Married To My Enemy.

I walked down the aisle with my father. My heart was pounding as I saw the tall figure who’ll be my future husband. It seemed wrong to do it like this. I didn’t want to marry him. I’m only nineteen, but the sooner the better, my parents told me.

The reason I was marrying Benjamin Moore was strictly out of business. The Moore family were publishers of a famous magazine and my family had a fashion designing company and they thought it would be a good merger. I didn’t know why they involved me though. I had no part in this. I didn’t know anything about the family business, I didn’t want to be a part of it. Nobody told me why I had to marry when I turned nineteen. I remember when my mother came to my room and sat me down. She looked me in the eyes and said, “Samantha, you’re getting married.” That was it. No explanation, no reason. Only you’re getting married. I planned the wedding myself since Ben didn’t actually care. He showed up for rehearsal, he showed up for everything, he did everything he had to do, everything I asked him. But he wasn’t there, he didn’t engage himself into actually planning the wedding with me. He didn’t express his wishes, he didn’t tell me if he liked what I picked out. He was absent.

My mind raced with different reasons, why he was acting like that. I was sure he didn’t want to marry me, too. Why would he? He doesn’t know me, I do not know him. Our families know each other. Maybe we played games when we were little, maybe we were supposed friends, but as he grew he became as distant as he is now. We never talked any more after we were ten. He had his friends, I had mine. And the fact that I was going to an all-girl school and he in all-boy, didn’t help our relationship.

My father and I approached the altar. He let go of my hand and handed me over to Ben. I walked up those two stairs to the podium and turned towards Ben. As the officiant started I looked up at Ben’s honey brown eyes. I always loved his eyes, but I didn’t love him. I returned back to reality when Ben started saying his vows.

“I, Benjamin, take you, Samantha, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, cherish and worship, till death us do part, according to God’s holy law, and this is my solemn vow.” He gave me the book so I could read from it. “I, Samantha, take you, Benjamin, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, cherish and obey, till death us do part, according to God’s holy law, and this is my solemn vow,” I finished.

Then the rings came in. Ben took my ring and slipped it on my finger while repeating after the officiant, “With this ring I thee wed and with it I bestow all of the treasures of my mind, heart and hands.” He smiled at me when I took the ring and put it on his finger, repeating what he said. “With the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Benjamin, you may kiss your beautiful bride.” Those words echoed in my head. You may kiss your beautiful bride. Ben bent down to kiss me. It was a soft, yet quick kiss. While all the others thought we were happily in love to marry at such a young age, I knew it was all fake. We were married for business.

Ben took my hand and let me down the aisle while people threw rice and white rose petals all over us. I wanted to laugh, I wanted to be happy on my wedding day. But the smile was fake and tears threatened to spill down my cheeks, revealing my true emotions. Maybe they’d think I was crying out of joy. I wouldn’t be. I would never cry out of joy. I didn’t think that was actually possible for me. I can’t remember what we did until the reception. My mind was blank.

At some point, Ben led me to the dance floor in a beautiful hall I arranged the reception in. Right, the bride and groom dance. I looked up at Ben whose eyes were as distant, emotionless and cold as ever. As if he wasn’t even here. He looked at me as we danced and I could see the flashes of cameras in the corner of my eye. To remember this day forever. Tears threatened to spill down my cheeks again. I pushed them back with all I had. I will not cry on my own wedding. I couldn’t believe my family did this to me. I’ll never fall in love, I’ll never marry the guy I want to marry.

The music stopped and Ben led me to our table. He didn’t compliment my good job on decorating everything, making this wedding happen. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t tell me, if he liked it, if I made a good choice. He was completely quiet. All that he said all night were his vows. All the affection he showed was the kiss he had to do. People congratulated us and soon we cut the cake. We pretended to be in love, feeding each other pieces of cake. And then... It was over. Ben led me to the car that should take us to our honeymoon. Instead it took us to our new house. No honeymoon, just living our lives with each other like the wedding never happened. Strictly business. He’ll be at work all day while I’ll sit around doing nothing. Let the rest of my life begin.