My Friendly Enemy - by Abisolina

Chapter One: The Friend I Never Suspected There is a Yoruba proverb that says, "Ẹyìnkùlé l'ọta wà, inú ilé làṣẹ̀ní ń gbé." It means the enemies that hurt us the most are often the ones closest to us.For years, I heard those words without understanding their true meaning. They sounded like the bitter warning of people who had lost faith in humanity. I never imagined they would one day become the painful summary of my own life.My name is Olaoshebikan Clement Enitan, though almost everyone knows me simply as CEO. This is not a story of success, fame, or wealth. It is the story of trust, betrayal, survival, and the price of ignoring the warnings of those who genuinely loved me.Andrew and I had been best friends since childhood. We laughed together, cried together, fought side by side, and dreamed about building a future where nothing could separate us. I trusted him with my secrets, my fears, and my ambitions. If anyone had asked me then whether Andrew would ever betray me, I would have defended him with my life.Ironically, it was that very life that almost slipped away because of him.I was the only child of my parents, but fate dealt me a cruel hand at an early age. Before I was old enough to understand the meaning of loss, both of my parents were gone. In the blink of an eye, I became an orphan with no home, no direction, and no one to call family.Life on the streets was merciless. Every sunrise was another battle to survive, and every sunset was a reminder that I was completely alone. Hunger became a close companion, while hope slowly faded from my heart.Then, when I had almost given up on life, God sent me an angel in human form.She was a kind-hearted woman whose compassion changed the course of my life forever. Without expecting anything in return, she welcomed me into her home, fed me, clothed me, and loved me as though I were the son she had given birth to. She never allowed me to feel like an outsider. To her, I wasn't a charity case,I was family.It was through her that I met Andrew Ikebukwu, the son of our next-door neighbours.From the very first day, we became inseparable. We attended the same primary school, sat in the same classroom, shared the same lunch, and walked the same roads every day. As we grew older, our friendship only became stronger. We eventually attended the same secondary school, and people often mistook us for brothers because we were rarely seen apart.We shared almost everything, our dreams, our struggles, our victories, and even our failures. I believed there was nothing Andrew wouldn't do for me, just as there was nothing I wouldn't do for him.But while everyone admired our friendship, my adopted mother saw something I couldn't.Many evenings, after Andrew had gone home, she would call me into the sitting room. Her face would always carry the same expression of concern."Clement," she would say softly, "be careful of that boy."I would laugh, thinking she was simply overprotective."He is my brother, Mum."She would shake her head."Not everyone who smiles with you wishes you well. There is something about Andrew that troubles my spirit."I dismissed every one of her warnings. To me, she was worrying over nothing. I believed she had misunderstood him. After all, Andrew had never given me any reason to doubt him.If only I had listened.If only I had understood that some enemies do not come carrying weapons.Sometimes, they come with a smile... and call themselves your best friend.

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