Moth to a Flame

six

Ling swallowed hard, her heart pounding in her chest. The words she was about to say were difficult, but she knew she had to be honest.

"It's not an excuse, Win," she began, her voice trembling slightly. "But I've been feeling lost lately. Our relationship, it... it felt like we were drifting apart." Her eyes filled with tears. "I know that's not entirely fair, but I was searching for something, I don't know, something more."

She paused, taking a deep breath. "I made a mistake, a huge one. I let myself get caught up in something that wasn't real. It was a distraction, a way to escape the emptiness I was feeling."

Ling's voice grew quieter as she continued. "I know it's no justification," she said, her eyes fixed on the floor. "I hurt you, and I'm truly sorry. But I was feeling so lost, so alone. It was like a part of me was missing."

A wave of self-doubt washed over her. She had always prided herself on her strength and independence, but now she felt exposed and vulnerable. The woman she saw reflected back in Win's eyes was a stranger, a person she didn't recognize.

"I don't know what happened to me," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I let myself be swept away, and now I'm paying the price."

Ling's voice trembled as she continued, her eyes filled with a mixture of regret and despair. The weight of her confession was crushing, but she felt a strange sense of relief in finally admitting the truth.

"I felt like I was losing myself, Win," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I was so focused on making you happy that I forgot about my own needs. I became a shadow of myself, a ghost in my own life."

A sob escaped her lips as she tried to explain the emptiness she had felt. "I was searching for something, anything, to fill that void. I know it was wrong, but I was desperate."

Ling's voice grew quieter, a mere whisper in the heavy silence. She felt exposed, raw, as if stripping bare her soul. The emptiness she had tried so desperately to ignore now consumed her, a gaping void that nothing seemed to fill.

It had started innocently enough, a harmless flirtation, a momentary escape from the monotony of their routine. But it had quickly spiraled out of control, becoming an obsession. The thrill of the forbidden, the intoxicating rush of adrenaline, had masked the growing sense of guilt and betrayal.

She had convinced herself it was harmless, a temporary distraction. But the more she indulged in it, the deeper she fell into a dangerous abyss. The man she had involved herself with had become a symbol of everything missing in her life with Win: excitement, passion, and a sense of adventure.

As she continued to speak, Ling's voice began to break. She realized the extent of the damage she had caused, not just to Win, but to herself. The woman she had become was a shadow of the person she used to be, a hollow shell devoid of authenticity.

## A Turning Point

Ling's voice trailed off, leaving a heavy silence in the room. The weight of her confession hung in the air, thick and oppressive. Win's face was a mask of pain and confusion.

"I don't understand," he finally managed to say, his voice barely a whisper. "How could you do this to me? To us?"

Ling's heart shattered into a million pieces at the sound of his pain. She wanted to reach out to him, to comfort him, but she was frozen, unable to move.

"I know, I know," she managed to say, her voice trembling. "There's no excuse for what I did. I was selfish and stupid."

Win stood up, his face pale and drawn. He walked over to the window and stared out at the city, his back turned to Ling. She watched him, feeling a pang of guilt and despair.

Win turned slowly, his face a mask of pain and disbelief. His eyes, once filled with love and adoration for Ling, now held a cold, distant look.

"How could you?" he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper. The words felt like a physical blow to Ling, each syllable a sharp dagger to her heart.

She wanted to reach out to him, to hold him, but she froze, her body paralyzed by fear and shame. She knew she had broken him, shattered the trust they had built over the years.

"I know, I know," she repeated, her voice trembling. "I don't expect you to forgive me. I don't deserve it."

Win's gaze hardened. "This isn't about forgiveness, Ling. It's about betrayal. You destroyed everything we had."

Win’s anger was a tempest, raging within him. Ling felt the storm brewing, the intensity of his emotions threatening to consume them both.

Before they could delve deeper into the heart of their conflict, the phone rang, interrupting the charged silence. Ling reached for it, her hand trembling.

"Hello?" she answered, her voice barely audible.

"Is this Ling, where’s Win? He’s not answering his phone," a female voice asked, urgency lacing her tone.

Ling’s heart skipped a beat. She exchanged a bewildered look with Win. Who could this be?

“I... I ,” Ling stammered, her mind racing.

The woman on the other line sighed. “This is really important. Please, tell him to call me back as soon as possible.”

The line went dead, leaving Ling and Win staring at each other in shock. A cold dread crept into Ling’s heart. Could this be related to Win's infidelity? Or was it something else entirely?