MARRIED TO MY ENEMY

SMILE FOR THE CAMERA'S

Amara's Pov.

Friday came too fast. I spent all day in my room trying not to think about what happened on Tuesday. About the text, I never answered. "It's me. I'm sorry I yelled. Daniel". It was still sitting there. Unread, because if I opened it, I'd have to reply, and if I replied, the rules would be dead. At 6: 30 p.m. there was a knock on my door.

"The car will be here in 20 minutes," Daniel said through the door. His voice was neutral. "Got it," I said back. When I came out, he was already in the foyer. Navy suit, white shirt, no tie. He looked like the photos from the wedding, except his jaws were tighter. We didn't mention Tuesday or mention the text, we just got in the car and sat as far apart as the seat allowed. The board dinner was at Grand Aurelia. Crystal chandeliers, white tablecloths, waiters with trays. Half the city's business elite was there to celebrate. " The merger that saved us all."

And there, at the center table, were our fathers. Mr Nicholas and Mr Andrew were sitting next to each other. Laughing like they had not spent 20 years trying to destroy each other.

"Ready?" Daniel asked quietly. My stomach dropped. The first word he said to me all day. I pasted my smile and answered. "Always." The moment we walked in, the camera flashed. "Mr and Mrs Andrew look this way," said one reporter. Daniel took my hand. His palms were warm, mine were cold.

Rule 2. No touching off camera. This was on camera, so it didn't count. We walked around the room. Shake hands, accept congratulations, let people talk about how powerful the union was, how brave we were. No one asked if we were happy. They just assumed. Halfway through dinner, my father stood to give a toast. "To new beginnings," raising his glass. "To family and to the future." Everyone clapped. Daniel's father stood too, and for one second their eyes met on the table. No smile, just acknowledgment. Twenty years of silence, and this dinner was supposed to fix it.

After the plates were cleared, the DJ started music. Rule 4 again, one dance. Daniel held out his hands. "Mrs Andrew?" I took it. The floor was bright and open. Everyone was watching. He put one hand on my waist, lightly careful, just like that of the wedding. He moved slowly. For the first three seconds, we were perfect, two people who looked in love. Then he leaned in, just enough for me to hear him over the music.

"Did you get my text?" My feet almost stumbled. "Yes."

"Why didn't you answer?" he asked.

"Rule 3," I whispered back. "No interfering." He let out a quiet breath that might have been a laugh and said, "We broke that on Tuesday."

"We broke all of them on Tuesday." The song switched to something slower. His hands pressed against my back. Not pulling me in, just..... Steadying me. "You looked tired this morning," he said." Rule 1: No emotions, no noticing," I replied. He paused. "I know, I'm still sorry."

The cameras flashed again. To anyone watching, we were just a couple lost in the moment. When the song ended, we let go at the exact same time. Stepped back. Smiled for one more photo.

While going home in the car, the silence came back. But it was different. This time it was heavier. At the front door, Daniel stopped and called "Amara." I turned." What?"

"Nothing" He shook his head and said good night. He went to his room. I went to mine. I sat on the bed and stared at my phone, opened the text and kept staring at the text. Still the same text. “It's me, Daniel. I'm sorry, I yelled." I typed something, deleted it. Then typed again. "I'm sorry too." I hit send before I could change my mind. Then I turned the phone off and put it face down.

Tomorrow we'll go back to the rules. To distance. To pretend we didn't see each other. But tonight, for two minutes on the dance floor, we dropped the act. And no one noticed. Because we were too busy pretending for everyone else.

...

The invitation came on Sunday morning. Not a call but a text from my father. "Dinner tonight 7p.m. Both families have no excuses. Dad." Below it, was a forwarded message from Daniel's dad. "It is good for business to be there. Mr Andrew."

I stared at the message for 10 minutes, then I knocked on Daniel's door. He opened it in gray sweatpants and T-shirt. His hair was still wet from the shower, he looked younger like this, less like Mr Andrew son but more like the boy who used to steal my markers in art class. "Did you get the text?" He held up his phone and said, "Yeah."

"Are we going?" He sighed, and said," Do we have a choice?" We didn't have a choice. Rule 4 said public appearance. This was the best public appearance we would ever have to make.

At dinner, the restaurant was private; white tablecloths, no windows, and one long table. Mr Nicholas stood up when he saw me.

"Amara, you look beautiful." Mr Okafor stood up for Daniel, "Son," gesturing for Daniel to come to him. They hugged us, an actual hug, for the cameras that weren't there. My skin crawled.

"Please sit," my father said, gesturing to the two chairs in the middle, side by side, Of course. Daniel pulled out my chair first, then sat next to me. Rule.2: no touching, our knees brushed under the table anyway, neither of us moved away. Dinner started with small talks, the merger, the stock price, the weather. Then the wine came. Then the questions started.

"So how's married life?" my father said, swirling his glass. Daniel answered first, smoothly and practiced. "Good, we're settling in."

"Any plans? Trips, house projects?" Mr Andrew asked. I felt Daniel tense next to me. "Just work for now, the merger is keeping us busy," I said. "Work? Is that all it is for you two? Work?" my father repeated. The table went quiet, even the waiters stopped. "What do you mean?" Daniel asked. "I mean," Mr Andrew said slowly. "That when we agreed to this, we expected more than a business partnership, we expected a family." My chest went cold.

"With all due respect, sir," Daniel said in a low voice." We're doing exactly what you asked, we're married, we're showing up and the deal is secured."

"The deal is secure for now," my father cuts in. "But deals fall apart, unless there's something else holding them together." He looked at me, Then looked at Daniel. Then he looked at our hands, our hands were resting on the table, no touching. "Are you two....... happy?" Mr Nicholas asked. I opened my mouth but nothing came out.

"We're fine," Daniel answered to both of us." Fine," Mr Andrew echoed. He didn't sound convinced. Dessert came, but no one ate it, the tension sat in the room like a third person.

On the way out, both fathers walked us to the car. Mr Nicholas put his hands on my shoulder. " I know this is hard, baby, but you're Nicholas. We shouldn't quit." Mr Andrew did the same, patting Daniel's back. "Same for you, son, Andrew's always finish what they started." Then they got in separate cars and drove off in opposite directions. Daniel and I stood there in silence.

"Home?" he asked. "Home," I answered. In the car, he drove, I watched the city lights blur past. After 10 minutes, he spoke without looking at me. "They know.

"

"What"

"They know we're pretending," I turned to him. "How?"

"Because happy people don't sit like that at dinner, they don't sit like they are afraid to touch," he said. My throat was tight. "So what do we do?" He stopped at the red light, turned to me fully for the first time all night. "We either start lying better." The light turned green, but he didn't move. "Or we start telling the truth." Behind us a car honked, Daniel gripped the steering wheel. "Amara,"

"What?" His phone ringed, he looked at it, then his face went completely blank, he picked it up and put it on speaker.

"It's my father," he said. "Son!" Mr Andrew's voice filled the car. "We need you at the office now, there's a problem with the merger documents, and Amara needs to come too." Daniel looked at me. "Both of you," His father added, then the call ended.

The street was empty now, just us and the red light. Daniel reversed and packed the car. "Problem with the documents at 10p.m?" I whispered. He shook his head. "This is not about the merger."

"Then what is it about?" Daniel stared straight ahead, and for the first time since the wedding, he looked scared. I think they found out about the rules.