Simão, a violent adolescent, unpredictable and solitary, spends his days getting into fights. From a rich and highly eccentric Portuguese family — his parents cannot stand one another, his brother Manuel detests him and is incestuously involved with his mother — the young drop-out’s only confidant is his twelve year old sister Rita, the only person who accepts him and even admires his streak of madness. One day, she shows him a video of a volley-ball match at her school, in which Simão notices Teresa, a mysterious young woman everyone thinks is crazy. He is immediately fascinated, and soon becomes obsessed with her. He follows this shadowy character with blurred features, seeing her only in the shade or through glass. He finds out her address and even obtains her mobile number. As they talk on the phone, Teresa and Simão fall in love. The young man changes. He becomes calmer, rather taciturn, almost ceasing to talk to his sister Rita, and spends his time reading Camilo Castelo Branco’s Amor de perdição. Unfortunately, a professional dispute between his father and Teresa’s — rival lawyers— dooms the relationship, giving Simão a whole new set of reasons for rebellion.