ABOUT THIS BOOK
Description
My grandmother used to say, “Planting rice will bring grass, but planting grass will not bring rice.” This was a phrase she said every day since I was a little girl, especially when someone teased me because of my weight. I was chubby at the time, and many people showed me no sympathy.
But there is one day I will never forget. I was eight years old, a time when life began to feel heavy for me.
A fifteen-year-old boy pushed me off a swing so hard that I fell heavily to the ground. I injured my knee and my forehead. The emotional pain was worse than the physical injury—I felt so deeply ashamed.
Surprisingly, instead of checking on my well-being or scolding him, my grandmother said it was my fault—because I had thrown a small stone at him after he mistreated me.
The stone had struck him on the forehead, drawing blood. He came to our house crying, looking for my grandmother. But after hearing how politely my grandmother spoke to him, he apologized on his own accord.
But as for me? I was not pleased. Not at all. I felt as though no one was treating me fairly; I felt abandoned. No one backed me up. That boy deserved to be punished.
That boy… Omar Thorne.
Years passed, but his mocking laughter and his harsh words still echo in my mind. He used to find joy in my torment, and this particular phrase constantly recurs in my memories:
“All fat people fall hard; it’s their own weight dragging them down.”
In truth, the stone I threw at him was too small. Had I known then, I would have thrown a much bigger stone. But the pain and the blood dripping from my forehead had drained all the strength from my body.
Yet, despite everything, he had the audacity to come to our house and cry about me, as if he wasn't the one who started it all.
Then my grandmother said again: “Be kind. He didn't know he did wrong. Now he will think before he does anything. We made him realize his mistakes by treating him like an adult.”
Well, I didn't care. I was only eight years old at the time! I was quick to anger because children called me fat, I was humiliated, I was bullied, and I was expected to be patient?
No. I did not agree with that. Nevertheless, my grandmother never stopped sharing that proverb with me. To her, doing good would always bring more benefit than trivial actions.
“Focus on the big picture,” she would say. “Do not waste time on things that do not matter.”
She used to find good in everything. Literally.
Years passed. I grew up with that phrase. And somehow, over time, it took root in my heart.
Now, at 25, I stand as one of the most successful corporate executives in the Turkish electronics industry, Khan Electronics—one of the most famous companies in Turkey for manufacturing electronic components. People view me as a princess in the eyes of the public.
They have given me the nickname "The Sweetheart of Turkey." Meaning, Turkey's beloved.
People call me by that name: Turkey's Sweetheart. 🌸
This is because of my pleasant smile, my philanthropic work, and how easily I interact with everyone.
I finally understood the true meaning of my grandmother's words.
My grandmother raised me since I was six years old, when my parents separated in London. She was the one who brought me to Turkey, shielded me from the disaster of living with quarreling parents, and built me into who I am today.
She taught me business when I was only thirteen years old.
At that time, she was the head of the company that she and my mother had built since the 1970s.
I followed in her footsteps until I became a complete businesswoman. I studied business at Yale University and graduated with honors.
At twenty-two, my grandmother handed over the reins of the company to me.
Khan Electronics has long been leading the market—we manufacture components that go into televisions, phones, laptops, and other modern devices.
But the tech era has begun to shift; countries like the United States and those in Europe are bringing new challenges.
Amidst this corporate turbulence… something returned to my life.
The man I hate the most…
The man I have been running away from since childhood…
The man who has become the CEO of a company much larger than mine…
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