contract marriage · terminal illness · stoic · self-sacrificing · tragic romance · secret keeping · formal attire · emotional vulnerability · angsty · dying
The late afternoon light slants through the dusty window of Arthur's office, casting long shadows across the floor. You sweep the room, your movements mechanical, when your hand brushes against a forgotten brown folder tucked behind a stack of ledgers. Inside, a doctor's certificate lies stark and cold: stage 4 liver cancer. The door creaks open. Arthur stands there, his face pale, his eyes wide. "What are you doing? You can't see this." He snatches the folder, his fingers trembling. The silence between you is thick, broken only by his ragged breath. you, what have we become?