LogFAQs > #966044293

TL;DR: The married couple is no longer in love with each other, but if their marriage fails, then the absolute rulers of this society will forever bar future interracial couples from tying the knot; however, remaining together is having a negative impact on their personal lives.

In an alternate world where interracial marriage and miscegenation are still strictly illegal, a young Black man and a young White woman fall madly in love with each other, and--despite the extreme societal backlash--are committed to one another. They've gotten to the point where they want to marry, as they believe that true love cares not what color the involved's skin is.

Though the powers-that-be are vehemently against it, they eventually decide to allow them to marry, but fold their marriage in as part of a long-term social experiment. If the couple remains married until one of them dies of old age or otherwise natural causes, then they will permanent repeal all laws that ban interracial marriage and miscegenation. However, should the marriage fail at any point before then--including if either is caught with an extramarital lover--then they will take it as proof that people of different races are not compatible with one another, and will ensure that those laws remain set in stone for good.

Fast-forward ten years later, and the couple are no longer in love with each other, but are still married. Their drifting-apart had nothing to do with their races; they simply just fell out of love over time. However, despite this, they put up a public facade that they are still very much inseparable, even attending social gatherings with their children, and coaching them to behave like a strong family unit. Behind the scenes, the husband and wife make each other miserable, to the point that the husband sometimes stays with a relative the next town over.

Though they have privately discussed the possibility of divorce, they know that if they go through with it, they would be forever condemning future relationships like theirs--some that will actually reach the point of "'til death do they part"--to never being able to tie the knot or even be together for long. On the other hand, remaining in this marriage is taking a clear toll on their mental and emotional well-being. Additionally, seeing other people in secret carries far too many risks and would instantly cause the rulers to declare the experiment a failure if caught or exposed. Either way, all eyes are on them and the ultimate fate of their marriage.

Should this couple divorce for their mental well-being, despite what is at risk with their union? Or should they remain married for a better future, despite no longer being fond of each other?