I've been married for two weeks, I think it's been a week since my husband left me. Exactly one week ago today, I woke up in the morning and Ezra had left a note and walked out.

  "Dear Meryem, everyone must think we are on our honeymoon. So it's better if you don't leave the house for a while. It's necessary for the sake of the game. Don't worry about me, I'll be back."

  For God's sake, what am I supposed to understand from this note? Since he told me not to leave the house, I never went out except for one trip to the grocery store when I really believed that no one would see me. I called Ezra several times but he doesn't answer my calls. He doesn't answer my texts. I think he's closed his Instagram account, and horrible scenarios run through my mind. For example, could he have taken the money I gave him for his master's degree and run away? But he said he was coming. Also, my part of the deal was to pay that money, so what he does with it is his business, but if they come for a marriage interview, how will I explain the situation?

  On the other hand, I've been ignoring my dad's calls, I'm really scared that they'll finally come here to see if I'm okay, but what am I going to say on the phone? I'm too busy, I have homework or something? That's what I used to say when I was in college. I used exams as an excuse to get home as late as possible during the holidays. But I'm not in college now.

  I haven't eaten anything since I woke up. I'm starving. I've been eating one meal for days, the same thing every day: pasta. It looks like it will be the same today. As I'm pouring pasta into the water I'm boiling, my phone rings and my thoughts scatter. I run to the room in case it's Ezra, but unfortunately it's not. It's an American number I don't recognize. I answer it.

  "Who are you?" I don't know what else to ask.

  "Hello Meryem." It stuns me to hear a Turkish word after a long time.

  "Hello, who is this?"

  "We've talked before, but I think you forgot my voice. I am your fiancé." My fiancé? Ahmet?

  "Ahmet? Is that you?"

  "Yes. Although I don't know what your marital status has been since the last photo you sent me in a wedding dress."

  The photo with the wedding dress... I had completely forgotten about that.

  "Well... I got married. As you might have guessed." There's silence on the other end of the phone. I just breathe in and out. The slight excitement of this conversation sends a tiny twinge to my stomach.

  "Meryem, can I see you? I'm in New York right now. I'm here for a short time and I haven't arranged a place to stay."

  "Okay, I'll send you a location. You can come."

  I send my location. The pasta water overflows and I run back to the kitchen.

  ***

  "Why did you choose such a method? Couldn't we have solved this differently?" Ahmet is sitting in Ezra's seat at the table. We eat the pasta I serve us both.

  Stolen story; please report.

  "What would you suggest? I remember calling you, but it didn't help me much."

  He puts his fork down on the edge of the plate and leans back. This gesture gives me the opportunity to observe him so closely for the first time. If we had met under different conditions, maybe I would have given him a chance. "I had my girlfriend with me that day, Meryem. I know I was of no use to you, but really, did you have to get married?"

  I stand up. "I think you're full?" Without waiting for her answer, I take her plate and fork from in front of her and put them on the counter.

  "You thought what I thought, didn't you? If we had met under different circumstances, I could have made you a very happy woman."

  I stare at Ahmet for a few seconds as I pick up the teapot to pour water for tea. What kind of confidence is this? "But we didn't meet under any other circumstances, so these assumptions are meaningless. If I hadn't gotten married, we would both be wedding shopping with our families this week. I saved us both from that by getting married."

  I fill the teapot with water and put it on the stove. While I do this, Ahmet gathers the rest of the things on the table and puts them on the counter. "Leave the tea now, let's talk."

  "No, I drink tea after dinner. We can talk like this."

  He stands in front of me with my back to the counter. "Okay, let's talk. Did you really get married?"

  "Yes, I am."

  "To whom? And where is your husband?"

  "His name is Ezra. He went to his parents for a family matter. He will be back in a day or two. When are you leaving?"

  "I'll go when Ezra arrives. I want to meet him."

  "You don't believe I'm married? My wedding dress is hanging in my room behind the door."

  "In your room? You have a separate room? Even though you're married?"

  The blood rushes to my face. "I didn't mean it like that. I was sleeping in that room at first, but we haven't had a chance to organize the house yet."

  " Meryem, if you were going to solve this problem by getting married fake, you should have married me. You would have continued to work as a doctor in Istanbul, I would have continued to live in Ankara. No one would have needed to know that. Just like in our engagement, we wouldn't even have to see each other."

  I raise my finger. "Stop right there. There is more than one wrong here. The fact that our engagement lasted so long, that we didn't need to see each other, is because I dared to come to America. If I hadn't made a plan and ran away, we would have been married three months ago. And of course, as a man you could live another life, you could live comfortably in another house with your lover, but what makes you think that as a woman I would be so comfortable? I guess you don't know our fathers, these are the people who decided to marry us off without asking us."

  Ahmet sighs and sits on the chair. "You are right. Okay, you are right. What if I tell you to annul your marriage with Ezra and let's get married in Turkey? Then you come back here and live the way you want. What if I promise you that and we make a contract? That way you'll be away from our fathers. But you will be married to me."

  I frown, turn around, take two tea cups out of the cupboard. "What's in it for you, Ahmet? Why are you suddenly so eager to marry me?"

  "For you. I swear it's for you. Now when your father finds out that you got married here, he will disown you. Which is the best case scenario. God forbid, he could do worse. Both our families will be disgraced and it will be all your fault."

  I put the cup I filled with tea in front of Ahmet. "It's a pity. I'm already married and I'm in love with my husband and I don't care how my father, your father and you feel. So, when will you return to Turkey?"

  "Meryem, I am really speaking for you. How will you find the face to face your family again with what you have done?" He leans back again. He crosses his arms across his chest. He looks very confident.

  "Look, Ahmet. You don't have to worry about me. You don't know me at all. I've made a decision. If that means taking on my whole family, so be it." I go to my room and close the door. Why did I really agree to see this man?

  He knocks on the door of my room, "Meryem, I'm sorry. Okay, you're right. It's not my place to question your decision. I will stay here tonight and then I will go back to Turkey, with your permission."

  I leave the room. "Wait here." I go to Ezra's room. I take a pillow and a blanket and put them on the sofa in the living room. "You can sleep here. I better not see you at home in the morning."

  He watches my hands as I put the pillow on the couch. "Meryem, is that the ring my father bought you?"

  I take a deep breath, "No, wait." I go inside. I take out the box where I keep Ahmet's ring from my drawer. I bring the box and give it to Ahmet. "Here. It's better to explain to your parents that this is over. This is Ezra's ring on my finger and I have no intention of taking it off."

  He takes the box from my hand. He sits on the couch. "This is all my fault. I shouldn't have forced you to do this. I should have seen your desperation."

  I choose not to waste my breath answering him. I go to my room and pray to God for Ezra's return.