C9 9

I closed my eyes tightly as I saw those eyes playing with anger. I held my breath and began to wait, keeping my eyes closed, about what the other person would do to me. What was this man doing here? What did this man, whom I never spoke to, want from me?

I made an involuntary grimace at the nasty breath of alcohol and cigarettes on my face. I was afraid to open my eyes. When I think of what this man did to me at the funeral, my scabbed wounds ached.

"You... you little whore!" After he said that, I opened my eyes with these heavy words that ring in my ears. "Now what should I do to you?" I didn't understand what he was talking about as he continued his dirty words. He was insulting me and I didn't know why he did it.

"I... what have I done to you?" ' I stammered, asking the man in front of me who wanted to blatantly kill me. Or rather, I tried to ask. It was hard to talk to the bully in front of me with those piercing eyes. It was a miracle that I could speak with the weight of his gaze.

I lowered my head, thinking he had let me go, when he grabbed my shoulders more fiercely and quickly pressed me against the door. He restricted my movement by putting his leg in a leg search, and he continued to stare at me with disgust with those blue eyes. "You know damn well what the hell you're doing! Now if I kill you?" It was more like he was asking himself what he was saying.

"I didn't do anything to you!" I said quietly but angrily. My words came out desperately, wanting to explain my problem to the angry man in front of me. It wasn't long before my cheeks became wet as the tears began to flow again in the ways he knew.

He brought his hand on my shoulder to my chin and squeezed it tight. I was surprised that my bones were still not broken. "Look at me! You screwed up in my life! Damn you girl! What did you say you screwed my grandma?" The weight of the words he said made me feel guilty unknowingly. I wouldn't intentionally hurt anyone. "Answer me! I didn't want to answer him by squeezing myself when he repeated.

When I finally gathered the tiniest bit of courage, I parted my lips to speak. “I… Nothing…” Before I could finish what I was about to say, he grabbed me and led me into the back room. At the end of the corridor, I found myself in the room I didn't want to be dragged into. When we got inside, he pushed me to the ground. I groaned silently as the pain crept into my elbow as I fell on my left arm. Before I could compose myself, he grabbed both my arms and leaned my back on the bed and collapsed onto me. "Look at me girl, give me one reason not to kill you! What did you say to my grandma! Will I marry your granddaughter?" My eyes opened as if they were going to pop out. What marriage was he talking about?

"What are you saying?"

"You heard what I said! Now answer me! What did you say to my grandmother's mind? How did you trick her?"

Finally, despite the pain, I took a big breath to raise my voice. "I didn't do anything to anyone! I don't even know you! Am I stupid to want to marry you? Let me go... If your only concern is inheritance, I already said that I don't accept it! I don't want anything from anyone." Leaving me, he started laughing nervously with his angry eyes.

"She doesn't want to! Girl, if I kill you right now, no one will hear, you realize that right? Give me a sensible answer. This is your last chance..."

"Enough!" I froze. "I swear I didn't do anything! I told Kemal Abiye today too. I didn't know... Rümeysa aunt..."

"Don't take my grandmother's name!" he roared, then sat across from me with the same angry look. He rested his head on his bent knees. “You have finished my life…” He began to speak quietly to himself. I didn't understand all of what you were saying. "You have been in great trouble, my daughter. You have earned the hatred of Emir Haznedar..."

I tilted my head to look at the man who was openly threatening me. He must have understood that I was looking because he fixed his murderous gaze on me. He didn't need to express his hatred. This man already shows this with his looks, he had the ability to kill me with those looks.

All of a sudden, he stood up and waved his index finger towards me, saying, "Pray let me solve this. If I can't solve it... If I need you, then I'll make you experience the darkest and the most painful of hell..." He spilled the anger and hatred overflowing from his body. and went away. And it left me with an unknown truth.

What had Aunt Rumeysa done? What marriage was this man talking about? He also said that I had earned the hatred of Emir Haznedar, as if my trouble was not enough...

I slowly got up from my seat with sobs. I looked down at my arm with the pain in my left arm. It was all skinned and red. This physical pain was the reflection of the tiny wound that had opened inside me. After that, if I couldn't get rid of this trouble, then my life would be covered with a black cloud and I wouldn't even be allowed to breathe.

For a moment, my eyes drifted to the photograph on the nightstand, and the distress that arose in me grew even more, increasing my uneasiness. I quickly rushed out of the room. Where was my place to go? Where was my refuge?

Although I knew the answer, there was no need to bring it to heart.

Without thinking, I entered Ahmet's room. I pushed him aside, making a little space for myself next to him. My refuge could only be one person, my brother whom I loved more than my life.

*

After the incident I experienced yesterday, after a sleepless night, I got up from my bed in the first light of the morning and threw myself into the bathroom. The hatred I saw in that man's eyes was going to be the end of me. If I couldn't get out of this stupid job as he said, it wouldn't be too late for my death to be at his hands. And worst of all, when he was killing me, he wouldn't care at all, wouldn't hurt at all.

When I got to Ahmet's room, I said, "Ahmet, you will be late for school," but even my voice was afraid to come out. I would not be able to return to my normal life without getting rid of the thoughts in my mind.

"I'm up..." he said, getting up from his bed and coming to the door. When I felt his watchful eyes on me, I averted my eyes from him and entered my room and started to change.

I walked out of the room, wearing my jeans and a shirt to cover my arms. When I realized that Ahmet was also prepared, I took my bag.

"Is there a problem sister?"

"No. No, something, let's go if you're ready." I put on my shoes and opened the door without waiting for him.

He was looking at me trying to understand the situation. "Come on Ahmed!" He opened his eyes wide as I raised my voice. "You'll be late." I had raised my voice. But I no longer had the patience. At my head was a silent brother, if he wasn't enough, an unknown pervert, and if he wasn't enough, there was a maniac who would hurt me for an inheritance I didn't want. I couldn't reach all of them. I couldn't deal with all of them. I didn't have that much strength.

He licked his lips and put on his shoes. Breaking her heart was the last thing I wanted to do, but unfortunately I wouldn't be able to think of her in this situation. Today I wanted to be selfish and I would be selfish.

Even though I didn't want to break my silence, what I was going through slowly was affecting him as well. Maybe it wasn't good to be silent. I've been silent until now, what happened?

Leaving the house, I dragged Ahmet after me with quick steps and dropped him off at his school. My brother, who did not even look back when entering the school, turned around twice and looked at me for the first time. I faked a smile and waved to soften his uneasy mood. He used to think about it and obsess about it until after school. His mental health wasn't very good anyway. Also, I didn't want him to worry about me.

When I saw Ahmet entering the school, I quickly walked to the market and got permission. The address of the workplace was written on the card given by Kemal brother. I went straight to the lawyer's office. This bullshit wasn't supposed to last. An hour away and changing two buses, I finally arrived at the office where I thought I could fend off this maniac in my head. When I arrived in front of the office in an ordinary apartment, I prayed and rang the bell. When I left this door, it was my only wish for now to get rid of this Emir's trouble.

I reached the apartment on the second floor by climbing the stairs. A young woman with red hair opened the door. When I said my name and wanted to meet with brother Kemal, it took a short time for him to let me in. When I entered Kemal's room, he stood up with a wry smile and came to me.

"Welcome Elif."

"Welcome, Kemal brother... Well, I want to talk to you," I said in a whisper that smelled of uneasiness.

He said, "Sit down late. The matter is more serious than you think..." It took me seconds to close the road I came to hopefully with concrete walls in front of it. I sat on the brown leather seats he showed me. While my hands were freezing, my eyes wanted to lose their resistance.

"Amir Haznedar came last night," I said with a sigh. When he looked at my arm, I involuntarily lowered my arm from the seat I was resting on. The sleeves of the shirt were not fully closed. “He made some bullshit yesterday,” I continued. What was the subject of marriage? I had to learn this.

"Elif, I am very sorry for what you will hear. But Rümeysa Hanım has declared that you and Emir will have an inheritance in return for your marriage. And..."

"And? Is there a sequel to this? Kemal brother, what are you saying? What kind of nonsense is this! How can Aunt Rumeysa do such a thing?" My voice suddenly rose. What did it mean to marry that maniac! I mean, wasn't he bullshit yesterday?

"And that's just one clause. So he gave you three clauses to get the full inheritance. The first is that you get married in two months." I closed my eyes to believe that what I heard was not true. They couldn't be real. Aunt Rumeysa could not have done this evil to me. Maybe it was a very ugly joke...

I opened my eyes, taking a deep breath. "Brother Kemal... You're kidding, right? Also, I said I didn't want the inheritance. Give it to Emir Haznedar, I'll sign wherever it is to be signed..." I frantically looked at the pieces of paper on the table. I could never marry that man. Besides, how old am I? This was not possible.

"Elif, unfortunately, there is no such option... That inheritance is either yours or anyone else's... And Emir needs that inheritance. That's why she went crazy with what she heard. And I think she came directly to you," she said, pointing to my arm with her eyes.

"Yes, he came and threatened to kill me. Brother Kemal, please do something. There was a way. I can't..."

"Elif, unfortunately there is no other way. Either Emir will not want the inheritance or you will accept this marriage." My lips started to curl in anger. Was it that easy, destroying a life? "Look, I know the situation is ridiculous and very complicated, but Ms. Rumeysa said it was for your own good. I tried hard to persuade her, but she said I have one thing."

"What kind of favor is this? His grandson will be the end of me. Is this a favor to me! That man is crazy and I will perish at his hands."

"Elif, you're right, but I can't do anything. I'm so sorry. And don't forget this is the first item." His face fell as he said the last sentence. This meant that a big bomb would follow after that.

"So what are these items?"

"I can't say that. But you'll find out when the first item happens."

"How many items are there?" I got up from my seat in anger. "This is bullshit! Aunt Rumeysa was a sensible woman. She couldn't have been dealing with such nonsense."

"The only thing Ms. Rumeysa said was that it would be good for both of you."

"Neither good nor good... He has thrown me into a dead end with his own hands." I shook my head in anger. This couldn't be true. I could never marry this man.

It was marriage, nothing else. How old was I? While my peers grappled with school problems, I would be dragged mercilessly behind an absurd and unwanted legacy.

"Well, well, I accepted it. But know that I won't. After these three articles, will I be able to get a divorce after inheriting?" I had to think rationally. Of course, this man wouldn't want to marry me, but... But it happened and he had to, what would happen next? I sat down again.

"You can get divorced within a year after fulfilling the last clause."

"Oh how nice! What about Kemal brother, isn't it really a joke?" I squeezed my tense body. The reality of what I was experiencing was too much to exaggerate.

My whole heart was crazy for him to call it a joke, but the seriousness and pity on his face unfortunately showed that it wasn't a joke. "Unfortunately, Elif... Emir will not let go of this and you will accept this marriage as obligatory."

"No, I won't! If I accept this, I'm done. I have a brother, Kemal brother. I have to think about Ahmet's life. I've already given up on myself. I work while my peers were at university. I wanted to study so much that I couldn't even fulfill that. That's why Keep me out of this business. I can't risk my life for a ridiculous inheritance. It's marriage... It's not a piece of cake."

"You are very right, but the conditions of Ms. Rumeysa..."

"Is that a requirement? What kind of illogicality... I still don't get it." I tried to calm myself by covering my face with my hands. Such nonsense could not be. A woman like Aunt Rümeysa could not commit such a ridiculous act and put me in danger.

"Elif, Emir will be arriving soon with his lawyer. Stay and try to find a middle ground." Hearing that Emir was coming made me nervous.

"How can I talk to that maniac? The man's insane! Am I the only one who understands that that man is not the one to talk about?

Before Kemal could speak, the doorbell rang. The owner of the fear that covered me entered the door with all his anger and majesty. As he did not expect to see me, his blues darkened at the same time, and looking at me, the same look, the same anger, came to me and started to squeeze me like he grabbed my arm.

Now it was beginning, the hatred and anger of Emir Haznedar.