries to win Diego back. Celyn and Ethan investigate Mio's house, trying to find evidence confirming their theory of a link between him and Diego. Mio catches them and allows Ethan to escape while holding Celyn hostage. Mio demands an exorbitant ransom from Lucas, Beatrice's father, who was Mio's employer and thus the true mastermind of all their crimes. Lucas, who wants Mio dead lest he be implicated, agrees and sends him the money through Theresa. During the rescue operation policemen shoot Mio, while Diego escapes, taking Celyn with him to an abandoned kitchen. Panicking once cornered, Diego accidentally causes an explosion and fire. Margaux attempts to save Celyn from the flames, but both are eventually rescued by Liam. After Mio is captured, he is placed under hospital arrest. Lucas arranges for Mio's escape attempt when Diego
blackmails him. After having a happy reunion, Liam proposes to Celyn, which she accepts. They all then learn that Mio has escaped, and he targets Theresa again, stabbing Liam three times, before disappearing once more. A panicked Beatrice then plans to flee to
Singapore for her family's safety. She and Theresa finally reconcile with one another, amidst hugs and tears. Margaux, Theresa, Celyn and Beatrice are then kidnapped by Mio and Diego. Lucas, who has gone into hiding with the two men after being exposed, sees Beatrice and remorsefully texts Yolanda their daughter's location. When police arrive, Mio orders Diego to shoot his own mother, but racked by his conscience he refuses. Angered, Mio tries to wrest the gun from Diego, and after a struggle pulls the trigger, shooting his son before a distraught Theresa. Diego asks his mother to forgive him and dies, plunging Mio into grief for killing his own son. Theresa manages to flee with the others, but Mio corners them. In a final confrontation, Mio is about to shoot Theresa when Julio arrives and shoots him instead. They all embrace while Ethan and Liam run to meet them, but Mio stirs one last time and seriously wounds Theresa before being killed by police. Theresa survives, and the family finally finds peace. Celyn and Margaux forgive their estranged cousin Diego/Joshua at his grave. Both women marry— Celyn with Liam, Margaux with Ethan. Lucas is shown in prison being visited by Yolanda, who forgives him for what he did. Celyn and Margaux eventually become pregnant, with Liam and Ethan by their sides. Celyn goes into labor, and is take to hospital by Liam, accompanied by Ethan and Margaux, who also goes into labor the same day. In the final scenes, the entire extended family are in church for the baptism of Celyn and Margaux's babies, who hold hands whilst held in their mothers' arms. ==Cast and characters==