Debra''s resolve remained unshakable. Even as the three-month deadline loomed, she knew she would never ept Juan. This bet was destined to end in his defeat.


    "I made mistakes and caused misunderstandings. But give me a chance, Debra. Let me try to be a good husband. I truly love you," he said.


    In that fleeting moment, Debra saw a glimpse of the boy she once knew reflected in Juan''s eyes


    Perhaps Juan had long forgotten the boy he used to be, but Debra hadn''t. She couldn''t forget the boy who had squatted down beside her, taken her hand, and walked with her down that road. "Alright, I''ll give you this chance," she said. "But no matter what you do, you''ll end up losing."


    Juan, however, seemed not to hear the warning in her words. A smile spread across his face, as if her agreement alone was a victory.


    Debra pushed his hands away. "I''m tired. You can go now."


    "Grandma''s here," Juan reasoned. "Where do you want me to go?"


    During her absence, Juan had already moved into their shared bedroom. The room was filled with remnants of her life, echoes of a time when she would wait for him toe home, night after night. Juan''s gaze drifted towards the double bed, his intent clear.


    Debra''s brow furrowed in disapproval. "I don''t have the habit of sleeping with you."


    "I won''t touch you," Juan assured her. "It''s just a way to avoid Grandma''s scrutiny."


    Debra nced at the bed and then the sofa. "You can sleep on the sofa,"


    A flicker of disappointment crossed Juan''s face, but heplied without argument. He moved the pillows from the bed to the sofa and found a thin nket to cover himself.


    Seeing hispliance, Debra got into bed.


    "Let''s keep our distance tonight. Don''te closer than three steps."


    "Okay."


    "Except in front of Grandma, let''s live our own lives and not inquire about each other''s activities."


    "Okay."


    It was the first time they had shared a room, and Debra felt a sense of profound unease. Sleep eluded her, and she spent the night tossing and turning. When morning finally came, she found Juan already awake, the pillows neatly returned to the bed, and a nket draped over her.


    As he leaned in to adjust the nket, Debra suddenly grabbed his hand. Juan froze, the wariness in her eyes cutting through him like a knife.


    "I''m just covering you with a nket," he exined.


    Debra''s tension eased slightly, but the ghosts of her past lingered. She had seen the darker side of Juan,


    the man who had allowed her to die on the operating table and had removed all A-type blood from the hospital.


    It was an act of cold-blooded cruelty that she could not forget or forgive.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    "Sorry, I was just..." Debra began, searching for an exnation that wouldn''te.


    Juan spared her the effort. "Get up. Grandma has already made breakfast."


    Debra frowned, puzzled. Melody wasn''t known for her culinary skills, and Sophie shouldn''t have arrived yet. Before she could voice her confusion, a knock sounded at the door. "Come in," she said.


    The door swung open to reveal a young, fresh-faced maid. She looked to be around eighteen or neen, her clean and simple appearance radiating an aura of purity and innocence. Debra understood immediately. This was Melody''s doing, a calcted move designed to instill a sense of crisis in her.