There was a story in some old cultures where if a man's wife passed away, his sister might move in to help raise his children. In a sense, she was living as a wife in terms of her responsibilities. She would be involved in all aspects of the family life from education of the children to the daily chores. This was a way of the family unit staying together and was considered a normal part of the community's support system.
In a fictional story, a sister might pretend to be her brother's wife to help him out of a difficult situation. For example, if the brother was being persecuted and only married men were safe. So, the sister changed her appearance and mannerisms to act as his wife. They had to live together in secrecy, sharing the same living space, cooking for each other and presenting themselves as a married couple to the outside world. This was a test of their loyalty and love for each other as siblings.
One possible sister - living - as - wife story could be in a situation where in a very poor family, a sister takes on the role of a wife in terms of taking care of the household and her brother in an extreme way due to the absence of their parents. She cooks, cleans, and manages the finances like a wife would. However, this is more about a strong family bond and survival rather than a romantic or improper relationship.