The Arrangement — Harvey Jacobs

Will Goldman and Stephanie Stewart first meet in grade school and both have an ambition. He wants to own his own store selling running shoes, but doesn't have the capital. She has leukemia and wants to marry Will before she dies. So Stephanie approaches Will with a proposition: Her parents will fund his store if he marries her. He doesn't have to love her -- Stephanie believes she has enough love for both of them -- just be her husband and take care of her when the time comes. He balks at first, but when he realizes that this arrangement may be the only chance he has of achieving his dream, Will agrees and meets with Stephanie's parents to discuss the pre-nup. Everything goes smoothly at first. The money comes in. Will's business plan succeeds. Stephanie supports him 100 percent. Will performs his duties as a husband. Then Stephanie's health deteriorates and Will is called upon to keep his part of the bargain. But it comes at a time when Will needs to put all of his energies into the business. He is about to be sponsored by Nike and needs to make trips back and forth to Seattle. Everything balances out for a while. Stephanie is not too sick that she can't take care of herself while he's away. In fact, she insists that he not worry about her. So he doesn't. But Stephanie is a lot sicker than she tells Will and one day, when he returns home after yet another business trip, he finds her passed out in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor. This is Will's wake-up call. But will he respond to it?