MARRIED TO MY ENEMY, LOVED BY HIS BROTHER

A flurry of morning activities was conveyed by the softly flickering morning sun on Houston, Texas's streets.

"Beep! Beep!" Kelly's alarm reminded him of the adventures ahead. Even though he did not drink coffee, he could not sleep last night because of the problems he was facing.

Kelly recently lost his job as a gatekeeper in an exquisite restaurant after he showed up late at work on many occasions. Living in the slums of America, he found it difficult to show up early at work.

It is my reckoning day. He let out another sigh of exasperation and looked at his wall clock, which showed 8:30 a.m.

A semi-detached bungalow with cracked walls and worn-out blue paint where he resides with his daughter, Ciara, after he lost his beloved wife.

Kelly was already at peace with his fate and prepared for whatever lay ahead. His wife passed away too soon because he was unable to cover her medical expenses with even the pennies he had previously made from the restaurant.

"I am aware that you are currently in a better place. I swear, I will make you proud. Kelly threw off the bed, kissed his late wife's picture, and promised, "I will be strong for Ciara, our daughter." He hoped to go out and find a job to support his family, but he was not sure where he was going.

Despite graduating with good grades, he found it a bit difficult to get a better job, and now his daughter Ciara is about to suffer the same fate. No company was ready to employ her. While some complained about her good grades, other employees just wanna shift her panties in exchange for an employment letter.

After bathing, Kelly was dressed in his rumpled suit and over-starched pair of trousers. Narrowing his gaze at the dusty and over-patched faded pair of shoes, he nodded his head in self-pity and dashed to the living room to find Ciara awake, setting the dining for breakfast.

"Breakfast is served already? You are so filled with wonders," Surprised to see Ciara setting the dining, Kelly beamed.

"Good morning, Dad. Where are you off to dressed like this? Going for another job interview? How many more interviews do you have to attend? Let me guess, this Is the 5th one for the month. Gosh! I lost count!" Placing her hands below her jaw, Ciara wailed in anguish. She can't handle the constant pain of seeing her father at his age going for interviews that would never yield positivity.

"It hurts me to see you doing this. I should be the one job hunting, not you. I feel so disappointed in myself. I have failed you and Mom," Ciara broke down in tears and quietly motioned to the couch to nurse her wounded soul.

"I take the blame for the misfortune. If I were successful, none of this would be happening. Maybe your mom would still be alive. You know how difficult it has been for you to get a job. Remind me what happened to your previous job,"

"My boss dismissed me because I refused to have sex with him," Ciara replied, wondering why her father reminded her of the past. At 25, she has already experienced the hurdles in life.

"Exactly my point," Kelly replied, wrapping his hands around her shoulder.

"I stand a better chance of getting a job. Hopefully, I'll get a job today and fix our mess. Remember, we've got less than 4 weeks to renew the rent. Do we fold our arms while we get kicked out? Of course, not. Allow me to do this for us. Just trust me," Kelly assured his daughter.

"Okay, Dad. Just be careful out there. I don't want you to get hurt," Ciara gave her father a passionate hug and a forehead kiss. She suppressed her tears as he strode to the exit door.

Shortly after her father's departure, Ciara heard a loud knock on the door. Immediately, she came out of her room to check who it was.

"Dad, you back home so early? I guess you forgot something..." She halted after seeing her boyfriend, Walters, standing at the door entrance, looking so excited.

"What are you doing here? Isn't it too early? I wasn't aware you were coming. What if my father sees you here?" Ciara whispered silently and blocked the entrance.

"Your Dad? I knew he wasn't home. I just saw him get in a cab heading to some destination. So you see, I'm safe," Walters teased and gestured inside. 28, skinny, caramel skin, tall and dark-haired. He's muscular built and extremely handsome.

"You're such a joke. Wait right here while I go get you something to eat," Ciara conceded and departed for the kitchen.

"Where are we going? This isn't the route we talked about." Panicking like a toddler, Kelly questioned the cab driver after he discerned foul play.

"I'm fucking talking to you. Say something. You are not deaf, are you? Where are we going? This isn't the address I showed you. Stop this cab immediately, or I'll be forced to phone the cops to have you arrested. I wanna alight. You can keep the balance. I don't fucking need it anymore," Kelly screamed his lungs out, yet the cab driver was muted and unmoved. He kept driving at speed and pretended as though Kelly never existed.

Kelly was frightened. Anxiety has enclosed his mind. Without being told, he already knew his life was in great danger.

"I plead for your mercy. I'm a poor man trying to survive. My daughter is just 25. She can't handle the trauma of losing both parents in a year." Kelly begged. His voice had weakened, knowing it might just be a case of attempted kidnap or assassination.

"Get the fuck out of my cab and give me everything you have," the cabbie said authoritatively as he pulled over.

"Say wh..at?" Kelly stuttered at the command.

"You heard me right. Just pass the damn phone and cash. I see you wanna get killed. Don't mess with me. I'm gonna blow your fucking brain off if you keep asking silly questions. I just got out of jail. I'm not afraid of going back there. I've got nothing to lose, but you?" Pointing a gun at Kelly, the cab driver threatened. With immediate effect, Kelly obeyed and handed the cab driver everything he had, including his documents. Opening his wallet, the cab driver smiled. "$400? You are roke. I should have you killed for wasting my time. But I won't, for your daughter's sake. Now leave while you still can,"

Stepping out of the cab, Kelly was dumbfounded and peed in his panties. He watched helplessly as the cab driver zoomed off with his phones and valuables.

"Where do I go from here?" Bewildered, he asked rhetorically.

"Is this a dream? My phone and cash! Hey, wait," Kelly ran after the moving vehicle, screaming like a lunatic. He didn't know what just hit him. It took him 3 minutes to realize he had just been robbed.

Wrapping his hands around his waist, he shook his head in disgust and sat next to a gigantic fence outside. He couldn't report to the cops or tell anyone what happened.

"Where do I go from here? I don't even have a dime on me right now. What do I tell Ciara? How will she react to the devastating news?" Facing the sky, Kelly prayed silently in a faint tone.

He got so engrossed in his thoughts and dozed outside, unbothered by the scorching sun melting his skin.

"Hey, stranger. What are you doing here?" A passerby tapped Kelly and woke him up.

"I'm fine," replied, Kelly in a full-body stretch. He yawned and stood up.

"My phone, where's it? I need to call my daughter immediately. She must be worried about me," ransacking his pocket for his phone, he screamed. He immediately went cold after he realized his phone was gone.

"Shit! Can I lend yours? I need to speak with my daughter immediately." Stretching his hand, he begged the stranger.

"Sure," the stranger responded and carefully observed Kelly until he was done talking to Ciara. She tried reaching out to her father countless times, but he wasn't reachable

Knowing how hurt Ciara would get, Kelly cooked up a lie. Kelly returned the phone and appreciated the stranger. He stood up, on the verge of departing, when he spotted a poster on a wall that said. "Job Vacancy: A cleaner wanted. Apply within,"

"Finally! Kelly's face was beaming with joy after reading the job notice. He landed a soft knock on the gate and was attended by the gatekeeper.

"Hi, there. I saw a job Vacancy posted on the wall. I would love to work in your organization. Can I please come in for the interview?" Happily, Kelly requested.

"And you're?" After the cross-examination, the gatekeeper asked.

"I'm Kelly Martins. Can I please come inside?"

"Not yet. Where are your qualifications? This is a reputable organization. We don't employ everything that breathes," he rudely answered. Kelly wasn't bothered. He knew without his qualifications, a situation like this was bound to happen.

"I got robbed while coming. My phone, cash, and valuables are all gone. Please let me in. I need this job to stay alive. I can't even go back home." Kelly pleaded, still the gatekeeper shunned his tears and asked Kelly to vacate the premises.

Aware it was his only shot at life, Kelly refused and tried to force his way inside the company. Despite being twice as old as the gatekeeper, he found his way inside and created a scene.

"I'm not leaving this place without getting a job. Y'all don't have the slightest idea what I went through today. You will need the intervention of the cops to get me out here," Kelly sat on the floor and caused a commotion.

His voice got so loud and got the attention of the CEO, who invited him to the office. Like a thief, Kelly was dragged to the CEO's office.

"I heard about your heroics in my company. So, tell me, did you just escape from rehab? From your outlook, what you require is a good therapy session and not a job. You don't even look fit to work. You're so unkept," the CEO taunted Kelly's appearance and completely condemned him.

Kelly swallowed the insult and didn't fight back. He was determined to get the job. The abusive words meant nothing to him. After realizing Danny had come for a peace talk, the CEO marveled and quit yelling.

"Quite impressive for someone who was insulted. I bet a few people would have smashed my head with a bottle. But you are different. What kind of human are you? What's your name?"Flabbergasted by Kelly's patience, the CEO was compelled to ask.

"Kelly, sir. Kelly Martins, from Starlight High School, Texas. I was robbed of my valuables while I was coming. I lost everything. I need this job badly," Kelly narrated with confidence.

"Hold on a second, did you just say Starlight High School? Unbelievable! Danny, it's me. Don't you recognize me anymore?" The CEO's eyes widened as he stood up and moved closer to Kelly.

"I can't seem to recall your face. Sorry, have we met before?"

"Don't be so ridiculous. It's me, George Cooper. Your best friend from school. Okay, I will make you remember. We mutually agreed to allow our kids to get married to each other in the future. Have you forgotten?" he reminded Kelly and refreshed his memories. They were best friends and often considered twins by everyone.

Not even their parents could separate them from each other. Before graduating, they both made a pledge that would allow their children to get married to each other in the future. Unfortunately, they lost contact and parted ways after graduation.

Unlike George, Kelly has become wealthy and owns Frontline Gold Mine, one of the largest Gold Mine companies in Texas.

"Good to see you again. I could barely recognize you. You look good! A lot has changed about you. Can't say the same for me. Could you please help me with this job? My daughter needs it," ashamed at himself, Kelly faced the ground. He still can't fathom how George Cooper acquired such massive wealth. Back in school, George was the dumbest kid on the block.

"Come off it. What happened to you? You were the most brilliant champ in school. You even help solve my math. We've got a lot to talk about. I see you now have a daughter. Great! I've got a son, too. Two sons. Our vow still stands, right? I'll tell my son about it, while you go back home and notify your daughter. Don't worry about your stolen phone and cash, I'll replace them." Dipping his hands inside his drawer, George brought out his checkbook and wrote a check for two thousand dollars.

"Take this. I guess it'll be sufficient to solve whatever issues you have," he slipped the check into Kelly's palms.

"Is this a joke? Please stop it. I hate being pranked," Kelly withdrew his hand and rejected the check. Everything is happening so fast.

"Of course, not. Go on, take it," George insisted and forced the check on Kelly's palm again. Astounded by his benevolence, Kelly went on both knees and displayed his heartfelt gratitude to George. He'd never seen such an outrageous amount in all his life.

"How can I repay you for this act of generosity?"

"You don't have to. Just go home and rest. I can imagine what you've been through." George responded as they both had a lengthy conversation and laughed at each other's jokes. They also reminisced about the good old days.

After an hour of mind-blowing conversation, Kelly was accompanied by George himself as he exited the office.

**********

"Fuck me, baby. Go harder!" Ciara screamed from her room as Walters penetrated her vagina with his elongated penis. She covers her mouth to prevent the scream from alerting the neighbors as he successfully hit her G-spot. To prevent a fall, she held on to a stool firmly. After hitting her so hard from her backside, they went back to the bed.

"I want the cowgirl reverse style. Come sit on top of my penis," laying flat on the bed, Walters said as Ciara rode on his penis like a Formula 1 Car racing while he grabbed her boobs and suckled on her nipples.

"Damn! I love this already. Wow!" Walters screamed in excitement. Just when Ciara thought she was having her best moment, her father walked inside the house and called.

"Anybody home? Ciara, where are you?"

"Holy grail! My father is back. What do we do? If he finds you here, he'll kill the both of us," she tossed off the bed and shivered like a hen drenched by the rain. Unbothered, Walters leaned forward, yearning for more.

"Are you stupid? Can't you see my father is back? Do you wanna get me into more trouble?" Ciara slapped and pushed Walters away.

"Ouch, you don't have to do that. So what do we do now?" Caressing his chin, he cried.

"Don't be so ridiculous. I don't wanna believe you've got nothing inside that big head of yours. I don't want my father to find you here. We should think of getting you out of here before he walks inside," bewildered, Ciara whispered. Her head was spinning. She could barely think straight to come up with a solution.

"And I asked us not to have sex here. We could have just gone to your place. Now see the mess you caused me." Ciara berated Walters for what happened.

"Enough with the self-pity. It wasn't my fault. Don't act like you didn't want it, too. If you were so serious about this, you would have declined. But no, you jumped on the bed and spread your legs so damn wide while I fucked you so hard." Walters clapped back and taunted Ciara. Leaning forward to her room door, Kelly called out again, this time, screaming out his lungs.

"Ciara, I know you're in there. Why are you not answering? I've been calling for over an hour,"

Making an indistinct chatter, she ordered Walters to go hide inside the bathroom immediately while she hid his clothes and shoes. After confirming that Walters was out of sight, Ciara opened the door and pretended to be asleep.

"Dad, what are you doing here? I thought you went job hunting?" Ciara yawned to convince her father, but he wasn't falling for her tricks. Somehow, Kelly felt Ciara was hiding something. Narrowing his gaze everywhere, he popped the question. "Why is your room so scattered? I've been searching for you all over the house. A thousand times I called, but not for once, did you respond. You are sweating, too. Is everything the matter?"

"Yeah, Dad. I'm doing just great. I felt a bit ill after your departure. I had to get some drugs to feel better. I guess I fell asleep immediately. I didn't even know when you got back," she lied and displayed an Oscar-worthy performance.

"Holy grail! Are you getting better? We should take you to see a doctor," concerned about her health status, Kelly suggested.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Now let's talk about you. Did you get the job? You called me from a different phone. What happened to yours?" Ciara swiftly deviated from the actual discussion.

"Hmm!" Kelly sighed and faced the ground. He was speechless and worried. He didn't know how to explain to Ciara how he got robbed.

"Dad, what's the matter? You don't look happy. What's the problem?"

Motioning to her bed, Kelly quietly sat down and placed his hands below his jaw. "How do I explain this to you? I've got good and bad news. I bet you're not ready to hear them,"

"What are you talking about? Your suspense is slowly ripping my soul apart. Say something!" Ciara flared up. She couldn't bear his prolonged silence. Kelly stood up, held her hands, and explained everything that happened, including the robbery incident and how his old friend, George, gave him two thousand dollars with the assurance of improving his life again. What a sad tale! Mixed reactions trailed his story.

"Okay? I don't even know how to react to this. First, you got robbed. Then you meet an old friend who gave you two thousand dollars? That's absurd! Is that all? Why do I have a feeling you're hiding something," asked Ciara.

From Kelly's body language, she could discern he's got a skeleton in his cupboard. Aside from losing his phone and cash to a robbery, Kelly doesn't seem so excited talking about the huge sum George gave him.

"I guess I have to tell you already. You deserve to know the truth,"

"What damn truth are you talking about?" Ciara's nostrils flared up. She was eager and impatient to hear what he had to say.

"I, erm...erm." Kelly stammered and disclosed to Ciara that she'd be getting married to George's billionaire Son, Dexter, in an arranged marriage. Kelly also revealed the vow he made with George while they were in school.

Walters covered his mouth to avert a scream. He couldn't believe his ears as he eavesdropped on the conversation from the bathroom where he did. Boiling in rage and disgust, the question that plagued his mind was. "Why is her father so cruel? I can't give up without a fight. I can't watch and do nothing while Ciara is forcefully taken away from me. That's never gonna happen," vowed, Walters.

Deep down, he wanna come out of his hiding place and punch Kelly in the face, but he decided to halt until he was out of Ciara's room.

"Dad, this is a joke, right? How can you even stand in front of me and say those words, knowing they would hurt me? Are you aware I'm in a serious relationship with Walters? Dad, I'm disappointed. I don't even know this guy. How do I love someone I haven't met yet? Does that even make sense to you?

You could have done better," cried, Ciara. She felt betrayed and humiliated that he father would choose her over material things.

"Don't you dare talk back at me? Who gives a fuck about love? Just give it time. You'll grow to love him. When I met your mother, she never loved me. She even hated me at the first time. But when she started developing feelings for me, I craved more. You're gonna get married to his son and that's final. I guess you're not too young to become an orphan, right?" Sounding the threat, Kelly hinted at what was like a suicide note.

"Dad, please stop that. You're beginning to make this sound like a death wish. I love Walters and that's it. It's Walters or no one. He might not be rich now, but I'm pretty he's got a bright future, at least better than someone I don't even know," she yelled at her father and was rewarded with a thunderous slap.

"You will obey as my Father. This is our only escape route from poverty. Walters has got nothing to offer. Can't you see? Wake up and smell the coffee. I'll be stepping out to get some things. Make your decision now," Kelly angrily slammed the door and exited.

Ciara had to go check the house a few minutes after to confirm his departure. She got so engrossed in her thoughts and forgot about Walters hiding in the bathroom.

"I heard everything! I don't wanna talk about it now. You've had a rough day. I wish to go home now," Walters frowned, and he motioned out from the bathroom majestically and got dressed.

Ciara was speechless and shivered. She couldn't move closer to Walters, knowing her hot-tempered he was. Right in front of her, Walters exited the house without saying goodbye.

*********************

It was 2:30 pm at the scooper's Mansion and the night was still serene and reenergized. The Air reeked of honeysuckle and throb.

"Son, you don't even have anyone in your life right now, do you? And I hope you do not consider making Melissa your wife?" George reaffirmed and left Dexter in astonishment. Everything seemed to be happening so fast.

"But....but I'm not inclined to marriage. Besides, I don't even love this so-called Ciara. Dad, for goodness' sake, we are not in the 90s. How do I even explain this to Melissa, my girlfriend?" Dexter yelled at his Dad as the two almost came to blows.

"You've got 7 days to walk down the aisle with Ciara or consider yourself excommunicated from the family's inheritance. I'll shift all your inheritance to your younger brother, Derek. He's more of a man than you'll ever be. Just look at you. You're nothing but a complete disappointment to the family. At your age, you still live under my roof, while your brother has already gotten himself an apartment a long time ago. I just wish your mom was..."

"Oh, don't you dare speak ill of my mom? Take her name out of your fucking mouth." Dexter fumed at his Dad and was rewarded with a thunderous slap. He caressed his cheeks in anger and returned to his room only to find her packing her stuff and set to leave the house.

"What are you doing?"

"I presume you're not blind, are you? I overheard everything your father said to you. I rather sleep in my apartment tonight. I can't stand the heat," Melissa wailed as she attempted to exit the room with her luggage.

"We can still discuss this, right?" Dexter pleaded and grabbed her box.

"There's nothing to discuss. Didn't you hear the conditions? You'd be stripped of your inheritance. You're not that stupid to choose me over fortune, right? What I don't understand is why your Dad keeps controlling you as if you were a kid. I can't take this. I'd be back when the drama has ended. But right now, I'm out of here." Melissa wept like a child and departed. All efforts to make her stay proved abortive. Dexter grew in rage and screamed," Jeez! What the fuck have I done,"