2 #Married to Enemy

Things don't always go as planned in life, and while that may sound like a quote, it's the reality of my life.

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that my life would take such an unexpected turn, forcing me to sacrifice my desires for the sake of my father.

Everything was perfect. Now it feels as if someone is waking me up from a strange fantasy, presenting me with a truth that is totally different from my perception.

And the person sitting next to me is the root of all this chaos. The reason for ruining our lives, the reason for my father's sadness, and the devil who somehow found the very right time to ruin our lives at our most vulnerable moment, crushing our livelihood without giving us a chance to stand. And that person is Jason Gray, a man of immense power and a cruel heart.

The same person to whom I'm legally bound as his lawfully or more forcefully wedded wife, despite the fact that we have shared no vows, promises, or love for each other. And, as much as I would like to, I can't really blame it all on him because it was my decision to marry him. So I can protect my father's sanity.

Now, as I reflect on my decision, I curse myself for making such an irrational choice that not only ruined my life but also broke my father's heart. Dad is hurt and disappointed by my decision, and the pain and grief on his face continue to haunt me every time I think about it.

I rub my forehead, wondering the reason behind Jason’s misconception and hate towards my father. But the more I think of it, the more bewildered I get.

Puzzled by all the meandering thoughts, I decided the best option was to ask the person who was the reason behind all this misconception, Jason Gray.

I took a deep breath before turning to face Jason, who was busy driving the car. His sea-blue eyes were fixed on the road, and his hand gripped the steering wheel.

“Hello?” I gave Jason a sidelong glance, breaking the awkward silence between us.

Jason looked at me with his blue eyes and stern expression, gawking at me for a few seconds when he heard my voice. Despite the hatred within, I tried to smile. Jason, on the other hand, ignored me and turned his gaze away from me and towards the road.

“Heyyyyy?” I tried once again. Maybe he'll break his silence this time. No response, yet again.

"Fine," I sighed with a mere whisper. If he wants to ignore me, that's his choice, of course. In this situation, I am the victim. But look at Jason, the rude, arrogant jerk, behaving like an angry bird.

I sighed, diverting my thoughts away from Jason. As the car moved, I looked out the window, admiring the scenery. I opened the car window, letting the cold air run through my face as the beautiful view of the suburb soothed my mind's restlessness.

Staying like this for a few moments, letting the cold air calm my restless mind, I turned my head as I felt someone’s eyes on me. I was surprised to see Jason's eyes focused on me, staring at me. But when he noticed me staring at him, he turned his head and looked down the road. “What?” I inquired, but Mr. Jerk ignored me yet again. Strange creature.

I ignored him and stared out the window, hoping that the time would pass quickly and we would arrive at our destination, his house. At the very least, in his house, he won't be staring at me like he is in the car.

Time passed, and the car finally came to a halt. The awkward silence in the car was killing me, and every minute felt like a lethal hour of torture.

As I stepped out of the car, I rolled my eyes and started to look around. Standing on the pavement, I glanced at the villa in front of me, which possesses a classic, timeless beauty with its symmetrical balance. As an art lover, I find this to be an authentic masterpiece of art. I'd like to see how it looks from the inside.

However, admiring the impressive architecture does not last long for me. The slamming of the car door distracted my attention from the beauty that lay ahead of me. And that was just another way for Jason to express his rage through his unique point of view.

“What is your problem?” Annoyed by his rude behavior, I grabbed his hand, preventing him from moving further.

Jason turned his head at my reaction; his blue eyes locked on mine. "How dare you?" he exclaimed, pulling his hand away from my grasp.

"How dare you?" I replied, imitating his ferocious demeanor and staring deep into his eyes. "Who do you think you are, huh, and how dare you treat me this way? I was trying to be nice to you and wanted to talk to you. But you ignored me and treated me as if I were a criminal." My lungs were out of the air at the end of my long speech.

But Jason the devil Gray didn’t split a single word from his mouth. With his eyes focused on me, he paced slowly towards me, retreating my legs to move backward, until I felt something cold behind my back, making me move any further. Seeing me immobile, Jason put both his hands on either side of my shoulders, caging my body with his arms, sandwiching me in between the car and his body.

“Now, what were you saying,” Jason said, with his eyes staring at me, making me nervous by his fierce look or by the closeness between us.

"Let go of me. I don't want to talk to you," I said, attempting to break free from Jason's grip, but he stopped me by wrapping his hand around my waist and tightening his grip on me.

"Nope," he said, smiling deviously. "I'm not very good at listening to others, but if you say the same thing gently and politely, who knows?"

“You...”

Jason squeezed my waist. "You have no idea how much I despise you, Kiera."

I tried to move his hand away from my waist. "The feeling is mutual,"

"Kiera, don't play with fire. "You'll burn yourself," Jason said, his gaze fixed on me.

"Thank you for the warning, but now leave me alone."

“Why? You don't like being in my arms, close to me." Jason smirked deviously as he spoke.

Jason, the devil Gray, knows I despise being near him, and this closeness is unacceptable. The intimacy between us makes me both nervous and angry. I'm good at hiding my emotions from others, but that doesn't make the situation any less aggravating. Jason was well aware of this.

"No, why would it be?" I replied, trying to imitate his devilish grin.

"Oh, yeah..... Then why do you want to leave?" He drew me even closer, now holding my waist with both of his hands.

I forced myself to think of something to get away from the devil's clutches while pretending to smile. With each passing second, my heart began to beat faster and faster. The longer I stayed close to him, the more numb my senses became.

Jason moved his index finger and thumb, holding my chin, his blue eyes scanning every expression on my face as he traced the pad of his thumb over my lower lips. The sensation of his touch caused me to lose any remaining sanity I had left in me. And with his touch blocking out all of my senses, my mind compelled me to do something I immediately regretted. I kissed him. I kissed Jason Gray.

Instant guilt fills me as I lock my lips with the guy who was the reason behind all the sorrow in my and my dad’s lives. But the regret soon turns into a rage upon realizing my mistake. And like a coward, I fled, concealing my presence from the person I had just kissed. I’m so afraid to confront him about my mistake. So I ran.

“Daddy,” a voice shouted, stopping my footsteps. I swirled my head to see the source of the sound. It was coming from a little girl dressed in pink, who was running toward Jason with such excitement and happiness.

“Daddy,” But wait! What.…….