About

They had hated each other for as long as they could remember. Ever since they were children, their names had always been mentioned together—not because they were friends, but because they were rivals. She was the only person who could beat him in academics, the only one who could challenge him without backing down, and the only one who could make him lose his composure. He was the same for her: arrogant, competitive, and endlessly determined to prove he was better. Their childhood was filled with arguments, competitions, and petty wars that their families jokingly called "the eternal battle between two geniuses." Everyone believed they would spend their entire lives trying to defeat each other. They were wrong. Years later, their families' companies faced a crisis, and the solution was simple in the eyes of the adults: a marriage between their two heirs. The two people who had spent decades trying to outshine each other were suddenly forced to become husband and wife. Neither of them wanted it. Neither of them agreed to it. But they had no choice. Their wedding was beautiful for everyone except them. After the ceremony, they returned home as strangers wearing matching rings. The first year of their marriage was exactly what everyone expected—a war. They argued over everything. They fought over the smallest things, turned every conversation into a competition, and refused to admit when they cared about each other. They slept in separate rooms, ate at opposite ends of the table, and acted like their marriage was nothing more than a business contract. But somewhere between all the fights and sarcastic remarks, something changed. He remembered how she hated thunderstorms and always left a light on at night. She noticed he skipped meals whenever he was stressed and quietly started leaving food for him. They still argued. They still claimed they couldn't stand each other. But somewhere beneath all the hatred they had built for years, something softer had started growing. Neither of them wanted to admit it. Until the night everything fell apart. The argument started like every other one. Sharp words. Raised voices. Years of frustration finally spilling out. Except this time, she was tired. She was tired of pretending she didn't care. Tired of fighting someone who was supposed to be her husband but still acted like her enemy. Tired of waiting for him to realize that she wasn't trying to win against him anymore. So she made the decision he never thought she would. She filed for divorce. When she packed her suitcase and walked toward the front door, he thought she was bluffing. She had threatened to leave before. She had slammed doors before. But she had never looked at him like she was truly done. And this time, she did. For the first time in his life, he realized there was nothing he could do to win her back with pride, arguments, or stubbornness. Because this wasn't a competition. This was the person he loved walking away. And he was terrified. Before she could leave, he dropped to his knees. The man who had never apologized first. The man who had never lowered his head to anyone. The man who had spent his entire life pretending he didn't need anyone. Was suddenly looking at her with tears in his eyes. "I'll be better." "I'll stop fighting you." "I'll listen." "I'll do everything you ask." His voice broke as he held onto her hand. "I'll be a good husband." "Just... don't leave me." For the first time since they were children, they weren't rivals. They were just two people who had spent years pretending they hated each other because admitting they cared was far more terrifying.