Pathway to Japanese Literature

Discover Japan's stories—across time, across language.

Betraying MyselfAuthor: Miyamoto Yuriko

Original Title	我に叛く
Author	宮本百合子
Genre	Modern Short Fiction
Author Type	Female Author
Summary	Yukiko, a writer grappling with creative stagnation, faces a crossroads when her husband Maki plans a trip to his rural hometown. Torn between accompanying him to fulfill familial duties and staying behind to focus on her work, she chooses solitude, hoping to reignite her inspiration at her childhood home. Yet her retreat unravels as suffocating maternal expectations and unresolved tensions with her mother, Sukako—who harbors quiet disdain for Maki—expose fractures in her marriage and self-worth. Memories of Maki’s quiet support haunt her, contrasting sharply with Sukako’s stifling devotion. When an urgent telegram forces Maki’s abrupt return, Yukiko’s longing for their shared life clashes with the reality of his emotional distance. As fragile hopes for creative renewal and marital harmony waver, Yukiko navigates a labyrinth of doubt, love, and identity, where every choice risks betraying her art, her family, or herself. A poignant exploration of ambition and intimacy unfolds, leaving readers questioning where devotion ends and selfhood begins.