I guess these days everyone is quite familiar with the social media term “toxic couple.” It is all about two people who shouldn’t be together but still end up being together and instead parting ways. In such a case, either one of them or both are always doing things behind their partner’s back. And when they should just walk away, they cling to their toxic partner for reasons scientists are still exploring. Jokes aside, it seems that these couples are stuck in a cycle of trauma from which they can’t walk away. Take Nata and Alberto, for example, in the Netflix series Raising Voices. Nata knows deep down that Alberto isn’t good for her, but she keeps giving him second chances, forgiving him over and over again. And Alberto? Well, he’s got this habit of saying sorry and treating Nata like a princess every now and then, just enough to keep her hooked. Nata knew she deserved better, but she was scared to be alone. She was scared that maybe the next person would be worse than Alberto. So, instead of moving on, Nata kept clinging to the drama and believed things would eventually change for the better, even though, deep down, she knew they probably wouldn’t. So, yes, Nata and Alberto’s relationship is a textbook example of what happens when toxicity takes over. What happens to them in the end? Let’s find out.
Spoilers Ahead
Why did Nata start breaking into people’s houses?
Nata was best friends with Alma and Greta. Whenever she was around them, she felt so happy and free, always joking and being her best self. But things were completely different when she was with her boyfriend, Alberto. They constantly fought and argued because Alberto was always lying to her, cheating on her, and pretending to care. He treated her like a trophy girlfriend, someone to show off, and Nata knew all of this but still stayed with him. She thought all couples fought and believed there was still hope that he would change and treat her better. Greta and Alma tried to talk sense into her, telling her she deserved much better. Sometimes, just to make them stop worrying, Nata would pretend to break up with Alberto, but she never really did. She loved him too much and couldn’t bear to lose him, no matter how many red flags there were. Deep down, she felt very alone. Often, it seemed like Greta and Alma were a team, and she was just a third wheel. She thought they wouldn’t even notice if she wasn’t around.
On top of her problems with Alberto, her mother didn’t really care about her feelings. She constantly bragged about how Nata’s boyfriend, Alberto, was the star of the school soccer team and how lucky Nata was to have him. It didn’t matter that Nata was a top student, always coming first in class. Her mother only cared about her having a pretty boyfriend to show off. As I mentioned earlier, she thought it was better to have a bad boyfriend than to be alone. Eventually, Nata got tired of being the goody two-shoes who always pleased others instead of herself. One night, she decided to do something daring. She knew that her brother’s friend’s house was empty and that they lived in a luxurious place. So, she took full advantage of it. Nata and Alberto went there and treated it like their own home, cooking dinner and sleeping together to feel the thrill and adventure of doing something rebellious. This secretive thrill became a habit for Nata. She started breaking into people’s houses to enjoy these adventurous nights. It gave her a temporary sense of happiness and control. She loved feeling like she had authority and could take charge of a situation because she was tired of always being the submissive one, the last priority in her relationships, friendships, and even to her parents.
Why did Nata decide to patch up with Alberto?
Alberto was terrible, not just to Nata but also to her friends, especially Alma. He called Alma names and said she deserved all the mistreatment she got. He hated how Alma and Greta always tried to convince Nata to leave him, so he had a lot of pent-up aggression toward them. Once, when Alma and Greta went to a party without inviting Nata, he even told Nata to tattle on them to their parents. It wasn’t just jealousy; Alberto was also attracted to Alma. He didn’t just want to be with her; he wanted to sleep with her, but he couldn’t admit that because it would ruin his reputation. When Nata was upset that her friends didn’t invite her to the party, she showed Alberto some secret pictures of Alma out of frustration. Alberto, without her knowing, saved those pictures on his phone and started sending threatening messages to Alma from a secret account to humiliate and traumatize her. Neither Alma nor Nata knew what was happening.
Alberto was such a bad boyfriend that on Valentine’s Day, when Nata put in the effort to dress nicely and wanted to go out on a date, he did nothing special. He lied that the restaurant was fully booked and took her to his friend’s maid’s quarters, which was empty, to celebrate the night. I think he knew that no matter how badly he treated Nata, she would stick with him, so he just stopped making an effort. He didn’t even consider spending the night alone with her on a day like Valentine’s Day, and he invited his friends over to play video games. It didn’t stop there. One day, he even forced Nata to sleep with his group of friends, thinking it was what Nata wanted. But the saddest part? Nata only ever threatened to break up with him after all this mistreatment, but she never did. She kept giving him second chances because her mother had told her that men make “silly” mistakes because they are “stupid,” and it was in women’s nature to forgive them. As nobody’s perfect, it’s better to forgive, forget, and move on. So, when Alberto took Nata out on a date and treated her like a princess, giving her a ring and promising to be better, she decided to patch things up with him. She told him he had to show people that he was desperate to be with her so that everyone would stop thinking she was the weak one in the relationship. Alberto promised to do exactly that, not because he was afraid to lose her, but because he cared about what people thought.
In the end, when Nata found out that Alberto was sending private pictures to Alma to try and lure her in, it was the final straw. She had put up with a lot of mistreatment, but trying to sleep with her best friend was too much. Nata realized that enough was enough. She had been kind and forgiving for so long, thinking it was normal to be treated badly. But seeing Alberto’s true colors pushed her to stand up for herself. She finally found the courage to break free from the cycle of abuse and toxicity. She decided to move on from the relationship, realizing she deserved better. We hope Nata will stick to her decision this time, as we’ve all seen girls around us who just can’t get past this. But we hope Nata’s story will be different, and if she ever gets into another relationship, it will be a healthy one.
