HATE Before LOVE
Expectations vs Reality.

Two dishes that had been filled with spaghetti made by Ardan have now been empty, only the remaining sauce is left on the surface of the plate. Elif was still wrapping his hair in a towel that he rolled over his head, again a sight that made Ardan endless was blown away. They were still sitting at the dining table, with their own thoughts.

"Where do you think my father is?" ask Elif.

Ardan just shook his shoulders, there was no intention at all to answer Elif's question.

"Are you ready for the surprise I'm going to give you?"

Elif nodded.

"Okay, wait a minute." Ardan got up from the chair, he took out a map from his briefcase on the living room couch, then he went back to the dining table and gave the map to Elif.

"What's this?" tanya Elif received the map given by Ardan.

"Just open it up." Ardan sat down in front of Elif.

Elif obeyed what Ardan said. He opened the map and then took out one by one its contents. Some brochures and application forms of top universities from three countries, and completeness of complementary documents and Elif's personal data.

"Ardan... This is what?" Elif looked at all the documents in a daze, then turned his confused gaze to Ardan.

"Your dream, baby."

"What?"

"When I accepted your resignation that day, do you remember what I said?"

Elif nodded. "I have to go back to my dream."

"That's why I prepared all of this, oh, technically Teddy's the one who set me up to make all these plans."

"But Ardan, this...this is very...to much."

"There is nothing too much for you" replied Ardan. "I just want you to achieve your dream, a dream that you've always sacrificed for others.

"I'm very grateful to you for all this, but this is the cost of going to school abroad, I won't be able to. I don't have that kind of savings, I don't want to trouble you, and you definitely won't care about this cost."

"Geez Elif, you have a very rich husband-to-be, do you think I'll let my future wife have a hard time there?"

"You mean you're going to pay for my entire school?"

"Of course!"

"No, no, I don't want to!"

"Come Elif, don't be like that." Ardan Pinta.

"Ardan, I'm not your responsibility to fund my school and my life there."

"Hmmm so it looks." Ardan grinned meaningfully. "So, if you're my responsibility, then I can pay for your school to finish?" asked Ardan, holding a smile.

"Of course."

"I'll call Teddy now."

Elif frowned. "Why did you suddenly call Mr Teddy?"

"To make you my full responsibility." replied Ardan casually, while Elif only realized what was in the man's head.

"Ardan! Are you going to ask Mr. Teddy to find the ruler now?"

"Yes, and bring her here right now!"

"Don't joke, Ardan!"

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

"It's not that easy getting married, Ardan! Moreover, Dad won't approve of our marriage."

"Then, if your father doesn't agree to us getting married, will you give up? Would you just shut up if your father had betrothed you to another man? Aren't you gonna try to convince her?"

Ardan fully understood what Elif meant, and he deeply regretted what had happened to the woman he loved.

"All right, all right." Ardan put his phone on the table. "We're back to the school topic." Ardan tried to divert the conversation.

"So, are you really not able to accept this school's offer?"

"No." Elif answered him firmly.

"How about all this I offer in the form of a loan ever? Are you going to reject it too?"

Elif took a deep breath, then ignored him. He closed his eyes for a moment and then looked back at the man.

"Why are you so eager to get me to study abroad? What's your purpose?"

"My destination?" ardan asked back with both of his eyebrows moving up. "Do I look like the one who's going to take down the woman I love?" Ardan's voice sounded offended, although he displayed a naturally relaxed expression. "Is that why I was in your eyes?"

"Cand..."

"I just want to make the woman I love achieve her dream, the dream you've been sacrificing for the sake of others. Am I wrong to open the way for you? While I have the ability to give you that chance, is anyone in your eyes?"

"No. That's not what I mean. Please don't misunderstand."

"Then what do you mean? What makes you think I have a particular purpose for you?"

"I just..."

"Not trust me completely?"

Elif did not answer. He realized that he had disappointed Ardan. But he really could not accept Ardan's kindness like this, this would only create new problems between Ardan and his father.

"All right, I understand. It seems like you still need more time to receive my heart and love fully, I just pray, when that time comes, God does not turn my heart around." Ardan standing.

The deg! Why did it feel like walking into a dark and empty room as Ardan spoke his last sentence. But Elif's tongue and lips are so confused to straighten out the misunderstandings that occur. He was afraid that one word coming out of his lips would only add to the misunderstanding.

"I'm leaving. You rest." Ardan said as he passed and then came out of the Elif house. Leaving the fixated Elif sitting with the documents before him.

I'm sorry, I just want no more trouble with Dad.

***

"How's Boss? Has Miss Elif made up her mind where Miss is going to continue her studies?" teddy asked, a few hours later as Ardan chose to let go of his frustration with the work at the office. Teddy arrives after finishing with the task that Ardan had given him earlier, accompanying Zehra to see Yanuar to sign the divorce papers.

"Elif won't take it." replied Ardan annoyed. "Truly beyond expectations, my fantasy was that Elif would hold me in tears and then she would worry about going to college abroad or staying here with me. The reality is really far, far away Ted!"

Ah, I guess. Miss Elif is not the one who is mumpung.

"You know why you don't want to take it, Ted? Because he said he wasn't my responsibility." Ardan asked, and he answered him too. Teddy believes one hundred percent of his bosses are really upset.

"Do I need to arrange a wedding as soon as possible, sir?"

"It's not that easy." Ardan imitated the Elif style when he answered him a few hours ago. "He said so when I said he would ask you to call a ruler right now." Ardan let out a rough sigh, putting the pen he was holding onto with a bang on the table."

"Miss Elif must be worried about Yanuar, because Miss still thinks Yanuar is her real father." replied Teddy carefully.

"Yes, you're right. But that's not what pisses me off, he still doesn't trust me, Ted! You know, what was he thinking? He thought I had a certain purpose by giving him the option to continue his studies abroad!"

Now Ardan stands, approaching a large window overlooking the capital's highway activities.

"Is it that hard for women to trust someone's feelings and heart and.. love, Ted?"

Teddy chose silence and did not answer. He knows what his boss needs right now is a listener not an answer to his annoyance.

"Well, I know I've made mistakes, I've used them, used their powerlessness to be my fake wife-to-be with the intention of having Mama stop setting me up with-"

"WHAT ARE YOU?" Suddenly Gavin opens the door, from his expression there is no need to ask again by Teddy and Ardan, whether Gavin heard Ardan's accidental confession just now. Because the answer was clearly written on Gavin's face.