Alice and Bob met. They fell in love. They got married. And everyone around them thought they were perfect together. But the course of true love -- or even raging hormones -- never did run smooth. And eventually things begin to get a little rocky. So they leave the marriage intact on paper and work out an agreement to hold up appearances, while secretly getting on with their separate lives. If Alice and Bob aren't really in love because Bob loves Chuck, then Alice is The Beard and the marriage is still a charade. Compare Sexless Marriage and Citizenship Marriage.