Chapter 5
After our incredible sex in the office, we were lying on Aslan's desk, panting for breath, trying to recover. Aslan had already gotten up and straightened up without waiting. I was always the one who was the most distracted anyway. We were completely lost. Aslan had gone completely mad after that little show of mine. I hoped no one heard, and I couldn't deal with the embarrassment of it all. When I regained my breath, I was just about to get up from the table when Aslan's doorbell rang. I looked at Aslan in panic, about to put on his jacket when the doorbell rang, and he quickly put it on and said,
"Wait," his voice booming. I got up from the table in panic, so it was impossible for someone to have dropped something right away.
"Do you think they heard? Oh, we're a disgrace," I said. I was also looking for underwear when I saw it torn on the edge of the table. Of course, that's what happens when you provoke a man that much. When I picked up the underwear,
"Wow, Aslan, what am I going to do now?" I said, showing Aslan the underwear I was holding. My beautiful underwear was gone. My dear husband was staring at the pink underwear I was dangling in my hand, a wicked grin on his face. He picked up my underwear with one hand and tucked it into his pocket.
"I can't help the lion that seeps out of me when I see you," he said, smoothing back my disheveled hair and buttoning up the shirt he'd just tore open. As he tidied me up, I couldn't help but wonder how he could be such a good actor. I didn't want to believe that the man who kissed me, made love to me, and was now affectionately smoothing my hair was actually trying to get rid of me, but it was a truth too close to my heart to ignore.
"If you hadn't seduced me and seduced me, we would never have gone this far at work. You've become a very dangerous thing," he said. I quickly pushed myself away from his hands and took a step back.
"Oh, I'm guilty now. If you hadn't seduced me, you too, husband," I said with a flirtatious look. No, I wasn't being clever. He was going to see the king of acting.
"I'd show you how to seduce me now, but you'd better pray to the person at the door." He said with narrowed eyes. "Oh, there was someone at the door, wasn't there? I'd completely forgotten that detail. It was always Aslan's fault. My intelligence was slipping around him.
"Oh, I forgot, did you lose your mind?" I said. Aslan came dangerously close to me, whispering in my ear, "Don't worry, my dear, you're not as clever as this poison," and left a short kiss on my neck, but even that kiss was enough to make me lose my mind again. No matter what this man did, I was instantly in control. He had an uncontrollable effect on me. When he pulled away, he winked flirtatiously and said, "Come on." Unable to suppress the stupid grin that spread across my face, I turned away from Aslan and looked at the door. Ece slowly entered with her shy gaze. Oh, the girl must have understood. Of course, she would have understood, we'd kept her waiting at the door for so long. Oh, my dear, she was getting married, I would have seen her anyway.
"Mr. Aslan, Mr. Semih has arrived, sir. I've taken him into the meeting room," he said. He was Selim Aslan's lawyer. He handled all his personal business with Semih because the company lawyers would immediately notify his father. But if they hadn't, I wouldn't have learned he was going to divorce me, leaving me completely exposed, that's another story. Aslan glanced at me briefly, then turned his gaze back to Ece.
"Okay, I'll be back in a minute, just wait," he said. I stood there, acting as if I didn't know anything, but resentment had taken over every cell of my body. My mood involuntarily faded. Knowing why Semih had come, yet not being able to hold him accountable, was heartbreaking. As Ece left the room, Selim entered.
"Oh, welcome, sister-in-law. I was wondering why things were slow at the company, and it turns out my brother couldn't break up with his wife," he said as soon as he saw me. I wondered if Selim knew too? It was impossible not to know. He knew Aslan's steps by heart. How could he act like nothing was wrong? Even when we were quarreling, I thought we were on good terms. Was I really that worthless in everyone's eyes? To deserve this cruelty. I was thoroughly fed up with this hypocrisy.
"You've gone slack, don't make me suffer again." Aslan's harsh voice made Selim's slack-jawed face fade and recover. I guess my failure to laugh back at his joke made him feel uncomfortable. I should have put on my mask and continued.
"Don't be jealous, my dear, because my husband's attention is on me," I said, wrapping my arms around Aslan's waist and snuggling up like a cat. He immediately took me under his wing with one arm. I had no intention of revealing anything. Just as they play with me, I'd do a thousand times more. I was curious to see the expressions on both of their faces at the end of this.
"I'm so jealous, don't ask," he said sarcastically. I stuck my tongue out at him. Aslan kissed my hair and said, "Don't mess with my wife." Selim scrunched up his face in disgust and said, "I think I'm going to puke from too much romanticism." Aslan and I laughed at his words. He was a traitor, a hypocrite, but funny. Although I was embracing the bigger traitor right now. Actually, just now.
Anyway…
"Why did you come, Selim? To look for your fallen mouth?" Aslan asked. My dear, filthy, treacherous husband was putting on such a good word.
"No, man. I was just going to Semih's place and I came to join you. By the way, Selin is the vet who adopted the dogs you saved last week," he said. With what I'd heard, I pulled out of Aslan's arms and said with great joy, "Oh, really? I'm so glad. Did he tell me who they gave them to?" Selim and I had practically rescued those dogs. While driving, we found them abandoned on the side of the road with glue sprayed on them. They were huddled together, shaking with fear. As soon as we saw them, we immediately took them to the nearest vet we found. They were in such bad shape that I was terrified they would die. I cried with them the whole way. We waited for them all night, but Aslan didn't know. Aslan was out of town at the time, and that's why Selim was with me. Whenever Aslan had to go somewhere, he would keep Selim by his side. He was always there for me, like a shadow.
"What dog?" he said, of course, because he didn't know. Wait a minute, didn't Selim, who was reporting every breath, tell Aslan this?
"We found them while you were out of town, man, on the side of the road. We took them to the vet right away, and Selin was very upset. She waited, crying all night, for the animals. At the vet, the lady was so upset she called to let them know when they were adopted. A family with a farm adopted them both. You were so insistent on not separating the siblings, look, the man couldn't separate them out of fear," Selim said. Aslan turned to me with slight surprise and, if I'm not mistaken, a touch of admiration. To escape the weight of his gaze, and because I didn't like the topic shifting to me at all, I said,
"In the name of humanity, I mean. Anyone in my place would have done the same." Why was he looking at me like that now? I was just looking for money, what happened all of a sudden? Aslan then turned to Selim and said,
"Why am I only now finding out about this?" he asked angrily. Aslan's outburst left Selim frozen for a moment. "I'm sorry, brother," he managed to say, pulling himself together, but it was clear from Aslan's gaze that the boy was afraid.
"Aslan, don't get angry. It's not like he's going to tell you every step I take," I said protectively. When Selim raised his eyebrows and started looking away,
"Don't be ridiculous, if you will." It wasn't that bad anymore. When Selim didn't respond, I turned to Aslan.
"Of course he'll tell you," he said as if it were a perfectly normal thing.
"It's all right," I said in surprise. Aslan turned to Selim and said,
"Let it not happen again, Selim." He wasn't blushing at all. He was practically making me follow him.
"Okay, brother," he said. No, I mean, was I the only one who saw the anomaly here? I was watching them both in amazement.
"I'm telling you both, I'm sorry," I said. Aslan said as if everything was normal.
"You go, I'm coming to Semih," Selim said.
"Okay, brother. See you, Selin," and left the room. The moment he left, I was about to scream at Aslan, but his lips were pressed against mine, like a statue. This time, he kissed me with such calm tenderness. It was a short kiss, but I didn't want it to end. When he parted our lips, he brushed back my hair from my forehead with his finger.
"I'd know if one breath was shorter than the other. That's not up for debate," he said. I probably should have called it a nonsense, but I couldn't. Partly from the kiss earlier, and partly from his finger tracing my face, I looked hypnotized. All my nerves had vanished.
"Okay," I managed to say in a weak voice.
"Fine. Since we've reached an agreement, don't expect me tonight; I'll be home late," he said. I snapped out of it instantly, all my nerves returning. What do you mean, coming late?
"Where did this coming late come from, Aslan? You know I don't want to be alone," I said, and took a step back to fully recover from his influence. Because with fingers flitting across my face, I couldn't possibly care. I never liked being alone, and Aslan had known that all too well since the day we got married. That's why he never had anything to do at night. No matter how important he was, he'd be home by eight. I was terrified of being alone. What could I do?
"I know, but I have an important business dinner. I'll tell Çiçek to stay with you tonight," he said.
"You're coming in that late. What kind of dinner is this?" I said. Who would believe a business dinner that would last all night, for God's sake? This guy was up to something. Wait a minute, otherwise…
Of course, he had someone else in his life. How could I not have thought of that? That's why he wanted a divorce. He wanted to get rid of me because he found another toy to play with. He was cheating on me. This thought filled me with such resentment that I couldn't breathe. I couldn't even breathe. I was filled to the brim with disappointment. If I stayed here any longer, I would start crying and ruin everything. Aslan was about to say something when I stopped him.
"It's okay, you don't have to tell Çiçek. I'll call Esra," I said. I had no intention of calling anyone, but a little lie wouldn't hurt her. Aslan had already become suspicious of my changing reactions.
"Are you sure?" he asked suspiciously. He was right, because after a bit of a fight, I would have done anything to stop him from leaving. Of course, that was the case until I realized I'd been cheated on. I wouldn't even let this guy get away with it anymore. I forced a small smile onto my face.
"I'm sure you'll mind your own business. Besides, I promised Esra. It's good," I said. Aslan's eyes narrowed suspiciously, but I knew he wouldn't take long.
"Okay. Don't go out without the kids," he said. Oh, my dear, concerned(!) husband. He's putting on such a thoughtful act to avoid getting caught. Let me process this disappointment, and I'll settle the score for you. Just wait.
"Okay, good luck to you. See you at home," I said, and hurriedly grabbed my bag and walked to the door. I was just about to reach the door when I was stopped by Aslan's voice.
"Selin." I took a deep breath, collected my fallen face, and turned around. Aslan came towards me, standing right next to me.
"Let's go together, I'll go to Semih's," he said. Oh, thankfully, he hadn't realized anything and hadn't delayed. We opened the door and went out. Aslan didn't enter even though we reached the meeting room. He walked with me to the elevators a short distance away. "Get lost, man." When we reached the elevator, I was thankful to see that it was already on this floor. Thankfully, we wouldn't have to stand side by side anymore. Otherwise, I would have grabbed him by the throat. With a supreme effort to keep him from getting any more suspicious, I gave Aslan a quick peck on the lips.
"See you, husband," I said. Aslan simply said,
"Be careful." With a barely suppressed smile on my face, I boarded the elevator and sank to zero. I swear, this was the first time the elevator doors had taken this long to close. Especially with Aslan looking at me like he could see right through me. Thankfully, the door closed, and the elevator started moving. Instantly, the fake smile on my face vanished. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I was close to tears. I couldn't cry now. Until I got home, I couldn't shed a single tear, let alone let anyone know I was upset.
Yes, I was upset. But I'd gotten into this marriage so I'd never feel sad again. When I decided to marry Aslan, I told myself, "I don't love this man, so nothing he does can hurt me." How stupid I was. I'd never mattered to anyone in my life. I hadn't realized how much even believing in the possibility would shatter me. Even in those fleeting moments when I believed Aslan cared for me, even if I was disappointed later, seeing what it felt like in those fleeting moments had completely consumed my reason. That's why I wanted to believe him every time. Maybe this time, I was so fixated on thinking it was real that I chose to ignore the disappointment that would follow. It was because I wanted to hold on to a tiny possibility.
But being cheated on, and not even being able to ask for it, had completely destroyed that tiny possibility I'd clung to. Even learning he was going to divorce me penniless couldn't kill that possibility, but being cheated on was different. Going to someone else was different. He'd taken that possibility from me and given it to her. There I was, abandoned again. Once again, I was left hanging, uncaring about how I felt, uncaring about what would happen to me. I came home and sat in front of the television I'd never watched, doing something I hadn't done in a long time. With tears streaming silently, I thought about my past. It was always like this. Was it me? Even at birth, I was abandoned. They'd left me in an orphanage. If I hadn't cried because I was hungry, they wouldn't even have realized I was there. From then on, I'd had to fight to survive. As a child, when I beat up the kids who wouldn't let me in, who made fun of me, their mothers came to school and attacked me. Even then, I refused to let them intimidate and crush me with my small stature. I'd done what my mother should have done, practically fighting with those women. I was always alone. I had to work all the time. When I got tired of all this, I did something I shouldn't have done. I abandoned a sick girl who trusted me. I knew I was disgusting, but I had no strength left. I thought Aslan would be my salvation. If I went with him, my children wouldn't be like me. They wouldn't have to betray their friends like I did just to belong. I trusted Aslan so I could live without thinking about tomorrow.
I confessed, I'd thought he'd love me one day, and maybe I could have a family too. I had a tiny hope inside me that it would happen. I'd accepted it wouldn't happen, but maybe it was a possibility…
That hope of that impossible possibility was what tore me apart today. I'd always thought it was about money, but it wasn't just about money. I'd wanted someone. I'd wanted a home. Now, I had neither someone nor a home. My husband had moved on to another woman, and perhaps that woman would live in the house I'd so eagerly chosen. Maybe she'd throw everything away. Maybe they wouldn't even live here. Everything I'd believed I owned was now being given away to someone else. Was there nothing in this world that belonged to me?
I don't know how many times I'd wiped my tears away today, but this was the first time I'd felt so helpless. I could find a solution to everything. Even when Aslan wanted to divorce me, I'd found a way to avoid being broke, but now I couldn't handle the abandonment of a man who had left me. I couldn't fight for a man who no longer wanted me to want me. Being unwanted was the one thing I couldn't handle. When I took another spoonful of ice cream, I put it back down before I could eat it when the doorbell rang. Who had just arrived? Was it a lion? No way, he wouldn't come out of his lover's arms. I opened the door, my eyes filling with tears again. I hadn't even made an effort to pull myself together. Anyway, this game would be over as soon as I got the money for the bags and jewelry tomorrow.
"Esra?" I said in surprise. But I hadn't invited her. Esra was staring at me with eyes blazing with fire.
"Esra, Esra. Your friend Esra, who's dying of curiosity." She grumbled, walking past me. Why would she be curious? I closed the door and followed her into the living room. Esra stood in the middle of the living room, looking around,
"Ice cream, a piqué, a ridiculous program on TV, and..." she said, and when she turned to me, her eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, I can't believe it! I see wet, swollen eyes. Are you depressed?" she squealed. What was wrong? Didn't I have the right to be depressed? I was betrayed once, and I had every right to be. When I remembered again that Aslan was with another woman, I couldn't hold back my tears and started crying. Esra came to me immediately when she saw me crying.
"Oh, my dear, what happened to you? Don't cry, Selin. What happened all of a sudden? Come and sit down." She sat me down on the couch where I'd been crying all night while talking. When she hugged me, my tears intensified. That's how it was, a little affection, a little attention, that made me feel like this. After crying like crazy for a while, Esra pulled me away and handed me a napkin.
"Enough crying, you've ruined yourself. Tell me what happened," she said. After a few sighs, I wiped the snot from my eyes and nose with the napkin in my hand.
When I regained my composure enough to speak, I said, "Aslan is cheating on me." The moment I did, the words shot straight through my heart like an arrow, and I started crying again. As I tried to stop myself and wiped my eyes again, Esra started laughing her silly laugh. When I turned my head toward her, she was practically roaring with laughter.
"Are you stupid? Esra, you're laughing when I say Aslan is cheating on me?" I said angrily. What kind of friend is this? Still laughing, she said,
"Oh, Selin, don't be ridiculous. You must be crazy, we're talking about Aslan. What kind of cheating is that?"
"We're getting a divorce," I said, her laughter suddenly stopping.
"What?" she asked in surprise.
"You heard, we're getting a divorce," I said, sniffling. Esra finally grasped the gravity of the situation.
"How? My daughter, you were having an affair right in front of me just a few days ago, what happened in two days that you're getting divorced?" she asked. Taking a deep breath, I began telling the story from the moment my mother-in-law came to us and told me Aslan was divorcing me. Of course, I skipped over the part about our agreement and the fact that I'd replaced my bags with fake ones and sold them. Esra was completely shocked.
"I can't believe it. I never thought Aslan could be so vile. What kind of sneaky plan did he come up with?" she said. I stayed silent because she was right. I was married to a sneaky jerk.
"But wait, we're not sure he's cheating on you," she said. How much more certain did I need to be?
"The only problem is that I was cheated on? I'm saying he's divorcing me. And in such a despicable way," I said.
"Okay, but this guy stopped everything he was doing and came to you with a single call from you. His eyes are always on you. He sent me here just to be alone tonight. I mean, does a cheater do these things?" she said. Of course, I couldn't say that we're always like this; that they just drop everything and turn into ice when they get what they want. If he knew everything, there wouldn't be a single doubt in his mind like I do. Also, wait a minute, did Aslan call Esra?
"Did Aslan call you?" I said.
"Yes, he did. Selin will be home alone tonight. She gets restless when she's alone at night. Would you like to stay with us tonight?" she asked. I called you a thousand times, and when you didn't answer, I was so worried I came here."
No way, he'd called her to practically put a guard over me. Whatever the hell he was up to, he'd sent Esra to make sure I wouldn't go out.
"He told me not to go out when I left the office today. He practically sent you to make sure I didn't mess something up and leave," I said angrily. Esra was completely confused. No, I mean, she wasn't sure what else.
"He seemed genuinely curious," she said. Of course, she didn't know Aslan. She didn't know how well he could act when he wanted to.
"What a good actor he is. He even fooled me," I laughed when she said that. As if he was hard to fool.
"The right men usually can't fool you, though," I said sarcastically.
"Hmm. That's funny, I'm glad your super-man choices amuse you," she said. I laughed again at what he said. After a moment of silence, Esra said,
"No, we can't just sit there, we have to do something." I looked at her innocent face. There was nothing to do anymore.
"There's nothing to do now, Esra." I said. After thinking for a while,
"Oh, I found it. Get up now," he said. As he got up from the couch and lifted me up with one hand,
"Wait, what just happened?" I asked.
"Look, if Aslan is really cheating on you and we can prove it, then he can't leave you penniless. He'll have to pay a fortune in compensation," he said. How hadn't I thought of that? I was practically paralyzed with grief. If I could prove he was cheating on me, he couldn't just leave me.
"But we don't know where he is," I said with the detail that came to mind. He must have left the company long ago. God knows where he was wandering. Esra thought for a while, her hands on her hips. Then,
"I found it," she said happily, and pulled her phone out of her bag on the couch.
"How? What are you doing?" I asked.
"Wait a minute." After that, she called someone. When I looked curiously at who she was calling, I saw Selim's name on the screen.
"Don't be ridiculous, Selim would never tell anyone, and he'd tell Aslan what you were calling." I said, trying to take the phone from her. Esra pushed it away from me and said, "Trust me, just stop." As we struggled, we stopped immediately at the sound of "Hello?" coming from the phone. From the outside, we looked incredibly funny. I reached for the phone with one hand and grabbed Esra's hair with the other. Just before we fell, we were frozen by Selim's voice. We quickly pulled ourselves together and Esra said, "Hello, Selim, what are you doing?" and I was shocked. I knew that tone. She was practically flirting. It was a flirty tone.
"I'm busy, Esra. Did something happen to Selin?" Esra said, lowering her voice. "I swear, I would do this only for you." Selim, like Aslan, was a block of ice to the outside.
"No, nothing happened. Selin was worried about Aslan, but she wasn't home, so she was a bit on edge, so she couldn't call him. I wanted to call you to see where you were. Aslan isn't with you, is he?" she said, then turned up the volume. "No, I was in the sink. My brother's inside, I'll tell him, he'll call Selin so she doesn't worry," he said. I tried to say no, without raising a voice. If he told, I'd be finished.
"No, no. Please don't tell me. Selin doesn't know I called you; she'll get mad at me later. I mean, please tell me, for my own good," he said. I suspected Selim had a slight crush on Esra, but he always denied it, saying he had no business with a spoiled girl like her. If he told me where Aslan was right now without objecting, I'd be absolutely certain of it.
"We're in Karaköy, having dinner at Kaşıbeyaz," he said. Wow, he'd said it on the spot. Aslan would have broken his head if he'd heard. So, Esra's well-being was that important. With a triumphant smile on his face, Esra said,
"Oh, really? You're probably still there?"
"No, we'll get up in an hour. Aslan has other things to do," he said. I knew he was going to see that woman. When I saw my eyes well up with tears again, he said,
"I understand, okay. Then I won't wake Selin up. Thank you. I'll see you later."
"No, don't wake her. By the way, what I told you stays between us," he said. Of course, he was protecting his brother.
"Don't worry," he said, then he hung up.
"See how she keeps telling him not to tell her so her brother won't get caught. He's scared to death," I said angrily. Esra put her phone back in her bag,
"Get ready now, we're going to go and see both of them. I don't like those sycophantic scumbags," she said angrily. For a moment, I literally pictured Aslan with another woman, and I was furious. I was going to blow both her and Aslan's brains out today. We went to my dressing room with passion and got dressed in all black. Esra was so colorful, her outfit completely inappropriate for a secret mission. So she wore some of my clothes. When we got ready, we started thinking about how we could get out without anyone outside telling Aslan. Then, with an idea, Esra went to the backyard. She'd scream while she was there, and when everyone went to check on her, I'd quickly get in the car. Esra's scream made me crack the door open a crack and see the guards rushing into the backyard. After making sure no one was there, I quickly opened the back door and dropped to the ground. I had to make sure no one saw me until I left the house. Because I was dressed in all black and had my blonde hair tucked into the hoodie I was wearing, it was impossible for them to see me. After a while, I heard Esra's voice.
"Oh, I'm really sorry, I suddenly screamed when I saw the mouse. Anyway, I'm leaving, Selin is sleeping anyway. Good luck to you," she said.
"If you want the children to accompany you, Esra Hanım," she said. Cemil was definitely an idiot. It wouldn't have been right if everyone hadn't followed someone.
"No, there's no need, I'll drive anyway. Don't worry." Esra was trying so hard not to make a scene. I was sure she was terrified right now. When the door opened and Esra walked in, she took a deep breath. We didn't say a word until we left the house. When Esra said, "All your muscles are hard as stone from all the tension," I realized we were out of the house and got up from where I was cowering and sat on the couch.
"Just wait, the real trouble will break out when we catch Aslan with that woman," I said sadly. Esra said, "No matter what, I'm with you. Okay?" I never imagined Esra could be such a brat. The girl I thought of as rich and spoiled was practically the only person I had.
"I know. You know, I initially called you a spoiled rich girl, but I was wrong. I'm sorry," I said honestly. I expected her to be a little offended, but Esra smiled and said, "I am, my dear. Only very special people get to see more." She was a cheerful girl who truly didn't care about anything. Maybe if I had been born into a home like her, I could have been just like her. After about an hour's drive, we finally arrived at the restaurant. Esra had left me in the car and gone to talk to the receptionist to see if they were still inside. I was incredibly nervous, angry, and quite hurt, but the idea of seeing Aslan with a woman was making me so nervous I was practically giving me a headache.
After looking around nervously for a while, I spotted Esra. She ran into the car.
"Oh, I'm practically dead. Being a spy is so hard," he said breathlessly.
"So, stop being a spy, what happened? Isn't it with that woman?" I was impatient. I was waiting for a single yes, so I could burn down this restaurant with Aslan.
"No, there's no woman inside. I had to pay the girl at the reception a lot of money, but I convinced her. Selim and I came first, then a few other men, but they're not there right now. While I was talking to the girl, they asked for the bill, so I ran to avoid being caught," he said. So he was about to go to the woman.
"Selim said he had something else to do, Aslan will definitely go to that woman," I said. Just then, I saw Aslan and Selim walking out the door. While I was standing there, the bastard, he stood as solid as a rock. It was this time of night, but even the angle wasn't even affected. Maybe he'd fixed his hair for the woman he was going to see. When Aslan's gaze turned in our direction, we both ducked for cover.
"I wonder if Ay saw it?" I said, panicked. Esra lifted her head a little and said, "No, no, his car's here, he's getting in it." When I looked up at Aslan, he was standing at the door of his car, saying something to Selim. After Selim said something, Aslan got into his car and drove off. Of course, we immediately drove off together.
"What if this guy's going home?" Esra asked.
"No, I'm sure he's definitely going to that woman," I said.
"I still can't believe it, you were my best couple. Tonight, Aslan practically killed my faith in love," he said. Oh, who knows what you'd do if you knew it wasn't real at all?
"But you can't trust men. There's a proverb that says don't even trust your father, but is there such a thing as don't even trust your mother?" I laughed at his absurd inference, but in a way, he was right. Even now, he could make me laugh.
"I mean, you're looking at it from an interesting angle, but it's true," I said, laughing. My smile faded as we stopped one car behind Aslan at a red light. "But don't worry, I'm pulling Aslan's string tonight," I said. No matter how long and difficult this night was, it would be over, and I would wake up tomorrow, leaving everything behind. As we continued down the road for a while, we came to some truly absurd places. Where was this man going?
"Where is this place?" Esra asked, speaking my mind. Where was this place, really? We had entered an old neighborhood and were climbing a steep hill. A little later, Aslan turned right, and Esra stopped at the corner. She had her headlights off, so she wouldn't notice us. Aslan's car stopped in front of a house not far down the empty street. Did this man have a poor man's fantasy? Was this where he was meeting this woman?
"Oh, no, look where they came from to avoid getting caught," Esra said. I continued to watch Aslan without answering. After stopping the car, Aslan got out and used the key to enter the house he was standing in front of. Since he had the key, their relationship must have progressed quite a bit. God knows how long this woman had been around? How could I have been so stupid and blind?
"She even has the key." I said, voicing my thoughts. God knows how long he'd been cheating on me? My throat was knotted. I was so close to tears again. I coughed twice to clear my throat and pull myself together. I couldn't break down now. First, I'd prove Aslan was cheating on me and blow his brains out, then I could cry all I wanted, clutching my jewelry.
"What are we going to do now?" Esra asked. I took a deep breath and blinked back the tears.
"We're going to raid the house, and you'll take a video, and then I'll beat the hell out of that woman," I said. It seemed like a pretty simple plan.
"Oh, I'm excited. Let's go," he said excitedly. He started the car again, and we stopped behind Aslan's car. My feet were backing up as I got out. I wasn't ready for this confrontation, but I had to do it anyway. When we arrived at the door, Esra had pulled out her phone and turned on the camera.
"Are we ready? 3.2 has..." Before I could say a word, the door suddenly opened, and we both stood there like rabbits in headlights. Aslan, with all his majesty, was staring at us from the door.
"You're late," he said with an uncanny calmness. Shameless never panicked. While I stood there, Esra was the first to pull herself together.
"Oh, Aslan, what a coincidence, were you here too?" my idiot friend said, lowering his phone. He was completely paralyzed with fear. Although Aslan didn't seem particularly angry. Wait a minute, I'm the one who should be angry. And he's the one who's guilty. Why was I letting him look down on me like that, as if I were the one to blame?
"Where's that woman?" I said angrily, bumping Aslan's shoulder and going inside. There was no such thing as being both guilty and strong. I ducked into the room just to the right of the hallway, following the light. It was a spotlessly clean and tidy house. Normally, I would have loved this place, but this wasn't a normal time at all, and I couldn't find what I was looking for. Where was that bitch? Behind me, I heard Aslan say, without a moment's hesitation,
"Esra, you're going home with Selim. He's waiting for you at the top of the street." Selim, the jerk, had of course tipped off his brother immediately. All men are good at deceiving. And there was no one inside anyway. I stood there blankly staring in the middle of the living room.
"But Selin," I thought I heard Esra's weak voice, but before she could finish her sentence,
"Don't worry, just go." He said, slamming the door in her face and stopping at the door of the living room I'd just stormed into. It wasn't me I should be worried about, after all, it was the woman I was about to strangle. Was she upstairs?
"Where did you hide your lover? Upstairs?" I was about to quickly exit the living room door and head for the stairs I saw in the corner when Aslan grabbed my arm and stopped me.
"Don't talk nonsense, woman. Stop right there," he said, pulling me back. I was completely enraged by his composure.
"Don't talk nonsense, is that it? I learned everything, and you can't hide it," I shouted.
"What did you learn?" he asked as he let go of my arm. His eyes narrowed with curiosity.
"I know everything. You're going to divorce me penniless, and your lover..."
"What divorce?" he said, interrupting me. But wow, now he was also playing a fool.
"Your dearest mother gave me the good news. I know you told your lawyer you bought a house and that you wanted to divorce me," I said. The lion reacted in a way I never expected and started laughing.
"So, I'm divorcing you, huh? Well, I'm really curious; where did you get the idea that I had a girlfriend? Because I said I wasn't coming home at night?" he asked smugly. His attitude was making me even more excited. Was he kidding me?
"It wasn't hard to put the pieces together," I said stubbornly. Because I was right, and I wasn't going to let him belittle me any further. The lion suppressed a laugh, nodded his head as if to say I understood, and put one hand on his belt. What was this, an offensive or defensive stance?
"So you tried to have all your bags and jewelry made into fakes because you were so sure I'd divorce you penniless?" he asked. I was completely stunned by what he'd said. How did he even know this? I'd never been identified as a thief. Fear and immense shame had taken over my body.
"How did you..."
"You never learned that you couldn't even breathe a secret from me," he said.
"I just wanted to protect myself," I said, pinching my nose. Because I was right, and I would remain right. He might have wanted to identify me as a thief, but that wasn't the case. Aslan had started to blush slightly. Since he couldn't be ashamed, I interpreted it as anger.
"You're just so stupid that you can convince yourself that the man who was so crazy about you that he had sex with you in his office is cheating on you and is so dishonorable that he'd divorce you penniless. Didn't you even know me?" he asked angrily.
"What your mother said..."
"Fuck what you just said," he shouted. This was the first time I'd seen him this angry. He was yelling at me like he'd gone mad for the first time.
"What's this house then if there's no woman?" I asked, continuing to yell stubbornly. I had no intention of backing down. Aslan pinched the bridge of his nose with his hand to calm himself and took a deep breath, then turned to me again and said,
"You really drive a man crazy, he still says woman. There's no woman, there's you, there's me, there's this house. That's all." His voice wasn't as loud as before, but he was still angry.
"What does that mean?" I asked. I was completely confused.
"So, you no longer have expensive bags or the jewelry you love. I signed over all my assets to Selim, and there's no money. This was the house I bought, and I didn't come home because with the signature I signed tonight, I transferred all my authority to Selim. This house is all I have," he said. I couldn't believe what he was saying for a while. I couldn't even grasp it. He was joking, right? He couldn't be that stupid.
"Don't be ridiculous, you didn't do anything like that," I said. "I did it. When you look at me, I don't have the dollars you see anymore. I'm all there is," he said. "No, no, this definitely had to be a joke. Why would you do something like that? Was this a game too?" I said. Aslan, without a word, advanced on me until there was no space between us. He got right under my nose and said, "I'm just doing what you said."
"Is that what I said?" I asked, not understanding. He nodded yes and said,
"I'm becoming a man and taking my wife, just like you said."