Chapter 1

Wake up girl or you'll be late for college.

Ana Aydın is a 19-year-old college journalism major living with her parents and younger brother Ahmet.

Summer vacation was over and that was the first day, at college. Her mother, Lale, was happy for her daughter's achievement. Ana would start her first term and her parents were happy, for the girl's achievement.

5 minutes and I promise I will get up.

Ana Aydın, I told you to get up now.

The girl's mother opened the curtain and the sun on that sunny Monday came through the window.

***

Baran Divit, 36, advertising executive, owns one of the best talent and advertising agencies in Turkey. Abandoned and unbelieving in love, three months ago, on the night he was to propose to his girlfriend, instead of surprising Sevda, he was surprised to hear that not only was she leaving for Italy and abandoning him after five years of dating, but that in her suitcase she would take his new love, who was none other than his rival.

That morning the publicist woke up late, he had lost track of time after spending almost the entire night trying to concentrate on the new campaign that his agency would be competing in.

Everything reminded him of Sevda and, after trying hard, he gave up.

He got out of bed and went to the shower. A new week was beginning and he was sure that he would succeed in creating something.

***

Ana, pay attention on the first day of school, be careful when walking down the street with your headset on because I know you and I know well that you hear it at the top of your lungs. You know that even a short walk to the college, it is dangerous the movement of cars this time of day.

Furkan, the young woman's father, scolded his wife.

"Honey, stop treating Ana like a child. She is an adult and knows right from wrong.

Daughter, here is the money for the week's lunch and if you need anything you can tell me.

Ahmet, who was drinking coffee in silence, complained to his father that while he was taking the snacks his sister was earning money.

Look at my age to yours, kid.

Father, mother, wish me luck and that I do well on the first day of school. Bye, you little troublemaker, you take care of yourself at school and make sure you don't get into trouble.

The young woman said goodbye to her family and left. With her backpack on her back, she checked to make sure her mother wasn't looking and took out her cell phone and plugged in the headset. She put it in the little bag on her side and walked to the college. From her house to there was less than 15 minutes, so she took the opportunity to do her exercise early in the morning.

**

Baran was talking to his sister, who, in the midst of her tenth marriage crisis, was bothering her brother at that time of day.

-Leyla my dear, can we talk when I get to work? I'm driving, the traffic is chaotic and you're crying like that, I can't understand a thing.

-Brother, I swear I've tried, but Aras doesn't understand that I want to establish myself in my career and I'm not thinking of having children now.

Baran was the older brother and his younger sister was all he had in life. The parents lived in a country town and the children lived in big İstanbul.

-All right, Leyla. I'll come by your place tonight. Now I really have to go! We'll talk later.

The two said goodbye and Baran stopped at a traffic light, on a street that was not that busy. The light opened and as he turned the corner, he heard only the thud of something crashing into his car.

-Baran stopped the car and hurriedly got out, and was surprised by what he found.

A teenager had hit the side of the car and the girl was lying on the ground, moaning in pain from the impact.

-Girl, don't you pay attention to where you are going? -Baran argued with the young girl, who was still lying on the ground with a bruise on her knee.

-You're the one who doesn't pay attention to where you're driving, are you blind or what? I was coming around the corner and your car came up to me and ran me over.

Baran couldn't believe what she was saying, she was showing that it was his preference and that the girl was wrong and wanted to blame him.

She tried to get up and Baran went to her and helped her stand up.

When the girl moved her hair, Baran saw her headphones. Surely she was listening to the music at the top of her lungs and wasn't paying attention to the traffic.

-If she had been without these headphones, I'm sure she would have paid attention and not gotten in at the same time as me.

Ana was indignant, she was right and she was sure of it, and that stupid man and terrible driver who approached her car.

-Come here, you know everything, you're the one who must have bought a license and is pretending to be a good driver.

As soon as the girl spoke, she noticed the dirty pants and the broken charm bracelet.

-Oh, hell! Look what you've done! You idiot, my bracelet is broken. Today is my first day of college and because of you I'm going to be late! And on top of that I'm going to get a big lecture from my parents.

Baran had never met a girl as rudes and foul-mouthed as that one.

-Hey young lady, nothing was my fault and you're the one who turned the corner at the same time I did.

Ana knew he was right, but she wouldn't assume her mistake and now she needed to fix her bracelet and didn't know how. If she told the truth to her parents. She would get a spanking for being irresponsible and Lale would probably ground her.

Then an idea came to her mind.

-Look, you drop me off at college, pack up my lucky bracelet, and I won't tell my parents or call the traffic police on you.

Baran couldn't believe his ears, this girl was blackmailing him and wanted him to pay for the repair of her bike.

Girl I ...

All right, you're not going to accept it, so I'll call my father, who is a lawyer, right now and have him come over here to resolve this situation.

Baran was going to have a hell of a Monday, when he found that rude and blackmailing girl.

It's okay, girl. I'll drop you off at the college and have your bracelet repaired, and you can forget about what happened here.

The publicist helped the girl into the car. She had handed him the bracelet, which he kept in his suit pocket. The blackmailer settled into the driver's seat, and when he got into the car he noticed the way she was installed.

Excuse me? - Baran pointed at her feet, she was messing with her cell phone and didn't pay attention.

Could you please take your feet off?

Oops sorry sir. I'm just used to it.

Baran started the car and took a deep breath, asked the address of the college and found out that it was less than 10 minutes away on foot and the girl was making an idiot out of him. He thought it was better not to say anything, he had already had enough trouble in less than five minutes with her.

She was listening to the latest volume and he could hear the noise coming from the headphones in her ear.

That's why he didn't pay attention to the traffic. Clueless and uneducated teenagers. - Baran thought to himself and in less than three minutes he was parked outside her college.

Miss... -Baran gave the young woman a ride and didn't even know her name.

Ana! -And what is your name?

-Baran!

Good...you are delivered. I'll get your lucky bracelet repaired and have an employee bring it to you.

Why don't you pick me up at 1 p.m. and bring me my bracelet? Then I can apologize for almost running me over and for ruining something that has important value to me.

The girl looked at the time on her watch and uttered a curse that Baran was startled by the girl's manners.

I'll wait for you out front at 1:00? Don't be late because I have to be home before 1:30 or my mother will eat my liver.

Baran didn't know what to say and just agreed with the girl and was surprised by the kiss she gave him on the cheek.

She got out of the car and before getting in she said goodbye to him again.

Bye, Baran. Don't be late and take my bracelet to a good jewelry store.

The young woman ran, late, leaving an Baran totally unresponsive.