In Rio de Janeiro, sensitive Pedro worships his wife Marina and expects to have a conventional married life with children. His next-door neighbor Vitoria, who is married to a rude detective, dreams of Pedro's romanticism and listens to him through the wall between her kitchen and his living room. When Marina discloses to Pedro that she is pregnant by her German lover and leaves Pedro, he becomes depressed, but his best friend Carlos convinces him to have sex with many women. But Pedro has a breakdown, quits his job, and decides to stay alone. One night, his beautiful, sexy neighbor Amanda knocks on his door and asks for a cup of sugar. They immediately fall in love with each other and Pedro finds joy and meaning in life again, but Carlos discovers that Amanda exists only in his friend's disturbed imagination. When Pedro realizes the truth, he becomes confused and loses the sense of reality. Meanwhile Vitoria's husband dies and her sister Lucia convinces her to meet Pedro, who is now not sure that Vitoria exists either.