I have a mother who behaves like a madwoman.
I don’t blame her.
My father’s repeated infidelities drove her to the brink of madness, making her scream and shout like a lunatic every day.
At that time, I suggested she divorce him.
But she wouldn’t hear of it, insisting that my father had changed.
Not long after, she discovered proof of his cheating again and spiraled into madness, lashing out at everyone and making their troubles known, yet she continued living with him.
When she was in a good mood, if anyone dared to suggest divorce, she would berate them.
Eventually, even the neighbors stopped feeling sorry for her.
Her daily outbursts became infamous, and she was known far and wide as the neighborhood crazy.
So I developed a strong aversion to such breakdowns, to the screams and chaos.
So, I needed a partner who could provide emotional stability.
Aaron began pursuing me back then.
I rejected him mercilessly, which drove many men to anger and harsh words.
Yet Aaron calmly picked up the pieces: “Kaye, I understand your past. You need a stable partner to help you manage your emotions. I may not be the best, but I’m certainly the one most suited for you.”
Despite being young and still in school, he spoke with surprising maturity.
For our first date, he took me to the opera, knowing full well we weren’t art students. As a regular student, I wasn't quite at the age to appreciate such music.
I could feel his nerves in the way he tapped his fingers against the armrest.
The packaging of the drink he ordered was subdued, even a bit old-fashioned.
Though our first date was far from perfect, I found myself liking it.
If he were too polished, I might have felt put off—he was different from ordinary guys.
But ever since Aaron's childhood sweetheart returned from abroad a year ago, I never imagined those were her preferences.
She couldn’t handle loud music due to her health, so of course, the kind of beverage that proudly advertised itself as “additive-free” was her only choice.
That slight movement of his fingers might have just been my misunderstanding; he could have been thinking of his childhood sweetheart far away.
I went to confront him, but Aaron calmly flipped through the contract: “Most girls like similar things; it’s just the way it is. If you’re going to let this bother you, I suggest you avoid wasting your time on trivial matters.”
A person who remains calm in the face of your breakdown will only mirror that calmness back to you.
And for a long time, I maintained my composure, carefully explaining my boundaries without raising my voice.
Now, I realized I was wrong. He had no boundaries at all.