MOTH AND FLAMES

Hans Luther was stunned when he realized that Yarmilla Sullivan had blocked him.

After three years of marriage, Yarmilla had always been Hans' dignified, graceful, and kind wife. Her behavior was always impeccable, no matter the occasion.

It wasn't until he came home and saw the divorce papers left on the table that he finally realized he had done something wrong.

The words he had said to her replayed in his head.

"It's been years since it happened. Susan has always wanted to reconcile with you. There's no need to make things so tense. It's Susan's birthday today. She's your elder, and she offered you a toast; you should have accepted it.

"When you were younger, you could blame your upbringing. But if you can't control yourself now, it only shows you're still immature. How could I even think about having children with you when you're like this?"

Hans picked up the divorce papers from the table and read through them before placing them back down.

He didn't think he had done anything wrong. Whether Yarmilla accepted it or not, Susan Lloyd had long ceased being just her best friend and had become her stepmother.

Yarmilla maintained an air of hostility toward Susan, straining family relations and making it difficult for Hans to navigate events where he needed to bring his wife along. Besides, from his interactions with Susan, she didn't seem nearly as intolerable as Yarmilla had described.

Hans genuinely believed that instead of clinging to the past, it was better to change one's mindset and embrace life with a smile.

Still, he couldn't help but panic at the thought that this was the first time Yarmilla had been this furious.

Tightening his grip on the phone, Hans tried calling Yarmilla again.

He was still blocked.

…

From the moment I saw Hans and Susan standing together in the bakery picking out a birthday cake, I knew my marriage with him had come to an end.

To avoid repeating my mother's mistakes, I packed my things and moved out of our marital home right after ruining Susan's birthday party. It had been less than seven hours since it happened.

In these seven hours, I spent an hour packing my belongings, another hour getting to the high-speed train station, three hours traveling to my grandmother's house, and the final two hours successfully convincing her to let me stay.

"Grandma, I've told you that you're terrible at judging people. You picked a scumbag for Mom, and now you've introduced a jerk to me. You've ruined us both. You have to take responsibility."

I laughed as I fed a piece of honeydew melon to Grandma. Then, I gently leaned my head against her back just like I used to as a child.

To be fair, my parents had a strong marriage before I brought Susan home. Back then, not even Mom—let alone me—could have imagined that 18-year-old Susan would fall for my 45-year-old dad.

Despite a 27-year age gap, they loved each other with reckless abandon.

Mom, who had been strong-willed her whole life, couldn't accept that Dad wanted to divorce her for her daughter's classmate.

In a moment of despair, she jumped from the 18th floor.

Fearing that staying with Dad would ruin me, Grandma took me in.

She watched me work for years, staying single and developing a fear of men and marriage. Worried that I would end up by myself after her time was up, she introduced me to Hans.

She thought that since she and Hans' grandmother were close friends, this connection would mean he was trustworthy.

But even she didn't anticipate that, while Hans was excellent in many ways, he was far too rational. In every relationship, Hans weighed the pros and cons without ever considering personal emotions.

So, when he tricked me into attending Susan's birthday party, claimed it was "for my own good", and even gripped my wrist tightly to force me to drink the toast Susan offered, I flipped the table.

I ruined Susan's birthday party.

I proceeded to point straight at Dad's face, demanding to know if he remembered what day it was.