Mert silently handed over his resignation letter to Serkan. The latter need not know why but he couldn't stop himself from asking.
"Is it really worth it Avci? You can still work here, nothing has changed."
But Serkan was wrong. Everything had changed. Whether it was his life or mert's, everything... from their relationships to their professional lives had crumbled into pieces.
"SHE is worth it Serkan Bey.
She is worth everything." Mert didn't have to specify who he was talking about. Serkan knew Mert was talking about Ipek. And that he was braver than him to leave everything behind for the sake of his love- unlike him.
"And you're wrong Serkan bey. Everything has changed. It changed the moment truths were spilled and masks fell off."
"You can work with us. It's nobody's business who you marry or spend your rest of life with." Serkan almost sounded desperate.
He couldn't believe that he was trying to stop Avci despite telling him once that he was replaceable. He couldn't name the feeling. Maybe he was scared? Paranoid? Anxious?
"With all due respect Serkan bey, I'm not ashamed of loving Ipek. You all might see her as a hooker-"
"I didn't mean-" Serkan cut him off immediately.
Ipek wasn't anything to him but she was everything to Mert and Eda. He wasn't going to say anything about her that'd hurt these two. And since he got to know what happened with her, his respect for her grew in his eyes.
"For me Ipek is a warrior. A survivor. The strongest woman I've ever met in my life. I'm leaving Istanbul not because someone will recognize her here with me and I'll be labeled as a prostitute's husband. Neither I'm scared of what people say nor I care about Ozan bey.
I want to take her away from this country that rendered so much pain. It scarred her. And I'm afraid the demons of her past won't leave her. Therefore im leaving to give her the life she deserved since a childhood"
Mert answered with sheer pride. His eyes brimmed yet full of admiration for Ipek.
"You still love her despite the betrayal?"
"That's the difference between you and me. I don't see it as her betrayal. How can I be mad at her when I myself was sleeping with Selin hanim behind your back only to spite you?
What Ipek did wasn't her choice. And what she did was out of love. She had no choice. Serkan bey, love is about forgiveness. It's about letting go. I know I won't be able to live in peace without her. And neither would she. We both will die without each other.
So why put the other one in pain. Ipek slept with men because it was her profession. What about us? When we do that we are labeled as play boys. In fact it become a symbol of machismo. I cant let Ipek and my love for her suffer more"
"Peki. I guess you know what's best for you." Mert's words were more then he could handle and Serkan felt he was throwing him at his face. He was doing what he should've done at first place.
Serkan was about to sign the resignation letter when mert's phone started ringing and he picked it up instantly. Serkan didn't have to guess who it was because it was anyone else Mert wouldn't have bothered with picking up the call
"Efendim bebeğim?" Serkan didn't miss the soft tone and love screaming in mert's voice.
"Ipek relax, calm down. Where are you both right now?" "What the hell are both of you doing at this time?"
......
"Tamam Tamam I'm on my way." Mert didn't notice that Serkan had already left his chair and he was staring at Mert with petrified eyes
"What was it- what happened?"
