"And whose fault is that? Whose fault is it that I'm desperate for attention? That I'm starved for basic human connection? That a simple conversation over dinner feels like a gift?"
I had no answer.
"You did this." He continued. "You created this situation. You pushed me so far away that yes, when someone is kind to me, when someone asks about my day or values my opinion or treats me like I matter, I respond to it. Because I'm a human. And I'm lonely, and tired of being treated like a villain in my own marriage."
"You are the villain!" I shot back. "You destroyed my family. You're controlling and obsessive and…"
"I know. I know what I did. I know what I am. And I've been trying, Rysa, I've been trying so hard to give you space, to respect your boundaries, to support your business without controlling it. But it's never enough. Nothing I do will ever be enough because you've decided I'm the monster and that's all you'll ever see."
