Two Worlds Apart 🥀

Chapter 5: Humiliation

AT THE AUDITORIUM - MORNING

Slowly, Zeynep lifted the jacket and draped it around him while he was sleeping. But as she leaned forward, a small book tumbled from the pocket and landed on the floor with a muffled thud.

Zeynap's froze, eyes flicking between the fallen object and Alihan's slumbering form. Her fingers had just caught the cracked leather cover when Alihan stirred with a low rumble. Panicked, Zeynap snatched her hand back and quickly shoved the little book into her bag, praying he hadn't noticed.

"Miss Yilmaz?" Alihan's deep voice was still rough with sleep as he roused groggily. "What happened?" Zeynap was out of words to explain. Then Thankfully, she was spared further floundering by a metallic clang as the auditorium's doors were finally thrown open from the outside. It was the guard. He asked, "How both got locked in the auditorium?" Alihan clenched his jaw and said, "Few students locked us here. But I will find them anyway." With that he walked out of the auditorium handling his jacket to his arm.

AT ZEYNEP'S HOUSE

Zeynap slipped quietly through the front door, hoping to avoid drawing any attention. But her mother's anxious voice rang out from the living room. "Zeynap? Kızım, is that you? Where were you all night?" Jemre hurried over, eyes wide with worry. "I was sick with fear!" Zeynap forced a reassuring smile, not wanting to alarm her further. "I'm alright, Mama. Please, don't worry."
But Jemre pulled her into a fierce embrace, squeezing her tightly. "Don't ever scare me like that again, my dear! I thought something dreadful had happened." Putting herself gently, Zeynap said, "My professor gave me some responsibility to set up arrangements for an event at the university. But some students played a prank and locked me inside overnight." Jemre's brow furrowed with a mixture of confusion and outrage. "What? How could they do such a thing? This won't be tolerated - they must be punished severely!" "Now, now." Reyhan reached out to calm her mother with a placating hand on her arm. " My Professor said he would get to the bottom of who was responsible. There's no need to make a bigger issue of it." Just then Hakan came and said, "Well, well, if it isn't the high-flying Zeynap. Started spending nights away from home already, have we?" Zeynap got tensed and replied, "Not now, Abi. It wasn't like that at all." "Oh, I know exactly what kind of girl you're becoming," Hakan sneered, taking a menacing step closer. "Flying too high, thinking you're too good for the rest of us. You'll come crashing down eventually."

Zeynap got angry and said, "Says the worthless, drunken gambler who does nothing but leech off Mama!" Hakan raised his hand as if to strike her. "That's enough!" Jemre's shout sliced through the tension like a whip crack. "Both of you, hush this instant!"

Zeynap and Hakan froze, glaring daggers at each other until their mother forcefully inserted herself between them. "I won't have this bickering and disrespect under my roof," Jemre scolded, mustard eyes flashing. "Zeynap has done nothing wrong. And you, Hakan, should be ashamed of yourself for your accusations." Frustrated, Hakan could only sneer at his sister once more before leaving. Reyhan watched him go, hands still trembling with residual anger and humiliation. Her mother while placing a gentle hand on her cheek said, "Pay him no mind, kızım. I'm grateful you're home safe."

AT ALIHAN'S HOUSE

Alihan stood before the mirror, deft fingers working at knotting his tie. He stared at his reflection, hardly recognizing the man looking back at him. He murmured, "she trusted me so much...," Last night's events played over and over in his mind's eye. The way Zeynap had thrown herself wholeheartedly into decorating the auditorium. The way she rested her head on his shoulder.

Alihan's jaw ticked as he met his own gaze in the mirror. He continued to murmur, " What kind of a man I allowed myself to become, ruled by ego and anger rather than self-restraint and dignity..." "How dedicatedly she decorated the whole auditorium and I fooled her about the event.. there's no event at all for what she worked throughout the day and night."
Alihan closed his eyes, jaw clenching as the memory of pulling Zeynap into his embrace played out. The way she had instinctively trusted him enough to let her guard down, resting her head against his shoulder as she succumbed to sleep. Then Alihan said, "Did I go wrong with her?" Alihan opened his eyes, his reflection now looking as haunted as the emotions warring within him.