A Wife At Stake

Important :: About episode 9

From episode 9 onwards, 5 protagonists who could interact with Laura entered the scene. This meant that the code and interface had to be redesigned.
As is often the case, old backups can pose a problem. It is unproductive to develop patches that correct every possible error. I'm sorry about that.
But the ‘Ctrl’ key is very useful in these cases, as it allows you to go through the game at lightning speed (or almost). Redoing the choices doesn't take very long: by episode 7, there were only 22 choices for Laura.
Thank you for your understanding and kindness. This shouldn't happen again by the end of the game.

The story

Episode 1

Laura and Mario are a couple of street vendors selling fruit and vegetables. They've been together for eight years, travelling the markets around Bria, a small town in Puglia. Laura would now like to set up her own shop in the town. After a bit of research, they found the right building, available as a life annuity. But the building is beautiful and well placed, so it's expensive, and they don't have the necessary start-up funds.

Mario hears about a game show that could earn them enough money to get a loan from the banks. The game is a competition organized by Canale 6, in which one contestant stands to win €50,000 and a role in a TV series. The series will feature a star who has just taken a two-year break from acting and is making a comeback. The winning candidate will play the role of his wife, but her identity will be kept secret until the competition is launched.

Laura was initially less than enthusiastic, but a meeting with the owner and a helping hand from the town mayor persuaded her to accept. After a casting session in Naples, her application was accepted. She spent a week with 19 other candidates in an undisclosed location, filming the two first shows.

Episode 2

Episode 1 ended with an unpleasant surprise for Mario: the star is Vincenzo Ecosibelo, a handsome heartthrob whom he hates. Because of his past and accusations of domestic violence, Laura isn't too keen on Vincenzo either. She had been a fan of his in the early days.

During the week, however, and after filming a scene for the competition, she gets to know him a better and gradually revises her judgement. Vincenzo seems to have been the target of a tabloid press, hungry for scandal, and was completely exonerated at his trial, but no one ever knew about it, since it happened during his retirement from public life. What's more, he's friendly and personable, and although he's always a target for female candidates, he's neither flirtatious nor arrogant.

At the end of the second show, four candidates were selected for the final. Laura finished first!

Episode 3

Laura caused a stir during the show by preparing and using hilarious fruit figurines. She created a buzz, and every child in Italy wants to make one! Vincenzo, who is no dummy, had a nose for it from the start and secretly asked Laura if she would agree to take part in an advertising campaign. At 5,000 euros a day, it was hard to refuse. But what will Mario say? Seeing Laura spend more and more time with this Vincenzo, annoys him, but must think about the building and the money...

He has to agree to let Laura spent two days in Rome for a photo shoot with Vincenzo. It's a chance for her to start discovering a different world: luxury hotels, the world of advertising...

And all this with a charming Vincenzo, obviously more and more interested in her.

Episode 4

Whether she wants it or not, the trip to Rome has left its mark on Laura. And it will be up to her to deal with it. The four candidates must prepare for the final, which will determine the winner. Each must shoot a few scenes in their hometown, which will be assessed by the professional jury and the public.

The film crew arrives in Bria, greeted by the mayor and a surprising assistant: Gloria, the owner of the building! It's the first meeting between Vincenzo and Mario... Given what's at stake, Mario is clever enough to hide his enmity. And so much the better! After lunch and the filming of a tourist clip, the main reason for the mayor's involvement in the project, Laura and Vincenzo shoot the first of three ‘real’ scenes. It ends with a loving kiss. How will Laura negotiate this? This is Laura’s first crucial choice.

Episode 5

By the end of episode 4, Laura had already had to decide whether to simulate the kisses, or accept non-simulated ones, shoot more credible scenes, and compete on equal terms with the other contestants, especially Sofia.

On the second day of filming, one romantic scene follows another, and Vincenzo's charm doesn't make Laura's task any easier, as she rediscovers her emotions as an ex-fan. Two events complicate the situation: a revelation about the behavior of Sofia, her most serious competitor, and some childishness on the part of Mario, who finds it hard to bear the promiscuity and connivance between Laura and Vincenzo. Laura must make a second choice, crucial to the rest of the story.

From episode 6 onwards...

There are four possible routes. They correspond to the combinations of Laura's two successive choices. Did she accept the real kisses? Did she rebel against Mario, who objected to too much closeness between her and the handsome Vincenzo? Four routes, four stories, and four different outcomes.

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