Ethan was sitting on the couch when I stepped inside. Liora was tucked comfortably against him, close enough that their shoulders touched. She was holding a fork, lifting pieces of fruit to his mouth as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Her laughter was light, victorious—like someone who had already claimed her prize.
“Mira!” Ethan sprang to his feet the moment he saw me, relief flashing across his face as though he’d been waiting all along. He rushed over and pressed a small box into my hands. “I bought this for you. If you accept it… it means you’re agreeing to everything. You’ll let me stay with Liora for a bit so she can help with the transplant. Please. Just say yes.”
I looked at the box but made no move to take it. My fingers curled at my sides. My lips shook, yet when I spoke, my voice sounded eerily calm.
“You don’t have to give me anything,” I said. “I’ll agree even without a gift.”
His eyes widened, disbelief washing over his face. “You… you’re serious?”
“Yes,” I answered softly, each syllable cracking something open inside my chest.
Liora immediately rose from the couch and linked her arm through mine, pressing close as if we were inseparable. Her smile was dazzling—too dazzling.
“Then we’ll all get along, right, cousin?” she said sweetly. “No resentment, no drama. Ethan’s just helping me live my dream. He promised me this month, and after that, you’ll be fine.”
I gently but firmly slid my arm out of hers. “I won’t resent you.”
Ethan visibly relaxed. He hurried into the kitchen and returned moments later carrying a bowl of steaming soup. His expression was proud, almost eager, as he held it out to me.
“I cooked this for you myself,” he said. “It’s good for improving your blood. Please, eat a little.”
The scent was rich and comforting. For a brief moment, I wanted to trust him. I lifted the spoon and took a single sip.
Pain exploded in my throat.
“No—” I choked, clutching at my chest as a burning sensation spread. My skin went clammy, my vision swimming. “Shrimp? Ethan… you put shrimp in this? I’m allergic. How could you forget? I told you—”
He froze, horror flooding his face. “I—I thought it was peanuts! I swear, I thought that was what you couldn’t eat!”
Liora spoke up gently from behind him, her voice smooth and precise. “No, Ethan, you’re mistaken. I’m the one allergic to peanuts. You remember—I mentioned it just last week.”
Dark spots swam before my eyes as the pain sharpened, slicing deeper into my chest. He remembered her allergies. He remembered everything about her.
Just not me.
The last sound I registered before everything faded was Ethan screaming my name in terror.
When I regained consciousness, I was back in bed. Ethan sat beside me, his eyes bloodshot, his face drawn. He clutched my hand tightly, as though afraid I’d vanish if he let go.
“Mira, I’m sorry,” he said hoarsely. “This was my fault. A stupid mistake. Please forgive me. I canceled everything else. For the next few days, it’s just us. I promise you—I’ll never let something like this happen again. Never.”
I turned my face away from him. My voice was quiet, steady, and empty.
“You don’t need to say sorry,” I murmured. “You already chose Liora. Just remember what she likes now. Take care of her properly. And Ethan… after this, stay away from me. Completely.”
Confusion flashed across his face. “What are you talking about? What’s between me and Liora isn’t real. It’s temporary. Just one month. I’m only playing a role so she’ll agree to save you. Don’t twist this into something else. You’re my wife. You’re the one I love.”
He reached for my face, but I turned away and pulled the quilt up to my chin.
“I’m exhausted,” I whispered. “I need to sleep.”
His hand hovered awkwardly in the air before dropping back to his side. He exhaled slowly. “Alright. Rest.”
The door clicked shut behind him. The sound was heavier than any argument. Once I knew he was gone, I opened my eyes. Tears slid silently down my temple, soaking into the pillow beneath my cheek.
I didn’t have much time left.
The disease was winning.
With trembling effort, I forced myself out of bed and pulled an old box from the far corner of the closet. Dust coated its surface. Inside were the fragments of a life we once shared—movie stubs from our first date, a cheap bracelet he bought me at a night market, faded Polaroids from trips where he always held me close and I always smiled like the future was guaranteed.
My chest tightened painfully. I stayed up through the night, sorting through everything, touching each item as though memorizing its weight. As dawn broke, I carried the box outside. I lit a small brazier in the backyard.
One by one, I fed our memories to the flames.
The fire was still burning when a sharp voice pierced the air.
“What do you think you’re doing?!”
Before I could react, Liora rushed toward me and shoved me hard. The brazier tipped over, scattering glowing embers. Several struck my arm. Pain tore through my skin, and I cried out.
“Liora—” I staggered back, clutching my arm.
She advanced on me, eyes wild. “If you don’t want me living here, just say it! Why would you destroy my things like this?”
Her tone was wounded, but her eyes gleamed with triumph.
The commotion drew Ethan outside. He ran straight to her, immediately pulling her behind him, shielding her with his body. “What happened? Are you hurt?”
Liora grabbed onto his shirt, tears forming instantly. “Ethan, Mira hates me so much she started burning my belongings! She doesn’t want me here at all!”
He turned to me. For the first time in weeks, his gaze fully settled on my face. But there was no warmth in it—only disapproval.
“Mira,” he said heavily, “how could you do this? After everything Liora has done for you… after she agreed to help with your treatment… is this how you repay her?”
My chest constricted. I bent down and retrieved a blackened scrap from the ashes. My hands shook as I held it up.
“Look carefully,” I said, my voice trembling. “These aren’t her things. They’re mine. Ours.”
The fragment was from a photo taken last winter—Ethan wrapping his scarf around me, my cheeks flushed from the cold, my eyes bright with happiness.
He went completely still. “Why… why would you burn these?”
“Because they’ve gone bad,” I replied, tears blurring my sight. I dropped the photo back into the fire. “I don’t want them anymore.”
“No!” he exclaimed. “These belong to us. You said we’d look at them together when we were old. Why would you throw that away?”
I smiled weakly. “Don’t you understand, Ethan? I’m dy—”
“Ethan… my hand,” Liora interrupted softly. “I think it got burned when the brazier fell.”
His attention snapped to her instantly. He released me without hesitation and took her hand instead. “Let’s go inside. I’ll treat it.”
With his arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders, he led her back into the house.
He never looked back.
I remained standing there alone, shaking, watching the last of the flames die down.
