Amara walked down the lonely road with slow, tired steps. Her handbag hung loosely on her arm, but her eyes were fixed straight, seeing nothing, only emptiness.

She felt like somebody moving without life inside her body.

Four years ago, she had walked into marriage with Alex because her parents wanted it, not because her heart wanted it. She had hoped things would change, that maybe with time Alex would warm up to her.

But instead, he gave her a heart filled with wounds. His heart had always belonged to another woman, one who had walked away from him to follow wealth.

And since that day, Alex never forgave Amara. In his own mind, she was the reason he lost love.

Four years. Four long years of marriage where she carried every weight alone. She was never wife to him; just somebody that filled space in his house.

Today, at last, her eyes were open.

And she was free finally of that prison of a marriage. But was she entirely free?

She was diagnosed of brain cancer and had only few weeks if not days to live. And the thought alone hit in her head like rough hammer. She was free of one pain only to die of another.

Yet, that death was worth it.

The thoughts sat heavy on her chest. Amara lifted her right hand and stared at the gold wedding band shining faintly against her thin fingers.

That ring was supposed to mean joy. Instead, it tied her to pain. Four years it had stayed there, mocking her with every passing day.

She closed her eyes, held it tight, then whispered with trembling voice, "Starting today... we go our separate ways."

With the last strength in her, she pulled the ring off. She stood by the bridge, raised it in the air for one last look, and then threw it deep into the river. The sound of the splash echoed in her ears like final goodbye.

Her chest burned. Her throat closed.

Suddenly, her head started pounding. The sharp pain shot through her skull, dragging her hand immediately to hold it. She bent slightly, her teeth clenched as she struggled for breath.

Just then, her bag began to ring.

She dragged it open, she noticed the medical report wasn't inside her bag anymore. Maybe she dropped it at Alex's house.

Her hands was shaking, and saw Adaobi's name on the screen. She pressed answer.

"Amara... oh my God, Amara, I just heard," Adaobi's voice cracked through the phone. "You're sick? Cancer? Why didn't you tell me before now?"

Adaobi was her only surviving family. Chief and Mrs. Douglas Akwarandu had relocated to Los Angeles with their two daughters for business and a new environment.

Douglas' company – the Dougs Electronics Hub flourished within few years of establishment. To keep that expansion and public status, he needed more wealthy allies – investors. That was how he met Mr. Spencer – Alex's father, who needed a wife for his son. Both parents went into agreement to arrange for the children's marriage.

Amarachi refused it at first. Insisting to finish her medical school first before marriage. But her parents were persistent. She had to drop out of school, obey them.

Unfortunately, her parents didn't live to see what became of the marriage. They both died in a crash. Adaobi had being the one handling the family business since then despite the ups and downs.

Amara pressed the phone weakly against her ear. "Adaobi... it's true. Brain cancer. Doctor said few weeks... nothing more."

Adaobi gasped. "Jesus Christ. Amara! How... how can you say it like this? Which doctor told you that? We will find another one. We will look for help. You're not going anywhere!"

Amara's lips shook. "It's not only that, Adaobi. Today... I ended it with Alex. I asked for divorce. It's over."

"What?" Adaobi's voice rose in shock. "You... you divorced him? Amara, wait-"

But Amara couldn't continue. Her chest tightened. Her breath cut short like air was being stolen from her.

She started gasping, one hand clutching her chest, the other holding the phone close as she collapsed onto the ground.

"Amara! Amara, what is it? What's going on there? Where are you?" Adaobi screamed from the other end, but Amara couldn't speak.

She lay shaking on the cold ground, gasping, eyes rolling back.

Her body stilled. The phone slipped from her fingers and silence took over.

When her eyes opened again, she was lying on a bed. She blinked weakly, her surroundings slowly settling in. And then she saw Adaobi sitting by her, tears streaming down her cheeks, clutching a folded medical report in her trembling hands.

Amara tried to sit but her body was weak. "Adaobi..."

Adaobi leaned forward quickly, holding her hand. "Amara, you scared me. Do you even know you almost died out there? They just finished running tests on you. I... I saw the report."

Her tears doubled. "Sister, please, don't do this to me. I'll find the best doctor. I'll search everywhere, even outside this country. Somebody will treat you."

Amara shook her head slowly. Her voice was faint but steady. "No, Adaobi. There's no need. I understand my body more anyone would. I'm tired. It's only a matter of time."

Adaobi squeezed her hand tightly. "Don't say that! Amara, please. You're all I have. Don't tell me you're ready to leave me. You still have life in you. We will fight. We must fight!"

Amara's eyes brimmed with tears. "I don't want to leave you, Adaobi. But this body... it's already giving up."

The two sisters cried together, their tears mixing with the heavy silence of the hospital room. Adaobi lifted her face, anger burning beneath her sorrow. "What about Alex? What did he say when he found out? Did he even try to help you? Tell me, Amara."

Amara's lips parted but no word came. Before she could answer, her hands started trembling. Her whole body began to shake uncontrollably.

She groaned, clutching her side, twisting in pain.

Adaobi panicked, jumping to her feet. "Amara! What is it? Tell me, what's happening?"

Amara struggled to reach her bag on the side table. With shaking fingers, she pulled it close and opened it. Inside, she found the small transparent rubber for her pain relief pills.

She ripped it open, turned it upside down, and shook it desperately. Not a single tablet fell out.

It was empty.

"No... no, no..." Her voice broke as she shook it harder, but nothing came.

Adaobi's eyes widened in fear. "Amara! What is going on? Talk to me!" She grabbed her sister's shoulders, shaking her. "Where are the pills? Amara, answer me!"

But Amara could not respond. Her breath came in short, hard gasps, her eyes rolling back as her strength drained away. She slumped back against the bed, her hand falling limply at her side, the empty pill rubber rolling out of her palm to the floor.

Adaobi screamed, grabbing her. "Amara! Please, open your eyes. Don't do this to me. Don't leave me!"

Her cries filled the room. She shook her again and again, as if her love could drag Amara back. "Amara! Amara!"

But it was too late.

Amara's chest stopped moving. Her face relaxed into stillness. Her body was gone cold.

Adaobi broke down, clutching her lifeless sister against her chest, wailing. "No! Amara, no! Please come back. Please don't leave me here alone!"

Instantly, the doctor and a nurse stormed the room, trying to check Amara's pulse...

************

Alex sat in his office, restless. His pen rolled between his fingers, tapping against the desk, but his mind was not with the papers before him.

His heart was heavy, thoughts scattered. He didn't even notice when his colleague walked in, carrying a file.

"Dr. Spencer," the colleague said, placing the folder gently on the table, "this is the list of patients waiting for you in the cue."

Alex barely looked up. His voice was distant. "Drop it there."

The colleague turned to leave but paused at the door. His eyes narrowed as he studied Alex. "Are you okay?"

Alex's fingers scratched absently at the side of his neck. His nails dragged across the spot again and again until red welts appeared, followed by thin traces of blood.

The colleague frowned. "Wait... is that an allergic reaction?"

Alex jerked slightly, pulling his hand away. "It's nothing. Just go check on the patients."

"Nothing? You're bleeding. You should let someone look at that."

"I said it's fine," Alex muttered, impatience lacing his tone.

But the colleague didn't leave. Instead, he stepped closer. "You know, Amara once compiled a full list of your allergens. Every single thing you react to. She worked on it for days. I still remember her coming around different departments, asking about precautions."

Alex's head lifted slowly. His eyes searched his colleague's face. "Allergens?" he repeated, his voice heavy with surprise.

"Yes. She was very particular. She wanted to be sure you never touched or ate anything that could harm you."

The words hit him deep, but he said nothing. His jaw tightened as he looked away, swallowing hard.

That evening, Alex sat with a group of his friends in their usual lounge. Drinks crowded the table. Laughter and loud music filled the space.

But his mind was lost. His hand moved automatically, lifting glass after glass, gulping whatever his fingers touched.

James leaned over from the other side of the table, his eyes narrowing. "Alex, are you alright? The way you're drinking... this one is not ordinary stress oo. Did your wife leave you?"

Alex dropped his glass and spoke without hesitation. "She divorced me."

The table went silent for a moment. Then one of the friends suddenly jumped to his feet, clapping his hands. "Finally! Congratulations, my brother!"

Another friend raised his own drink, laughing loudly. "Freedom! This calls for a toast." He pushed his glass high in the air. "To Alex, who is now free from chains!"

The men burst into cheers, clinking glasses together. But Alex's face stayed blank. He took another deep gulp, then slammed the glass down on the table with force.

His eyes darkened.

He shot up to his feet.

"I'm out," he muttered. His steps were heavy as he stormed away from the table.

"Alex! Alex!" James called after him. But Alex didn't turn back. He pushed through the crowd and left the lounge.

*******************

By the time he arrived home, alcohol still thick in his blood, his voice thundered through the mansion.

"Where is everyone?!" he roared, throwing his coat to the floor. His eyes darted around the sitting room. "Where is Amara?!"

His voice rose again, desperate. "Amara!"

The butler hurried in, his steps cautious. "Sir..."

Alex spun to face him. "Where is she? Answer me!"

The butler knew his master was aware his wife had left him. But the influence of alcohol or maybe depression had caused a little disorder to his senses.

The butler bowed his head slightly. "Madam has left, sir."

"Left?" Alex's voice cracked. He looked around the room as though she might appear from the shadows.

His fists slammed against the table. "Can't this house function without her? Is everyone blind here?!"

The butler said nothing, only watched him with quiet sorrow.

Alex dropped heavily onto the sofa, his chest heaving. His head bent low into his hands.

After a long silence, the butler cleared his throat. "Sir... there is something you should know."

Alex's eyes shot up sharply. "What is it?"

"This afternoon, while one of the maids was cleaning, she found a paper. It... it was Madam's medical report."

Alex frowned, straightening. "What report?"

The butler hesitated, then spoke carefully. "Madam Amara has brain cancer. Um... Pilocytic Astrocytoma."

The words hit Alex like a thunderclap. He stood suddenly, grabbing the report the butler held out. His eyes scanned the pages.

His breath caught. His body stiffened.

"Brain... cancer?" he whispered. His hands trembled, his eyes wet.

But almost immediately, anger burned through his chest. His voice rose in fury. "No! No, this pathetic trick won't fool me!"

The paper crumpled beneath his grip. He tore it apart in a violent rip. Shreds of paper fell from his fingers like pieces of broken truth, scattering across the floor.

The butler stared, stunned, unable to move.

Alex's face hardened. His chest heaved with wild breaths. He pulled his phone from his pocket, his fingers flying across the screen.

He pressed a number and waited until the voice answered.

"Track her down," Alex ordered, his voice like ice. "Find Amara's location immediately."

His jaw tightened as his eyes burned with fury.

"How dare she fake medical reports just to manipulate me?!"

Alex sat in his garden, gulping the last glass from the whiskey bottle. The bitter taste burned down his throat, but it did nothing to calm the fire inside him.

Cigarette butts littered the small side table beside him, the air thick with smoke.

His eyes were bloodshot, restless, shifting from the dark sky to the empty glass in his hand. He wasn't restless because he missed Amara.

No, what ate him up was the thought of her daring to fool him, daring to walk out with divorce like she could command his life.

The gate creaked open. A tall, well-built man stepped in, his stride calm but deliberate. It was James, Alex's closest friend, the one he had asked earlier to trace Amara's whereabouts.

James stopped near the chair, his eyes quietly scanning the bottles, the ash, and the mess of a man before him.

"You know, Alex," James said slowly, "the way you're drinking, the way you're smoking yourself into pieces like this... it almost looks like heartbreak. Could it be you're finally falling in love with Amara? That's why her absence is shaking you like this?"

Alex's head jerked, his eyes flaring with irritation. "Love? With Amara?" He laughed bitterly, almost choking on his own voice. "How can I fall in love with someone who has no vision, no talent, no spark? Someone who is clueless about everything?" He dragged on another cigarette and exhaled harshly. "Nah. Impossible."

James tilted his head, not convinced. "Then why are you like this?"

Alex raised his hand sharply, cutting him off. "Enough of this interrogation. If you don't have the answer I asked for, quietly leave."

James pressed his lips together, swallowing the sting of those words. He had known Alex for years, but the man before him wasn't just drunk; he was drowning.

Still, James ignored the sharpness, telling himself it was the alcohol speaking.

"I found her," James finally said, his voice steady. "Here's the address. Exact number, exact building."

Alex's eyes lit up instantly. He shot to his feet so suddenly the chair nearly toppled. "Good!" He grabbed his phones with shaky hands. "Let's go."

James blinked, stunned by the sudden energy. "Alex-"

But Alex was already moving, his long strides carrying him toward the gate. James sighed and followed

The drive was quiet, but Alex's heart pounded like war drums. His fists clenched and unclenched on his knees as he stared through the windshield.

He didn't even realize how fast the car was going until James slowed down and parked by the curb.

They had arrived.

Before James could even turn off the engine, Alex shoved the door open and rushed out. The urge to see Amara, to confront her, to prove her games false, pressed on his chest like a heavy weight.

He was halfway across the compound when James grabbed his arm.

"Alex, wait!" James pulled him back slightly. "Think this through. Is it not better to take it easy? To calm down and face this with sense instead of rushing blind?"

Alex turned his head slowly, his eyes piercing into James's. For a long second, he said nothing. Then, without a word, he shook his head, firm and final, and yanked his arm free.

In the next moment, he dashed straight into the house.

James sighed deeply, then followed behind.

******

The door opened to a dimly lit sitting room, and Alex stopped dead. His breath caught in his throat, his body frozen in disbelief.

Several men were inside, moving about with quiet steps. They carried chairs, arranged tables, and set flowers along the walls.

The whole place was shifting into something solemn, something heavy. It looked like preparation for an occasion.

But none of that hit Alex as much as what stood in the center of the room.

On a table draped with white cloth stood a large picture frame- Amara's picture.

Her face stared out softly, her smile frozen in time. Around the frame were fresh flowers, neatly arranged, their scent filling the room.

At the base of the table, candles burned low, their flames flickering gently in the still air.

Every sign was clear. This was no party. No trick. It was a memorial.

Amara was gone.

Alex's mouth opened, but no word came out. His throat closed up. His legs trembled, betraying him. The picture blurred before his eyes as water filled them.

He tried to step forward, but suddenly his knees buckled under him. He staggered, collapsing halfway, but James rushed forward and caught him just in time, holding his weight.

"Alex, steady!" James's voice was tight with concern.

Alex looked at his friend, then back to the picture again. His lips shook. His chest heaved. He clutched James's arm like a drowning man.

"No..." His voice cracked like glass. His eyes stayed locked on the frame, on Amara's calm face staring back at him from another world. His breathing grew faster, shallow, and almost desperate.

"This can't be true."