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Alessandro's face reddened. “The restaurant?” he scoffed. “You’re wasting your time with that place. You should have left that behind and gone back to academia. We need money, Vittoria! The restaurant’s a pipe dream.”

Vittoria’s anger flared, and she felt a rush of frustration. “You have never cared about how I feel! How many times have I sat through your wine tastings? How many times have I forced myself to pretend to be interested in your obsession with that stupid thing? You’ve never asked me what I wanted! It’s always been about you!”

Alessandro's face hardened, the words cutting deeper than she intended. “I want you to be involved in my life, Vittoria. You used to be excited about these things, about us. But you’ve completely abandoned me for that restaurant.”

Vittoria’s voice wavered with pent-up emotion. “I’ve tried, Alessandro! I’ve tried to make this work. But all you ever want is for me to drop everything I care about and support your dreams. You never ask about mine, and when I don’t do what you want, you throw a tantrum like a child.”

Alessandro's expression turned even bitter. “Is that how you see me? A child? You’re not the only one with problems, Vittoria. I’ve been living in your shadow for years, watching you chase your ambitions while I’m stuck in this house, dependent on you for everything. Maybe if you really cared about me, you’d stop the restaurant and come back to what you’re good at.”

Vittoria stared at him, her chest tightening with anger and disappointment. She had spent years supporting him, trying to be the perfect wife, but she had never asked for anything in return. And now, all he could do was criticize her choices.

“You want me to drop the restaurant and go back to academics?” she asked, her voice trembling. “Is that all you think I’m capable of? Earning money? You don’t even care about what I’m passionate about. You never did.”

Alessandro stood up abruptly, his voice rising. “I’m not asking you to give up everything for me, Vittoria! I’m asking you to think about our future, about survival. We can’t keep living like this!”