La Usurpadora (English: The Usurper; international title: Deceptions) is a Mexican romantic drama telenovela produced by Salvador Mejia Alejandre and originally broadcast on Canal de las Estrellas from February 9 to July 24, 1998.

It starred Gabriela Spanic and Fernando Colunga, and was based on La intrusa, a novela originally broadcast in Venezuela which was itself a remake of Radio Caracas Televisión's 1971 telenovela La Usurpadora, which starred Marina Baura and Raúl Amundaray.

This was one of the last telenovelas to feature Libertad Lamarque, who here portrayed the character of Abuela Piedad Bracho, until Carita de ángel.

Inspired by the book The Scapegoat, it revolves around a pair of twin sisters who were separated when they were young, and as adults the good sister is forced to act as a "replacement" for her wealthy twin who wants to temporarily leave her husband and his family to enjoy a life of luxury with multiple lovers.

The telenovela had huge success in Mexico with ratings of 38.4[1] and has been exported and dubbed in various languages across the world.

Paola, on the other hand, is a rich, frivolous and evil woman who has many lovers, including her brother-in-law, Willy.

Abandoned by her fiancé Osvaldo who leaves her to be with his mistress and left with nothing after the death of her mother, Paulina submits to Paola's plan.

She is, however, unaware of the destruction the Bracho household was under (thanks to Paola) and decides to work throughout the year righting all wrongs.

She cures Piedad from alcoholism, saves the Bracho factory from financial ruin, and cuts ties with all of Paola's lovers.

Paulina, being the honorable and decent woman that she is, refuses to be intimate with Carlos Daniel, telling him that she needs a year due to her "illness".

One night after a party, Paola, scared because she had previously dreamt this would happen, gets in a car crash with Alessandro in the passenger seat.

With a broken foot, he falls from a hill, hits his head on a rock, and loses his memory.

Daniela was approached by the producers of the show to appear in one scene where Paola and Paulina physically fight, as the sequence would have been too difficult to achieve by camera trickery.

Again produced by Salvador Mejia Alejandre and directed by Beatriz Sheridan, it starred many familiar cast members, including Gabriela Spanic and Fernando Colunga, and introduced a new character, Raquel, played by Yadhira Carrillo.

Problems arise when Paulina falls ill and consults a doctor who tells her that she has cancer and will die in a few months.

Paulina keeps her illness a secret from her family, but asks Raquel, Paulita's caregiver, to marry Carlos Daniel after she dies.

When Carlos Daniel learns of her illness, he comforts Paulina and they decide to make the best of the time they have remaining together.

However, Raquel has accidentally swallowed the poison; she seeks forgiveness and eventually makes a full recovery.