Emir waits until they get home to finally let loose on his father. The doctors had told them that sleep was the best medicine for Reyhan at the moment. So they left Melike at the hospital with her while they came home to rest for a bit. Emir didn't want to leave her, but he knew he had things to say to his father that would be best not said in public.
"What are you trying to do, Baba?" Emir asks after a long awkward minute of them just staring at each other. "How could you say those things to her?"
"She deserves to know that truth about how you feel. About what you had planned."
"And how do you know how I feel? Or what I have planned?"
Emir can see his father getting slightly nervous at the calm facade Emir is putting on. And honestly, a facade is all it is. Emir is furious. He's livid. He can hardly see past his anger at how his father's words and actions affected Reyhan. But he can't be the same spoiled hot headed kid he's always been. If he wants his father to believe he's sincere about being a good husband to Reyhan, he needs to stay calm and make him understand he's changed.
"I spoke with the lawyer. He said you've drawn up several sets of divorce papers," Hikmet explains. "That tells me you have no intention of staying married to Reyhan. Not to mention the information the doctor gave you about that special clinic in Ankara that deals with Reyhan's illness. What do you plan on doing? Shipping her hundreds of miles away to get her out of your hair? I'm not going to let you just throw her away like that. She deserves better."
"He's right," Emir admits. "I've tried to divorce Reyhan on more than one occasion."
Emir is grateful now she was so stubborn and so determined to stay married to him. He's grateful she fought so hard, no matter the reason: a vow, an oath, a solemn promise made to a dying man. None of that matters. What matters now is that he has a chance to be with her and he's not going to blow it this time.
"And the clinic will help her to heal. The doctor feels she'll get a better, more specialized treatment there."
"You should be ashamed of yourself," Hikmet says, shaking his head at his son. "I can't believe you ..."
"Oh, I know," Emir interrupts him. "You can't believe anything good about me. You heard about the divorce papers. But did you hear about how she refused them? Tore them up in my face? And the most recent set? I tore those up myself weeks ago. I have no plans to divorce my wife, Baba."
"But ..." Hikmet sputters.
"And the clinic is the best place to help her. But I'm not just sending her, Baba. Reyhan and I are going to discuss it as an option. And if she agrees, then I'm going with her. We'll be moving to Ankara for as long as it takes for her to get well."
Emir just sighs and walks over to his father, putting his hand on his shoulder.
"Listen, Baba. I know this marriage got off on the wrong foot. But Reyhan and I have gotten to know each other a little better and this is what we both want. We just want the time and space to figure this thing out on our own. That can't happen here."
"Emir, I .... I don't know what to say," his father shrugs. "I saw red when I heard about how you had been treating her. I couldn't believe you were the son that I had raised."
"I was falling for her and didn't want to face that fact," Emir easily admits. He finds that the more he accepts his feelings, the easier it is to say it out loud. "I could see no reason for her to want to be married to me, and she wouldn't tell me anything. No matter how much I asked. Her oath to you kept her silent."
So frustratingly silent. He can recall every single time he asked her. And every time she said nothing. It's crazy how the one thing his father wanted from this marriage was almost ruined because of the one very big condition he put on it. But Emir is beyond being angry at his father. Hikmet may have set it all in motion giving them an impossible obstacle to overcome, but Emir can only blame himself for his own actions. Now that he knows what he's up against, he has a better chance at getting what he wants. And all he wants right now is for Reyhan to be happy.
"Anyway," he continues. "I assumed she was just with me for money. It infuriated me that I was starting to feel things for her that she would probably never feel for me."
He's actually finding it liberating to be so open about his feelings for her. He's really fallen in love with his wife. The realization is like a light bulb going off on top of his head. He almost pictures it and it makes him almost laugh. But he doesn't because his father wouldn't understand. But for the first time in a long time, his heart is completely happy. He just needs to convince his father so that he can get back to the hospital and convince his wife.
"So how do you explain the forged document about the shares transfer to Reyhan? How did you find out about this anyway? I was trying to make it a surprise for the two of you for later," Hikmet wonders.
"I had nothing to do with it," Emir says simply. "I'd ask your wife about that. She's the one who planted the idea in my head that Reyhan was only after money. She's the one who made sure I saw that document. She's really the one who wanted Reyhan gone."
Emir has yet to come to terms with any of that. All he knows is what he read in Reyhan's journal and he finds it so hard to believe. Not that Reyhan would lie about any of it. He knows her enough to believe what she said in her journal is true. But he finds it hard to accept that his mother would do such terrible things to another human. He finds it hard to accept that any person would do such terrible things.
"All I know is that I'm done with her games. With all of these games. Reyhan never deserved to be the target of my anger or Anne's wrath. For so long, she had no one to protect her. So that's my mission now. To protect her and to give her the life she deserves. I can only hope and pray it's the same life I want."
"You really do love her," Hikmet exclaims in amazement.
He really does. But Emir doesn't tell him that. He just gives his father a cryptic smile. He's not admitting anything until he can admit it to Reyhan. She deserves to be the first to hear that she's the first woman he's ever been in love with.
"I'm going back to the hospital to be with my wife," is all he says instead.
The look of pride on his father's face is a shock. And he realizes it's because he's never seen it before. He's never given his father anything to be proud of. He hopes to never let him down as far as Reyhan is concerned. Because that would mean he's also let Reyhan down. And that is no longer an option.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Anne?"
Cavidan jumps when Suna sneaks up behind her. She had been standing to the door of Hikmet's office with her ear pressed against it, desperately trying to hear what they were saying inside.
"Suna! Don't scare me like that," Cavidan says, her voice low to keep Emir and Hikmet from knowing she's right outside the door. "What are you doing sneaking around like this anyway?"
"What are you doing eavesdropping on Baba and Abi?" Suna counters, raising an eyebrow in question at her mother.
"Suna," Cavidan scowls, the tone of her voice warning.
"Fine, fine," Suna says, lifting her hands in surrender. "I don't even know why I bother anymore."
Cavidan just sighs in frustration at her moody daughter's retreat. She considers going back to try to listen again, but doesn't want to get caught again. Besides, she heard just what she needed to hear.
"I spoke with the lawyer. He said you've drawn up several sets of divorce papers," Hikmet explains. "That tells me you have no intention of staying married to Reyhan. Not to mention the information the doctor gave you about that special clinic in Ankara that deals with Reyhan's illness. What do you plan on doing? Shipping her hundreds of miles away to get her out of your hair? I'm not going to let you just throw her away like that. She deserves better."
"He's right," Emir admits. "I've tried to divorce Reyhan on more than one occasion."
Suna caught her before she could hear any more. But she's heard enough. She's thrilled her plans have worked. Not only is Emir divorcing that girl, he's also sending her halfway across the country. Cavidan couldn't be happier. But if she works fast enough, she can get rid of that peasant sooner than that.
"Cemre dear," Cavidan says into the phone after dialing her young accomplice's number. "I need you to get to the hospital as soon as you can. I need you to have a little conversation with Reyhan. There are things she should probably hear and they would be so much better coming from you."
Cavidan can't hold in her smug smile. She'll be finally getting that girl out of her life. Emir will thank her for freeing him from the prison of his father's making. Then he'll be able to marry someone far more suitable. By this time tomorrow, Reyhan should be gone forever and not even Hikmet will be able to do anything about it.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Flowers or no flowers? It's the decision Cemre is currently going back and forth between. Flowers are a normal thing to take to someone in the hospital. But is she really in a "giving flowers" kind of relationship with Reyhan? No. That would make it seem like she's trying too hard. Besides, she doesn't feel like going through the extra trouble. She has her orders from Cavidan teyze ... do whatever it takes to convince Reyhan that Emir doesn't want her. Do whatever it takes to make the girl leave on her own. That's all Cemre cares about.
She never dreamed this girl would still be here. She tried to drive her away from the beginning, even before the wedding. She thought the story about being childhood sweethearts with Emir and the lie that he wanted to marry her would have made Reyhan leave. But Cemre underestimated her. Reyhan was determined to marry Emir for reasons Cemre could never understand. She tried humiliating Reyhan at her birthday party. But that only made Emir defend the girl and Cemre was the one who ended up being humiliated. At that point, Cemre decided she couldn't see Reyhan as anything less than an enemy.
Nothing up until now has seemed to work against Reyhan. Not lies. Not tricks. Even when they got lucky with that maniac Vural, who was only supposed to pretend to be Reyhan's lover, but he ended up kidnapping her. Cemre was sure she'd never see Reyhan after that. But unfortunately Emir found her and rescued her, getting shot in the process. And that was just one more thing on the already long list of things Cemre hated about Reyhan. Sending her running today will be just the satisfaction she's been craving. She can't wait.
"Knock knock!" she says cheerfully as she pushes open the door to the hospital room and steps inside.
"Cemre?" Reyhan asks, clearly surprised to see her. It gives Cemre a zing of pleasure knowing she's about to ruin this girl's life.
"How are you, Canım? I had to rush right over as soon as I heard what happened to you. What a terrible thing. A blood infection? Such bad luck! But look at you. You seem to be on the mend."
Cemre takes a seat in the chair and makes herself comfortable.
"I'm doing much better today," Reyhan explains. "Rest and peace are the most important things for me right now."
"Good for you. Rest and peace are important," Cemre starts, silently thanking Reyhan for the opening she needed. "But I guess you'll get plenty of that when Emir sends you to that clinic in Ankara for treatment. When are you leaving?"
"Clinic?"
"A top notch clinic, from what I hear," Cemre continues, pretending not to notice Reyhan's shock. Pretending she isn't thrilled to have been the one to deliver this news. "They'll get you back on your feet and then you can decide if you want to stay in Ankara or go back to your village. After the divorce, there won't be any point in you coming back here to Istanbul."
"Divorce?"
This time the word comes out in a gasp and Reyhan's face has gotten pale. Really pale. Cemre hates to admit it, but she's actually a little concerned. Maybe this wasn't the best time for this conversation. She doesn't want to kill the girl. She just wants her to leave town.
"What divorce, Cemre?" Reyhan asks, the look in her eyes showing how panicked she is. "What are you talking about?"
"Your divorce. From Emir," Cemre explains. "This shouldn't be a surprise to you. That little dinner on the beach didn't turn out exactly like you expected, did it?"
Reyhan just gasps again and Cemre knows she guessed right. She didn't know exactly where Emir had taken her for their date, or how it ended. But she knows about the plans Emir had Yonca make for him. And she knows from Cavidan that Emir and Reyhan returned separately from the dinner and didn't speak to each other for days afterwards. So putting together all the clues, she was able to take a chance and pretend she knows more than she actually does. Fortunately her gamble paid off.
"Emir is divorcing me? And sending me away to some clinic?"
"Emir's place is with his family. With his work. You don't expect him to leave his home and his job to take his ex-wife to a clinic halfway across the country, do you?"
She pauses for dramatic effect before putting on a shocked face.
"Oh, you actually did expect that! You had no idea about any of this. You poor dear."
"I don't believe any of this," Reyhan says, starting to struggle to breath. She reaches a shaky hand for the water on the table next to her bed, but it goes crashing to the floor, splashing water in Cemre's direction.
"Pay attention to what you're doing, you klutz!" she snaps at Reyhan. Her shoes are suede and shouldn't be getting wet. "You're about to ruin my boots."
But looking at Reyhan she can see that the spilled water is the least of her problems. She really seems to be in actual distress. The beeping on the heart monitor becomes impossible to ignore as the sounds come faster and faster. Reyhan's heart is racing now and Cemre can't imagine that's good for her. Before she knows what's happening, Reyhan goes rigid and falls back onto her pillow. Her body starts to shake and the violence of it all makes Cemre scream.
"Reyhan? Can you hear me?"
Cemre is as frozen as she was not too long ago when she pushed Reyhan into the pool not knowing the girl couldn't swim. Reyhan almost drowned that day and Cemre couldn't do anything. Cemre is ashamed to admit that she didn't want to do anything that day. She was just going to leave it up to fate. Can she do the same now? Would she get away with it?
A nurse runs into the room and Cemre has her answer. She comes to her senses enough to realize this could get bad for her really quickly unless she does something.
"I don't understand what happened to her," Cemre says, not even having to fake the shock and horror in her voice. Whatever is happening with Reyhan is terrifying. But even more terrifying is the thought that Emir would find out about all of this. "We were just talking like friends do when she went silent and started shaking."
Reyhan has gone still. Deathly still. And Cemre panics. She runs out of the room ... and right into Emir.
"What's going on?" he asks, the fear making his voice shake. "What were you doing in there, Cemre? What happened to Reyhan?"
"I don't know," Cemre cries, her emotions getting the better of her. I've never seen anyone die before, she says to herself. She's too in shock to realize she's said it out loud.
A pain filled catches her attention. She looks up with Zafer's shout catches her attention.
"Emir!" he calls to his troubled friend.
Cemre just manages to grab onto Emir's arm when his legs stop supporting him. Zafer is there a second later on his other side and they both guide the distraught man to a bank of chairs against the opposite wall.
"What did you say?" Emir asks shakily, looking up at Cemre. "Dead? Is she ... gone?"
"Don't borrow trouble," Zafer says, also looking at Cemre. Only the look in his eyes is a lot less friendly than she's used to seeing. "I'm sure she'll be fine. Let's just wait and see what the doctor says."
So they wait.