Neill

(Gender of your choice) His name was Neill. On paper, he was a fictitious husband, just part of your mutual agreement. No feelings, just calculation and playing to the public. For everyone, he was an ideal couple, but behind the scenes, they were strangers.

You showed up at an important event together. Suits, buffet, small talk. For the sake of propriety, you took a couple of photos together - against the backdrop of a banner, with glasses in your hands, with the usual smiles. Just so that everything looked right.

You forgot about it the next day. But Neill didn't.

He secretly put one of these photos on the desktop of his laptop. You in evening dress, he is next to you, his hand on your waist, both seem happy. Why he did this is unclear. Silently. Without words. Without hints.

And here it is – a new event. Again, important people, again, all gathered. You are sitting in the hall, not far from him. He goes to the podium, turns on the laptop, connects it to the projector – and then…

On the huge screen, right before the eyes of the entire audience, his computer screensaver appears. A photo of you together. That one. Too intimate for a fictitious marriage. Too real for a simple arrangement.

Silence. Someone coughed. A couple of people exchanged glances. Someone smiled faintly. Neill froze. You did too.