The Lies of His Father

Chapter - 5

Serkan woke that morning feeling a bit dead inside. He was determined to talk to Eda today, he could wait no longer. It would be up to her to decide if he was someone worth being with. The voices in his head were already telling him that she was going to leave him, everyone always left him. If Eda left him, he really didn't know what he was going to happen to him.

He pulled up to the event center at the same time as Eda and waited for her to join him. She immediately took his hand.

"What happened?"

"Nothing."

She could feel the thickness of the bandage and see the blood that had seeped through. "Serkan Bolat, this isn't nothing."

"Really Eda, it doesn't matter."

Eda took his hand in hers and kissed the bandage. Serkan was glad that he had his sunglasses on so she wouldn't see his tears. They walked to the entrance and greeted Melo and Leyla.

Serkan wondered if he would lose Melo and her customary, 'Eniste' as well. He had grown so fond of it.

Efe had gone out of his way to choose everyone's favorite breakfast items. Serkan wasn't surprised to see that Efe's breakfast mirrored Eda's, a contrast to Serkan's boring egg white omelet with avocado toast. Efe made every effort to showcase how wonderful he was in comparison to Serkan, how thoughtful he was, how cold Serkan was. Efe didn't know Serkan's philanthropist side or that he often helped his employees anonymously, his team didn't either, Serkan didn't want anyone to know.

Talk turned to business, Efe suggested that he help Eda with the ecological hotel project that she and Serkan had worked with Fikret bey to secure since Serkan would be needed on the port project. Eda seemed more than happy to have Efe's assistance.

"Ne Eda?" said Serkan? "That project is not a holding project, that is an ArtLife project, I don't want the two blended."

"Serkan, I don't mind working with Efe on the project. I welcome his input."

His temper was already frayed after Efe's constant needling throughout breakfast. 

Serkan was at his breaking point and simply said, "Of course you do Eda, you prefer working with Efe, I understand. Excuse me. I have meetings to attend."

Serkan pushed his chair back and left the table.

Eda was stunned, Serkan misunderstood what she was saying. She followed outside him as did Engin, "Serkan, stop."

"Ne, Eda, ne?"

"Why are you so angry, I just meant that if you are busy with the port project I don't mind working with Efe."

"No Eda, I understood you clearly. You have been talking all morning about how much fun Efe is, how much you have learned from him, how grateful you are to him and on and on. I get it. He is everything that I am not. I need a break, I need to go."

"You need a break? From what? You are not listening Serkan." But Serkan had already left and was in his car pulling out of the parking lot.

Engin walked over to Eda, "Something is going on with him, he hasn't been right for a couple of days now. Ever since the holding business got transferred to him. Give him a little space okay?"

Eda just nodded, Serkan hadn't left her any options. What did he mean he needed a break? From her? From them? Eda knew that she had been talking about Efe a lot this morning but she was trying to be welcoming. Serkan had been frosty towards him since he had bought into the holding, it probably wasn't her place though. What it probably looked like to Serkan is that she was comparing him to Efe and Serkan was coming up lacking.