The Price of Pride

Chapter 1

The drive to his office seems to take longer than usual, causing Emir to swear most creatively at the traffic causing the delay. Today is not the day for this. He's out of patience and all he wants to do is get to the one place where he believes he can have a little peace. This holding is the one place in his life that's not overflowing with signs of Reyhan. And right now, he can't be anywhere near her. The past four days have been filled with an awkward silence. He needed to get out of that house. And away from her.

"Emir?" Zafer says, shocked at seeing him when he finally arrives. "What are you doing here today? I thought you said you'd be working from home."

Emir's dismissive grunt clearly isn't a satisfactory response for Zafer and he ends up following Emir into his office and closing the door.

"I don't really want company right now, Zafer," Emir says, trying to be nice. He's about two seconds from bodily throwing his best friend out the door. And he doesn't want it to get that far.

"You've got that I'm mad at Reyhan look on your face again," Zafer sighs in disappointment. He just shakes his head while taking a seat on the side of Emir's desk. "I'm not going anywhere until you at least tell me what's going on so I can talk you down off the proverbial ledge."

"What do you mean again?" Emir is annoyed at his friend and doesn't hide it. "You act like ..."

"Like you're always mad at her?" Zafer finishes. "That's because you always are. And it always turns out to be for no reason. How have you not yet learned? There has been a grand total of zero times that Reyhan has been guilty of whatever you're blaming her of."

"This time is different," Emir says. "This time I have proof."

He pulls out the document he found in his office - the one with the picture Masal drew on the back - and slides it across the desk for Zafer to see. How strange that a simple piece of paper used to display a happy family is about to be the very thing that tears his family apart.

"I found that document. It gives Reyhan company shares," Emir explains.

"Okay. I'm confused," Zafer admits. "This is bad because ..."

"Look at the date," Emir points out. "It was two days before the wedding. That means Reyhan only married me for money."

"Ahh. I see," Zafer says. "This upsets you because you think it's proof that you're alone in your feelings. You're disappointed to find out she hasn't fallen in love with you the way you've fallen in love with her."

"Love? What are you talking about? What love? You're crazy. I'm not in love with her," Emir insists, almost too insistently. And he's unable to look Zafer in the eyes. "I'm just disappointed to find out she's just another gold digger. She pretends to be so innocent, so naive. But really, she's just as manipulative and calculating as any of the other women who have tried to be with me because I'm rich."

"Who? Reyhan? You seriously believe that?" Zafer asks incredulously. "She doesn't have a deceitful or dishonest bone in her body. I think you know this by now."

"I thought I did," Emir shrugs. "She really has a way of making me believe what she's saying. Something in her eyes is just so ... earnest. But what if it's all just a game? What if she fooled my father as well? Why else would he have given her those shares?"

"Okay, clearly more has happened than you just getting your hands on this document," Zafer says, tapping his finger on the cursed paper. "Why don't you start at the beginning and tell me everything. We'll figure this out. Because what you're saying just doesn't make sense. Things were changing between you two. You were getting closer. And I was sure you two were on your way to making me an uncle. The visit with Masal gave you baby fever, my friend. And you may not realize it, but your eyes light up whenever you see Reyhan. What changed?"