Chapter 3
It was late into the night and I was still sitting at the bar, crying hard and already a little dizzy from the alcohol.
It had left my body relaxed, but it also brought all the sadness I’d hoped to forget bubbling to the surface.
My tear-swollen face and smudged makeup were clear evidence of the emotional state I was in.
Suddenly, my eyes landed on someone behind the bar, and there he was: an incredibly handsome man with dark brown hair, deep eyes the same color, and a neatly trimmed beard, as if he’d been sculpted by some talented artist. My alcohol-blurred vision made me think he was the bartender, though I didn’t remember him being that gorgeous before.
Without even asking his name, I broke down in tears and started talking.
“Oh, you finally showed up, Mr. Bartender!” I sobbed, leaning on the counter. “I need another strong drink, something to make all this suffering worth it.”
The handsome man looked at me with a perplexed but polite expression.
“What would you like to drink?” he asked with a friendly smile.
“Oh, it doesn’t matter, as long as it’s strong and burns on the way down,” I replied with a sigh. “My life is a mess and I want to forget everything.”
“Of course, I’ll make you something special. In the meantime, want to tell me what’s going on? Why do you look so sad?” he asked, looking at me with sympathy and leaning toward me, genuinely interested.
I don’t know why, but I started venting to him.
“My baba wants to force me to marry a man I don’t love. I tried to talk him out of it, but I couldn’t. I don’t know what to do and I feel so lost.”
“What’s your name, miss?”
“Eda, bartender... Eda,” I replied, and only then realized that maybe I shouldn’t reveal my identity so easily, which is why I stuck to just my first name.
“Eda, no one has to accept anything that makes them unhappy,” he said after listening to me attentively. “You have the right to choose your own life and find happiness.” He tried to calm me down while pouring me another shot.
“He believes this marriage is the best thing for me, but I don’t want to be forced to marry someone I didn’t choose, someone I have no feelings for,” I said, feeling the weight of my situation.
“I understand how hard all this must be for you.” The handsome bartender gestured for me to calm down. “But it’s important to remember that your happiness should come first,” he said, his voice calm and comforting. “No one can make that decision for you.”
Tears welled up in my eyes again, and he continued to advise me, offering words of encouragement and support.
“Follow your heart, Eda. Fight for your own happiness, even if it means defying your family’s expectations. Sometimes it takes courage to stand up to the people we love and find our own path,” he whispered, as if sharing some deep, personal wisdom.
We talked for a while longer and gradually I calmed down. The bartender, whose name I still didn’t know, turned out to be an excellent listener and gave me some advice that helped me see things more clearly.
That night, so confusing and complicated for me, ended up being something special too.
I learned that even in the most difficult moments, we can always find someone who will listen and help us see things differently.
And even if I never saw that handsome man again, I would always remember that night as a moment of renewal and hope.
“Thank you for listening to me, bartender,” I murmured, still groggy, wiping away the last of my tears.
“You’re welcome, Eda.” He looked at me with a beautiful smile that seemed to have the power to light up even the darkest night. “Sometimes all we need is someone to vent to. I hope your night gets better from here on out.”
Once again, I realized I didn’t know his name, but my anguish was so raw that I didn’t care. After all, what were the chances of running into that man again? Minimal, of course.