Chapter 1 - Struggling Lives

“It’s been 7 years since my Parent parted their ways and Mom still miss my father but I don’t. There’s no point to miss him. He is happy with his new wife and kids. He doesn’t care about us. He doesn’t even know how are we doing but I know everything about him because my mom tells me. She all the time talks about him to me; she still loves him but I hate him. I hate all the men in the World. Men in my life are so disgusting, no matter if my father, my brother, or my boyfriend.”                      

It was 2:00 am. Ceyda was leaning on her bed, staring at the moon from the window. The window was just in front of her bed. The room was too dark and the moon was looking brighter in the middle of the night. It was ending of May and she had her last exam in the morning.

Ceyda was upset because she fought with her cousin who was her best friend. They both came together from Izmit to study in Ankara. They surely wanted to escape from their family drama.

Elif wanted to visit her boyfriend who lives in Izmit but Ceyda was so done with her family that she didn’t want to go back to the city where she was born and raised. Her mom lives with her brother and he neither cared about his sister nor his mom. If something mattered to him then it was his friends, his gangster friends.

Ceyda couldn’t sleep the whole night, thinking about her life which was so miserable. She wanted to keep things normal but problems didn’t want to leave her alone. Suddenly, the alarm started ringing and when she woke up, it was seven in the morning. She left the bed in a rush and ran towards the bathroom. Hurriedly took shower and ran towards the kitchen. As she entered, she saw Elif, her cousin, was preparing breakfast for both of them.

After seeing her busy in cooking, Ceyda went near to dining table and growled. 

 “Jeez, Elif, I was about to miss my exam today. Why you didn’t wake me up? I have only thirty minutes left. Can't wonder how to make it on time." 

Elif, on the other hand, didn’t say anything and kept cutting cucumbers into small equal slices. Her cold reaction made Ceyda curious and she raised her eyebrows. Definitely Elif was still planning to maintain some distance from her. Ceyda left the seat and walked opposite to the kitchen cabinet, next to her cousin. She folded her hands and started staring at Elif.

 “Are you still mad at me?” Ceyda asked her politely.

Elif frowned and glared at her and then again got back to cutting cucumbers It suddenly felt to Ceyda as if Elif was cutting her head into pieces instead of cucumber.

“You’re getting late, please eat and leave,” Replied Elif and turned towards the kitchen counter, opposite Ceyda. 

“You are unbelievable.” She exhaustingly answered, grabbed an apple from the dining table, and went to her bedroom.

Ceyda and Elif were living in a tiny apartment which had a single bedroom with separate beds for both of them. A bathroom, a lounge with attached kitchen, T.V., sofa, and a dining table. Ceyda slept alone in the room last night, and Elif slept on the sofa in their lounge. It was the first time they both had a severe cold fight. It doesn't mean they did not regularly fight. They did, but things used to get settled the next morning. This time, it seemed like Elif was not going to give up easily. Girls and their boyfriend matters!

Ceyda put her books and wallet in her bag and opened the wardrobe. Taking a bite of an apple, she grabbed a white crop T-shirt and faded jeans. She changed her clothes, grabbed her bag, and ran towards the exit door.

“Enough of this drama, Ceyda, you have a life and you should focus on it.” She murmured and sat on the floor.

She was tying her shoelaces when Elif showed up. She lifted her head towards Elif and then stood up.

“I am leaving for Izmit today,” Elif informed her with a poker face and cold tone. Ceyda stared at her face for a second and then sighed. She had lots of words to say but she was not in the mood to argue. She was not expecting her only best friend to act so selfishly. Elif knew her family drama. She was supposed to understand her position but she wasn't. 

“See you. Then,” Ceyda said and before Elif could say something, she turned around and walked towards the elevator. 

“Are you sure, you’re not coming with me?” Elif's words stopped her. She turned back to face Elif and gazed into her eyes. 

“I can travel the whole of Turkey with you but not Izmit. Good Bye Honey, I’m getting late. Have a safe journey," Ceyda said politely and left, making Elif shocked and dishearten.   

                                              

                                         ******************

“Never discourage anyone who continually makes progress, no matter how slow.”-Plato

It was Sunday and Alejandro was reading one of his favorite books “The Republic of Plato”. He yawned and closed the book it was already 11:00 pm and he was a morning person. He put the book on the shelf and went towards his bed. He was about to lean down but his phone started ringing. It was his dad, Antonio Francisco.

“Dad? You know that I sleep early. Don’t you?” he attended his call and said sarcastically while leaning on his bed.

“Come on Young man! You’re the only son of Mexico’s Biggest Gangster. We are the night owls." his father chuckled. Alejandro gasped with rolling eyes and placed his muscular arm behind his head. 

“I’m an early bird and I have a flight tomorrow,” Alejandro replied politely.

“Oh, my dear Son! You don’t have any idea how much I miss you. I can’t even wait for tomorrow. Why on earth did you go to London instead of working as my right hand?" Antonio asked in sorrow. Antonio was the biggest gangster in Spain. His son Alejandro on the other hand doesn't want to be a part of his family legacy. 

“Dad, you know that I don’t want to be a part of your business, and ever since mom passed away, I have not been able to live in Mexico.” He exhaustedly replied.

“It’s been 4 years Alejandro; I didn’t even see your face. Your mom is no more but your dad is still alive," Antonio complained and Alejandro sighed. His mother's face sparkled in front of his eyes again. 

“Then your wait is over, Dad. See you tomorrow." He answered, trying a bit to cheer his dad's mood up. 

“Mexico is waiting for you, my son," Antonio replied with a sobbed smile on his face. 

Alejandro hung up and closed the lamp but he couldn’t close his eyes. He left Mexico when his mother was brutally killed by his father’s rivals. Four years back, that day was a nightmare for him. He eventually started blaming his father for whatever happened because His father was a drug dealer. That's why the Francisco family had enemies all over the world. 

On that day, Alejandro decided that he won’t follow his family’s business and will never do any bad deed. He applied to the London School of Economics and as soon as he got admission, he left Mexico. Now after four goddamn years, He was going back. All haunted memories were revolving around his head. His childhood, Guns, Blood, his mother. He never wanted a life like that. He wanted to live like an ordinary boy. Without a protocol, without any fear of being spied on, without death threads, like all normal human beings. 

            

Alejandro was sitting at Airport, waiting for his flight. It was 8 a.m. and he was reading a book as usual. His father thinks that he will not come back to London again. Well, he doesn’t know that studies were just an excuse. Alejandro wanted to escape from that horrifying place but that’s his life. He cannot deny that he belongs to Mexicans terrified under World.

                                                   ***Phone rings****

“Hello!” Alejandro attended the phone call.

“Alejandro, darling, do you have any idea how much I missed you? Those four years were like forty years for me.” A girl's kinky reply made Alejandro frown. He started at the phone's screen clueless. It was an unknown number with the country code of Mexico. He placed his phone back on his ear skeptically. 

“I’m sorry but who’s there?” he asked curiously.

“Dear? Don’t you have my number? Didn’t you recognize my voice?” she clenched her teeth. 

“Pardon, but I am busy. Do I know you? I’m in a hurry now.” He replied to get rid of her.

“Hold your horses, Alejandro. It’s me, Maria. Your Fiancée.” Maria growled. Her words made Alejandro shocked yet embarrassed. 

“Oh! … How? Ahm... How did you get my number?” He stammered.

Maria is Alejandro's fiancée. He got engaged when they were in their teens because their fathers were childhood friends and so-called “business partners”. He liked her. She was his best friend but he never had feelings for her and never will be. He knows him. When he left for London, he decided to vanish his old identity. He wanted to rebuild his personality and for this purpose, he begged his father, not to tell anyone about where he was headed to. 

“Are you for real? You didn’t try to contact me in these four years, you hid, you disappeared, and now instead of apologizing, you’re asking me how did I get your number? What’s wrong…” She was growling when Alejandro's calm voice shut her up. 

 “Heyyy…! Do you know, I’m just 11 hours away from being in Mexico? With You? With family? Right? Now, wait for me. I’m just coming. Bye.” he interrupted her and hung up.

                                                ******************

It was mid of Ceyda's tiring day. She went straight to the restaurant for work. She was a waitress at the most expensive restaurant in the city. She had been working since high school. When her father left, her family needed money. Her mom’s earnings were not good enough for the three of them. Then she and her brother started working in Izmit, which is a small town in Turkey. Her brother worked in an automobile repairing shop and from there, he met some disgusting people who made their lives a little bit more hell. She came to Ankara, the capital city of Turkey, and started working here as a waitress as well.

She had been in Ankara for two years and so had in that restaurant. Her colleagues, her bosses, and her customers loved her. She was happily working there. Everything about that restaurant made her feel less miserable except her ex-boyfriend Emre. They broke up a year ago because like other men, he never missed a chance to disappoint Ceyda. He thought that she was his private property, his puppet or whatnot. She hated being ruled in different stages of her life. She wanted to breathe freely once in her life when nobody could recognize her. She wanted to discover what she wanted in her life.

Ceyda was cleaning dishes when Rehan came toward her. Rehan was also a waitress in the same restaurant.

“Honey, can you clean this glass for me?” she said softly.

Ceyda smiled at her and said sarcastically.

 “How much you will pay for this?”

“Okay, 10 million dollars” Rehan winked.

They both burst into laughter.

Rehan was one of Ceyda's sweetest friends, she was the most lively and energetic girl. They studied at the same university but Ceyda didn’t know that she worked here as well. She didn’t like Rehan back then when she was only her class fellow. But here, when Ceyda got to know that she is a pure soul, she started admiring Rehan too much.

“So, what’s your plan now?” Rehan asked while controlling her laugh.

Ceyda reluctantly smile and shrugged her shoulders while washing the dishes. 

“Where is Elif?" Rehan asked but this time, she was serious.

“I don’t know, somewhere in the World, on her way to Izmit." Ceyda sighed and handed over the glass to her.

She looked at the glass for a second then held it and again looked at Ceyda's face curiously. She was waiting for Ceyda to continue. Ceyda moved towards the sink to grab the towel on the wall.

“I cannot go with her. I am working, Rehan. I need money.” Ceyda anxiously said and dried her hands from the towel. Rehan didn't say a word for a while. She kept staring at Ceyda with a poker face until Ceyda noticed.  

"What?" Ceyda asked skeptically. 

“He is with Ezgi, nowadays.” Rehan sat on the chair near the table where she put the glass and cupped her face.

Ceyda's expression suddenly went off. She lowered her gaze and started removing her apron.

“Who?” Ceyda asked. Already knew the answer. 

“Emre” Rehan replied coldly, Ceyda glanced at her and then gasped. 

“Look, Rehan. I don’t care about him and whatever is he doing, I already have so many things to deal with and I don’t want to … Ugh. Forget about it.” She replied and packed her bag for leaving.  

After noticing her panicking, Rehan left the chair and walked near her. She placed her hand on Ceyda's shoulder and gently squeezed it.  

“You need a break, babe, think about it,” she continued. Her kind words brought a sudden smile to Ceyda's face. 

“Thank you, I will think about it,” Ceyda answered and pinched her nose. 

"Ouch!" Rehan pouted and Ceyda giggled. 

"I gotta go now. Bye." Ceyda said before giving a tight hug to Elif. After breaking the hug, Ceyda waved at her and so she did. 

Ceyda left the kitchen and walked towards the exit door at the back of the restaurant. This back door was for workers. Usually quiet and empty. It was around eleven at night and almost everyone left. As she stepped out of the door, her face turned to her right unintentionally and her heart just stopped for a sec. Yes, it was him.