Мадина Федосова – Tell me the truth (страница 1)

Tell me the truth

Madina Fedosova

© Madina Fedosova, 2025

ISBN 978-5-0068-0639-9

Created with Ridero smart publishing system

Author’s Foreword

Dear Reader,

Before you lies not just a love story. It is a story about truth. About the truth we are so afraid to tell each other, and the truth we are afraid to admit to ourselves.

I have always been captivated by Turkish series – not only for their passion and beauty but also for their astonishing emotional depth. They possess something that is often so lacking in life: the courage to feel without hesitation, to speak without concealment, to love against all odds. It is this very inspiration that I wanted to preserve within the pages of this book.

My characters, Selin and Demir, are successful, intelligent, attractive. They have everything associated with an ideal life: careers, recognition, views of the Bosphorus from their windows. But behind their flawless facade lie loneliness, fear, and a quiet longing for something real. They must strike a dangerous bargain with themselves – 30 days without lies.

What happens when all filters disappear? When you can no longer hide behind professional jargon, elegant dresses, and witty jokes? When all that remains is you – vulnerable, alive, authentic – and another person, looking at you without pretense?

This novel is that very experiment. For me. For you. For everyone who has ever feared getting burned by the truth, but feared even more living a life in comfortable, beautiful deception.

I believe that it is in sincerity – even if bitter, even if inconvenient – that true, genuine love is born. The kind of love that withstands any “I know you” and any “I see you.”

Speak the truth. To yourself. To those you love. Even if it’s scary.

And may this book become for you that quiet, honest conversation with yourself – the one after which it is no longer possible to live the same way.

With love and faith in your stories,

Madina Fedosova

P.S. And yes… if after reading this book, you feel the urge to call a loved one and say what has been put off for years – consider my mission accomplished.

Introduction

In an era of total digitalization and the eternal pursuit of an ideal, where genuine feelings have become hostages to flawless social profiles, and sincerity a rare currency in the world of social approvals, we have unlearned how to be real. We sacrifice our true essence to virtual perfectionism, hide vulnerability behind filtered selfies, and the quiet tragedies of everyday life behind glossy success stories. This burden is especially hard to bear for those whose lives have become public domain, whose smiles have become commodities, and whose personal dramas – subjects for discussion by a multimillion-strong audience.

Istanbul – a city of paradox, a city of mystery, an eternal bridge between Europe and Asia, past and future, tradition and modernity. Here, in the shadow of majestic Byzantine walls and Ottoman minarets, to the incessant accompaniment of the Bosphorus waves and the piercing cries of seagulls, countless human dramas unfold. The air of this city is saturated with the aromas of strong coffee, Eastern spices, and unfulfilled hopes. Its heart beats with a rhythm woven from the sounds of the adhan, ferry horns, and the ticking clocks of luxurious hotels, behind whose closed doors lie the most intimate secrets.

It is here, in the shining skyscrapers of the Levent business district and on the chic promenades of Bebek, that those who have reached the pinnacles of professional success live, but have paid a high price for it – the price of their inner peace. Their lives are an endless race for recognition, an eternal celebration with empty eyes, and perfect photographs concealing a chilling void of loneliness.

At the epicenter of this maelstrom of passions and ambitions, two find themselves – Selin Yilmaz and Demir Arslan. Two brilliant minds, two experts in human relationships, two idols for thousands of followers. Their joint podcast, “The Psychology of Love,” has become a true life raft for many desperate hearts in the turbulent sea of modern life. From the outside, their duo appears to be the embodiment of harmony – they look great together, their intellectual battles are captivating, and their apparent romantic connection makes audiences freeze at their screens, believing in the existence of ideal relationships.

But behind the flawless facade lies a bitter truth. Their “romance” is nothing more than an artfully staged performance, a PR move in a grand game for ratings and popularity. After filming concludes, they part ways to their sterile apartments with panoramic views of the strait, where luxury and comfort cannot drown out the oppressive feeling of existential loneliness. Each is trapped in their own gilded cage, each plays a role, long forgetting where the stage ends and real life begins.

Everything changes in an instant when, during a live broadcast, an uncomfortable, provocative question is asked, a question that, like lightning, tears through the veil of lies that has surrounded our heroes for years. This question threatens everything they have so carefully built – their reputation, their career, the future of the project. And in a desperate attempt to save the situation, driven by a mixture of fear, ambition, and a hidden desire for change, they make a crazy bet.

Thirty days. Thirty days of total, absolute, uncompromising honesty. No masks. No unspoken words. No saving, false conventions. Only the naked truth – unfiltered, frightening in its frankness. They agree to this dangerous experiment, not understanding that they are playing with fire, capable of incinerating everything around them.

What will happen when all protective barriers crumble?

Will they be able to bear the weight of mutual revelations? What will remain of their carefully crafted images when all fears, complexes, and disappointments are laid bare? And can something real be born in this crucible of mutual destruction – a fragile, vulnerable, but genuine feeling, unafraid of the light of truth?

This book is not just a love story. It is a deep psychological exploration of the nature of human relationships. It is a journey into the most hidden corners of the soul, where our darkest fears and brightest hopes lie concealed. It is the confession of a generation that has become too engrossed in perfectionism and has forgotten simple human sincerity.

It is an invitation to a conversation. To a dialogue with yourself. To a brave look in the mirror without pretense or filters. Perhaps, after turning the last page of this story, you will find the courage to utter the most important words of your life – those that have remained unspoken for years.

Tell Me the Truth. Are you ready to hear it?

Part One

The Lie Upon Which We Built Paradise

Chapter 1

An Artificial Paradise Under the Spotlights

The “Psycho-Love” studio was drowning in an unnatural semi-darkness, broken only by the blinding beams of the spotlights. The air, thick and cool from the air conditioners, smelled of ozone from expensive equipment and the sweetish aroma of Turkish coffee, untouched on a small table between the armchairs. Beyond the vast soundproof windows, the evening Istanbul was slowly fading: the lights of the Bosphorus shimmered like scattered diamonds, and the silhouettes of ferries glided across the black water like phantoms.

“Dear viewers,” Mehmet’s voice sounded honey-sweet, “today we once again dive into the endless universe of human relationships. And with us, as always, are our stars – the incomparable Selin Yilmaz and Demir Arslan!”

The cameras smoothly zoomed in on them. Selin felt their cold, glassy eyes on her. She sat with a perfectly straight back, dressed in a beige tweed jacket that cost as much as a month’s rent for a small apartment in the Besiktas district. Her fingers nervously fiddled with the edge of the jacket, but her face remained calm, almost detached.

“Ms. Yilmaz,” Mehmet addressed her, “your new book, ‘How to Manage Love with Reason,’ has become a bestseller. You claim that love is primarily a rational choice. Doesn’t such an approach kill the very essence of passion?”

Selin smiled softly, adjusting a non-existent strand of hair with a practiced gesture. “Love without reason is a ship without a rudder in a stormy sea, dear Mehmet. Yes, passion is beautiful, but it is reason that helps us not to crash against the rocks of disappointment. Control is not the absence of feelings, but a manifestation of respect for them.”

“Complete nonsense!” Demir leaned back in his armchair with feigned nonchalance. His dark eyes sparkled with excitement. “Love is born from chaos, from that divine, uncontrollable element! Your ‘control’ is simply fear. Fear of getting lost in another person, fear of being vulnerable.”

“Vulnerability is not a synonym for strength, Demir Bey,” Selin retorted, feeling the familiar irritation rising somewhere deep inside. “Throwing yourself into the abyss of emotions without thinking about the consequences is not bravery, but irresponsibility.”