Mirall Trencat: A Journey Through Love, Loss, and Family Secrets
Chapter I: Teresa’s Decision
Chapter I discusses Teresa’s visit to Notary Riera’s office. The notary dislikes reminiscing. The purpose of Teresa’s visit was her refusal to sell the property to Quim, Valldaura’s best friend. Ultimately, the property was sold.
Chapter II: Teresa and the Notary
Throughout Chapter II, the narrative describes the setting, time, and nature. It primarily focuses on the feelings that the notary harbors towards Teresa.
Chapter III: Professor Rodés and a Portrait
Chapter III introduces Professor Rodés, a piano teacher. It also references a crucial letter supposedly from Granados, Rodés’s best friend. The chapter centers on the news of Granados’s death, who perished while trying to save his drowning wife at sea. Another significant event is Teresa’s immediate recognition of a portrait of Sofia’s mother. Finally, the teacher complains that Teresa is influencing his nephews with her demons, discouraging them from pursuing their studies.
Chapter IV: Eladi and the Maid
Chapter IV: Eladi with the Maid. Eladi returns home from the outskirts, where he had rented a room. He sold a house to buyers on the outskirts. Mr. Eladi knows the maid of the house. Eladi begins to kiss the maid while she insists she did not come to the house for this. Observing the maid’s reaction, Eladi’s wife takes note, and the maid departs.
Chapter V: Armanda’s Earrings
Chapter V: Armanda’s Earrings. Due to a work injury, Armanda can no longer cook and will now oversee all the house servants and manage their payments. Armanda will also be responsible for accompanying Teresa daily. Armanda is delighted with the earrings Eladi gave her, which initially caused her some trouble, but now she has fewer issues with the hole in her ear. Armanda decides to visit the jeweler to have them fixed.
Chapter VI: Eulàlia and Quim Bergadà
Chapter VI: Eulàlia and Quim Bergadà. Eulàlia longs for her husband and her home in Paris. Quim returned, and they went to lunch together. Eulàlia deeply misses Rafael Bergadà. Throughout the chapter, Eulàlia reminisces about Rafael with Quim Bergadà. Finally, Teresa observes her attempts to console the deeply depressed Eulàlia.
Chapter X: A Day at the Beach and a Premonition
In Chapter X, Maria and Ramon are at the beach with their friends. They all go into the water, and Maria and Marius Balsereny play in the sand. They are two very close friends. Ramon is jealous of Marius. James has a dream where he is dead and covered in pus, similar to how Marius emerges from the pond. He approaches Maria. Ramon pulls her away, and she nearly drowns in the water while he and everyone else swims. Maria remains in the sand, overlooking the two. After the incident, Ms. Ramon receives a letter stating that her father is ill and wishes for his children to return home.
Chapter XI: A Shocking Revelation
Chapter XI: Once at home, their father reveals to Ramon that Maria is his blood sister and that he should not seek her out. He goes up to the roof and comes back down, finding the door open but Maria gone. He vents his rage on dolls and other objects, cutting his hand in the process. He starts with a figure and leaves home at night, becoming unconscious from blows with sticks. Finally, he regains consciousness, looks at Maria’s balcony, sees no one, and goes to the home of a friend from his education, the Navy. He is at home with his daughter, who is named after her mother.
Chapter XII: A Lost Connection
Chapter XII: Maria had feelings for Ramon before her father spoke to him. When Ramon went to Maria’s room, she did not answer. He felt himself ascending to the roof as he left the house at night, and he heard her before she left. He remembers their first kiss.