*Amelia*

I couldn't hold back my tears as I took another glance at what was written on the document I was holding. Six months, that's all I had left to live. I have been diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), the same terminal illness that took the life of my mother three years ago.

For a very long time, I have known that the illness was hereditary, but the last thing I had imagined was also having it.

"Ma'am, we are here already," the voice of the taxi driver sounded from the front seat, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Ooh, a minute please," I said to the taxi driver as I quickly wiped away the tears on my face, and afterwards I arranged the documents I was holding inside my bag, and with that I paid the taxi driver before getting down and making my way into the mansion where I was leaving.

Getting into the sitting room, I was surprised to see Adrian, my husband, sitting on the couch while manipulating his phone.

"Hey, you are back already," I said to him with a surprised tone, as this wasn't the time he usually came back home, but instead of replying, he shot me a cold glare before turning his gaze towards the centre table where a document was lying with a pen, and with that, he pushed it towards me and muttered, "Sign it."

Not knowing what was written on the document, I walked towards the table to get a proper look at it, and that was when I got the shock of my life. The document he was asking me to sign was a divorce agreement with his signature already on it.

"So you are divorcing me?" I asked him, not believing my eyes.

"Yes, of course, or the name on the divorce agreement – isn't it yours?" He asked me with a cold tone.

"It's because of her, right?" I asked him, and with that he scoffed angrily at me, as he already knew who I was talking about.

I had seen both of them on the television yesterday, him and his ex-girlfriend Melissa, who was no other person than my stepsister.

He had accompanied her to her press conference, where she announced her return to the modelling world after being out of the country for almost three years.

Seeing the way he was holding her during the press conference, I couldn't help but feel jealous; after all, that was the same way he always held me when we were in public.

Coming back home, I had confronted him about it, but he immediately reminded me of something I had almost forgotten about, which was the contract I had signed the day we got married.

Yes, unlike married couples who get married to each other out of love, we only got married to each other because that was what needed to be done at that moment to save the reputation of both families from a very serious scandal that could have ruined both families.

Love was never part of the agreement we signed, and I never made the mistake of expecting that from him at the beginning, but as years went by, I began believing that the agreement no longer mattered due to how real his care felt.

No matter how busy he was, he never missed an occasion when I needed him, even without reason. He always made sure his assistant carried my medicine so I wouldn't be unwell around him.

Whenever he instructed the chief, he only cared about my preferences – whatever I liked, he would eat anything.

With the way he cared for me, it was impossible not to believe that he loved me.

But all that illusion shattered yesterday when I confronted him about how he was holding Melissa, my stepsister, during the press conference. Not only did he remind me about the contract I had signed, which was expiring this year, which was the third year since we got married, but he also made sure to clarify the reason behind his care for me, which I had misunderstood.

My stepsister had taught him how a man should treat his wife; he always prepared the medicines because she usually fell sick just like me. Even after she left, he never told his assistant to stop. As for the food, taste was never important to him. So in other words, he had done everything he had done for me for the past three years so that he wouldn't forget what my stepsister taught concerning how a man should treat his wife.

Now that she has come back, he wanted me to make way for her, not just because our contract has ended but because she has always been the one in his heart all this while.

"You don't have to worry," his voice sounded, snapping me back to reality. "I will make sure to compensate you for all the time you have wasted with me since all this while, so feel free to ask for whatever you want as compensation," he said to me, reminding me that all the three years we had spent together meant nothing to him; it was nothing else but a waste.

Hearing what he had just said, I couldn't help but smile bitterly as I felt my heart shattering into many pieces. I should have known; I should have stuck to the agreement, because if I had done that, I wouldn't be feeling the pain I was feeling right now because someone who didn't have any single feeling towards me was divorcing me. The only pain I could have been feeling right now was the pain of knowing that I was going to die very soon.

Looking him straight in the eyes, I repeated the only word which had made sense to me in what he had just said.

"Anything?"

"Yes, anything," he said in reply. "As long as it's in my power, I will give it to you as compensation for the time you have wasted with me.

"Can we just live as a real married couple for one more month? After that, I'll be gone for good." I asked him while staring into his eyeballs.

"What?" He asked me as his face contorted in confusion.

*Amelia*

"You heard me right; all I want is for us to live as a real married couple for one more month. After that, I'll be gone for good." I said to Adrian, who couldn't believe what he was hearing.

Surely he had expected me to demand a huge amount of money or a mansion or something like that, but what on earth was I going to do with all that when all I had remaining was just six months, and I can't even think of a single thing worth holding onto in this world anymore? My mother, who was the only person who loved me with all her heart, was already gone, and as for my father, since my mum passed away, he had made it clear to me over and over again that I meant nothing to him.

And as for the loving marriage I think I had, I have also learnt that it was nothing but an illusion.

So right now, all I want is to experience for one more month that love and care Adrian had shown me for the past three years, even if it has been fake, and when it's over, I'll head to some remote island to spend the rest of my days.

"You really do not know how to give up, do you?" Adrian asked me after some minutes of silence.

"Are you this desperate for my love and care?" He continued.

"I'm not desperate," I cut him off immediately. "I just want to experience how it feels to be loved as a wife for one more month, even if it's fake just as it has always been; who knows, I might never get this chance again," I said to him, but he remained silent while staring at me from where he was sitting, his facial expression unreadable as ever.

"You know you can ask for any other thing than this, for example, money. You can ask for any amount of money you want..."

"I don't want your money," I cut him off once again. "You yourself said that I could ask for anything I want, and as long as it's in your power, you will give it to me, so this is what I want. "If I had wanted your money, I would have said that right from the beginning," I said to him, and with that, he sighed heavily before ruffling his hair in frustration.

"Fine, one more month for you to experience what it feels like to be loved like a wife; I will give that to you, but you don't you dare ask for anything else after that, because you won't be getting it," he said to me with a cold tone.

" Just keep your promise, one month," I replied with a firm tone, and with that, he scoffed angrily at me.

"You'll regret making such a stupid, stubborn demand of me today," he said to me as his lips formed into a wicked smile.

"Well, I will be looking forward to that," I said to him with a firm tone while making sure that he sees clearly that I wasn't affected by any of the things he had just said.

"Now that we have an agreement, go on and sign the divorce agreement," he said to me.

"No," I said to him as I pushed the agreement back to him. "I will sign it at the end of the month," I said to him, and with that, he stared at me for some minutes before taking the document and putting it inside his briefcase that was beside him.

"Now that we are done discussing this, do you mind if I prepare for you something to eat?" I asked him, and with that he smiled at me, a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"No, I will do the honours," he said to me as he stood up. "After all, from now on till the end of the one month, you are my lovely wife who should be treated with love and care," he said to me, his tone laced with mockery.

"So sit down; let me show you how good I am at cooking," he said to me before heading towards the kitchen.

I was both amazed and surprised when he told me that he was going to cook something for me to eat, as this was my first time seeing him go to the kitchen since we got married.

Even though I knew that he was doing this just to accomplish his mission, which was to make me beg at the end of the one month, I still felt happy; at least when dying, I will carry the memory of eating a food cooked by my husband to the grave.

After some minutes, he made his way out of the kitchen with a tray containing a gooey grilled cheese with a side of tomato soup.

"Here you go," he said to me as he dropped the tray in front of me'

Even without tasting it, I could already tell that it was delicious just through the aroma.

"Thank you," I muttered as I made to carry the tray, but he immediately gave me a light tap on my palm, causing me to let go of the tray.

"Wait, I will feed you," he said to me with a mockery look still hovering over his face, and without waiting for my reply, he pulled me closer before carrying the tray and dropping it on his lap, and afterwards, he took a half of the sandwich he had already cut into many halves and dug into the soup before bringing it closer to my mouth, and without hesitating, I slowly opened my mouth as he gently put the food in my mouth, allowing me to savour the taste.

"How is it?" He asked me, his facial expression unreadable as ever.

"Delicious," I said to him, and with that, he nodded in reply.

"I know you would say that; that's your sister's favourite meal, and she was the one who taught me how to cook it and to feed her with it," he said to me, and immediately I felt the delicious food becoming bitter in my mouth.

Him feeding me was already awkward enough, but bringing up my sister right now was as if he deliberately wanted to spoil the moment and also remind me of my place.

"But you don't have to worry," he continued.

"I won't tell your sister that I prepared her favourite meal for you and even fed it to you; after all, you are my lovely wife for the meantime, and anything we do right now is between us," he said to me before taking the sandwich and digging it inside the soup and bringing it closer to my mouth.

Not wanting to ruin the moment, I slowly opened my mouth once again even though I didn't feel like continuing to eat the food especially as he made mention to me that it was his ex girlfriend's favorite meal and she was the one who thought him how to cook it.

After silently feeding me the food, I thanked him once again before taking the tray containing the empty plates to the kitchen, afterwards, I returned to the sitting room where he was busy manipulating his phone.

"We are running out of some things at home here, so I'm heading to the supermarket to get them," I said to him and with that he lifted his head and glanced at me before returning his gaze to his phone without uttering a single word.

Seeing that he wasn't going to say anything in reply, I turned and started heading to the exit, but before I could get to the door, his voice sounded from behind causing me to halt at my step.

"Wait I will drive you, after all that's what a loving husband is supposed to do right ?" He asked me as he stood up and grabbed his car keys, a mocking look still hovering over his face.

"Yes you are right," I said to him as he got closer and with that he nodded in reply before walking past me.

Getting to the place where the car was parked, I saw him standing beside the car while waiting for me, and as I got closer, he opened the door for me to get inside, something he has never done before.

"Thank you," I said to him before getting inside and with that he closed the door before also entering the car, and with that he ignited it and drove out of the mansion before zooming off.

Getting to the supermarket, I had expected him to wait for me in the car while I go inside and get the things that I needed, but to my greatest surprise, he also came down from the car and followed me inside and when we got inside, I made to take one of the trolleys but he immediately stopped me and took it before motioning me to walk ahead of him while he followed me from behind.

Even though everything he was doing seemed awkward to me especially as I knew that he was faking it, I still couldn't hold myself back from smiling, at least even if I die tomorrow, I will have some sweet memories to take to the grave with me.

As I was busy selecting the items that I needed and putting them in the trolley in which Adrian was following me with, a familiar voice suddenly called his name from behind and with that we both turned around only to see Clarissa Adrian's older sister and his little brother Leonardo who I knew hated me because of the same reason why Adrian hated me, walking towards us with a confused look written over their faces.

"And what the hell is going on here, Adrian? I thought you told us that you were divorcing her today, so why on earth are you here shopping with her her instead?" Adrian's sister asked him with her hands folded around her chest.

"Well, you are right sis, I was supposed to divorce her today," Adrian said to his sister before turning and looking at me.

"But it seems like she still craves my love and care so much, so she demanded to be treated like a real wife for one more month as compensation, and I agreed," Adrian said to his sister, his tone laced with mockery.

"What!" Clarissa Adrian's sister exclaimed in disbelief.

"Wow, I never for once imagined that I would ever meet someone as shameless as she is?" Leonardo Adrian's younger brother continued with his face contorted in disgust.

*Amelia*

There was absolutely nothing I could have done as I watched Clarissa and Leonardo, Adrian's sister and brother, abuse me before Adrian; after all, this wasn't their first time doing it.

At first things weren't like this because of Adrian's father who despite the scandal still treated me like his real daughter in law, but after he passed away, Adrian's sister and younger brother took it upon themselves to be showing up at Adrian's house just to torment me and also remind me that I am a filthy opportunist who took my sister's place and got married to her boyfriend.

After two years of torment and verbal abuse from them, I have already gotten used to it, and one of the things I'm always grateful for is the fact that they can't lay their hands on me no matter what. The last time Clarissa had tried attacking me, Adrian had thoroughly warned her to say whatever she wants to me but to never lay her hands on me, as he didn't want to see me with any bruises.

This had even been one of the reasons why I had thought that Adrian loved me, but unknown to me, he had only told his sister that because my stepsister had thought him that a good husband would never allow anyone to lay his hands on his wife or even bruise her.

"Adrian, how could you have agreed to such a stupid request from her? Did you even discuss this with Melissa before agreeing?" Clarissa asked Adrian, not minding my presence.

"Sis, please," Adrian said to his sister with a deep sigh.

"No, Adrian, don't tell me that. Do you know how many of my friends I have told about your upcoming wedding with Melissa? And now because of this good-for-nothing woman who doesn't have any place in our family, you are going to postpone the wedding," Clarissa said to Adrian while fuming in anger.

"Me too, I have also invited many of my friends," Leonardo added with an angry tone.

Hearing about the wedding that had already been organised even before Adrian and I fully got divorced, I couldn't help but smile bitterly. I have known that Clarissa hated me so much, but the last thing I had imagined was her organising a wedding for her brother and his ex-girlfriend while both of us were still legally married.

"But ma'am, Adrian and I are still married, so why did you still go on and organise a wedding for him without waiting for us to finalise our divorce?" I asked her, as I couldn't hold myself back.

"And who the hell do you think you are to question my decision?" she thundered angrily at me. "Or is it because Adrian agreed to spend one more month with you that you now think that you can talk to me anyhow? You aren't even ashamed to beg my brother for his love and care, you shameless woman," she spat angrily at me, and at the same time I immediately regretted asking her the question; after all, Adrian is her younger brother and since when their mother passed away, they all saw her as their mother since she was the oldest, so she has every right to tell him what to do.

"Sis, that's enough, and you should really stop talking to her like that. After all, I was the one who asked her to ask for whatever she wanted as compensation, and if it's in my power, I will give it to her, and since what she asked for is in my power, I'm going to give it to her. And as for Melissa, I'm going to talk to her about this, and I'm sure she's not going to be against it. If my three years of marriage with Amelia couldn't separate both of us, then I don't think it's one month that is going to," Adrian said to his mother, making it clear to me once again that our three years of marriage not only didn't mean anything to him, but also didn't have any effect on the love he had for Melissa.

"Well, if you say so, no problem then. I hope whatever evil plan she has in mind for the one month she requested to spend with you won't affect your relationship with my future sister-in-law," Clarissa said to Adrian while glaring angrily at me.

"That will never happen," Adrian said to her, his tone full of conviction, a conviction he never had whenever he spoke about our relationship with anyone.

"And one more thing, Sis," Adrian continued. "I don't want you guys to be coming here again till the end of the one month I'm going to be acting as Amelia's husband," Adrian said to his sister and brother, taking them aback. Even me, I couldn't deny that I was shocked by such a request.

"What!" His brother replied firstly.

"What did you just say?" His sister asked him, not believing her ears.

"You heard me right Sis, Amelia asked me to treat her like a real husband for one more month, and that's exactly what I want to do, and there's no way I'm going to be able to do that if both of you keep on showing up here every time and getting into a fight with her. After all, no real husband would want to see his wife getting into a fight and also being abused by his brother and sister every time," Adrian said to Clarissa and Leonardo.

"What the hell are you talking about bro?" Leonardo asked Adrian with a displeased tone. "Don't tell me you are choosing her over us...

"Yes, Adrian, are you choosing this good-for-nothing woman over us?" Clarissa asked Amelia while fuming in anger.

"For crying out loud, Sis, I am not choosing her over you guys; had she asked for a huge amount of money, I would have given it to her, but since this is what she wants, I will make sure to play my role of a loving husband to the full so that after the divorce, I won't be owing her anything," Adrian said to her mother and sister, who were now glaring daggers at me, but I remained silent without uttering a single word due to how surprised I was.

For the past three years we were married, this was my first time seeing Adrian making a decision that favours me over his family, and I must admit that I was amazed.

Even though I knew that he wasn't doing it because of me but rather to acquit himself after our divorce, I was still happy about it. At least aside from the memory of him feeding me, I will also take the memory of him choosing me over his family to the grave, and also the priceless look on Leonardo and Clarissa's face when he told them about his decision.

"You good-for-nothing woman," Clarissa yelled angrily while pointing at me, and also attracting the attention of the passerbys. "You better not start having any ideas; anything my brother agreed to do for you is just to recompense you before he throws you out to the street where you belong, so you better make sure that at the end of the one month, you get the hell out; if not, I will kick you out myself," Clarissa said to me before turning towards Leonardo.

"Let's get out of here; after all, your brother is now restricting us from coming to his house because of his good-for-nothing wife. How I wish Mum was still alive to hear about this rubbish" Clarissa said to Leonardo before hissing angrily, and with that, both of them turned and stormed away angrily with their trolley.

"Thank you," I said to Adrian after the departure of his brother and sister, and with that, he turned and looked at me with squinted brows.

"Thank you for what?" He asked me.

"For agreeing to my request and for the decision you made today in my favour," I said to him, and with that, he scoffed at me.

"There is no need to thank me for anything, and I also didn't make any decision in your favour; I'm only playing my part of a loving husband, or isn't that what you want?" He asked me, and at the same time, he received a text message on his phone, and on checking it, he smiled before turning and walking away without telling me where he was going.

"Are you going somewhere?" I asked as Adrian turned to walk away after checking his phone.

He didn't respond immediately. He took two steps forward, then stopped before slowly turning to face me, the same faint mockery smile hovering over his face, the kind he had worn ever since agreeing to act like a loving husband for one month.

Normally you have no business knowing where I'm heading to," he began. "But since you are now my lovely wife, I will tell you, I'm going to see your sister, so don't bother waiting for me," he said to me before turning to walk away again, but he was immediately stopped by my voice.

"But you said you would act like a real husband," I said quietly. "And a real husband won't abandon his wife at a supermarket just to go and see his ex-girlfriend," I said to him, and with that he furrowed his brows slightly, clearly not expecting that.

For a moment, he said nothing. The silence stretched between us, heavy and uncertain. Then he exhaled sharply and slipped his phone back into his pocket.

"You're really stubborn," he muttered as he walked back toward me. "Fine. I'm not going anywhere," he said to me as he took the trolley and followed me from behind.

Even though I knew deep down that all this wasn't real, I was still very happy, because on the same day, Adrian firstly chose me over his family, and afterwards, he also chose to spend time with me instead of going to see Melissa.

That night, we lay on the same bed, side by side, closer than we had ever been since our marriage began. He was unexpectedly gentle, his arm resting lightly around me, his touch careful, almost restrained, as though afraid I might break.

For a brief moment, I allowed myself to believe in the illusion.

Things almost went further. His breath brushed against my skin, warm and hesitant until suddenly, a sharp wave of sickness crashed over me. My body stiffened, nausea twisting painfully in my chest, my vision blurring.

I pulled away instinctively.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice lower, concerned.

"I'm fine," I lied quickly, forcing myself to sit up even as my body screamed otherwise. "I just need some air."

The moment passed. Whatever could have happened between us dissolved into silence.

That night, we slept in the same bed, but nothing more.

To be continued...