When Atticus Finch returned home, Scarlett OHara was already asleep. The sound of thunder and lightning outside mingled with the soft glow of a dim bedside lamp. This was a habit of Scarletts; she needed a small light on when she slept, and she needed Atticus by her side, or else she couldnt rest peacefully.
Sure enough, a clap of thunder jolted Scarlett from her dreams. Atticus, sitting by the bed, saw her wake with a flushed face, a surge of tenderness rising in his heart. He instinctively wanted to reach out to help her up, but the movement tugged at the pain in his back, a stark reminder of what had just happened and what he had promised to George Wilson!
His hand, hanging in mid-air, abruptly withdrew. He sat to one side, watching her with a cold gaze.
Scarlett rubbed her sleepy eyes and, upon seeing Atticus had returned, her expression softened. She reached out to hold his hand, only to be abruptly brushed away by Atticus!
The sudden movement stunned Scarlett, her voice filled with surprise, "Whats... whats wrong?" Seeing that Atticus wasnt speaking to her, she seemed still immersed in some excitement, continuing, "Its okay if you dont want to talk, I have something to tell you."
"Actually, I have something to tell you too," Atticuss deep voice was tinged with a chill, his gaze not on Scarlett.
Scarlett didnt notice Atticuss odd behavior; she just wanted to share her joy with him as soon as possible. From the moment she received the news, she had been immersed in happiness because they were finally going to have a baby, a child that belonged only to her and Atticus.
Scarlett had been waiting, waiting for him to come back, waiting to whisper the news into his ear, and say with tenderness and joy, "Congratulations, Mr. Finch, youre going to be a father!"
Atticuss heart lurched in pain, his hand clenched into a fist on one side, his face cold.
"Divorce," Atticus suddenly looked up, his dark eyes devoid of any warmth, his face showing no joy of being a father for the first time.
Scarletts hand trembled, she looked at Atticus in disbelief, "What... what are you saying?"
"I said divorce, Im tired of you! Do I need to repeat it?" Atticuss face was full of impatience, he walked to the window, his back to Scarlett, his eyes full of sorrow, his silhouette lonely and desolate.
The rain outside the window grew heavier, the thunder roared...
Scarlett felt a buzzing in her ears, her gaze tightly locked on the figure with his back to her.
"Take a look at the divorce agreement, if theres no problem, just sign it for me," Atticus still had his back to her, his voice cold enough to make Scarlett shiver.
Scarlett then noticed the divorce agreement on the side, her previously blank mind exploded in an instant!
He... was serious.
He really wanted a divorce from her!
But why?
Her husband, who had been preparing breakfast for her in the morning and calling her at noon to remind her to eat on time, how could he... suddenly propose divorce?!
"... Is it because I havent been able to get pregnant for five years?" Scarlett kept taking deep breaths, trying to make her tone sound lighter, "But, but Im pregnant now, we... we can have our own child..."
"No." Atticus answered without any hesitation, then coldly spat out words that stripped Scarletts heart and soul, "I married you just because of the influence of your family. Now that the OHara family has fallen, what use are you to me?"
Scarletts heart clenched, her fingers tightly gripping the bedsheet until her knuckles turned white. She seemed to be suppressing something, her originally flushed cheeks now pale, "So... from the beginning to the end, I was just a pawn to you?"
"No, in my eyes, you were just a tool for an arranged marriage, we both got what we wanted."
"Atticus Finch! Then your kindness to me, your affection, your consideration, everything youve done for me over the past five years... was it all fake?!"
Atticus frowned, seeming to have lost all patience with Scarlett, he suddenly turned and said irritably, "Stop talking nonsense! If you dont want a divorce, then get rid of the thing in your belly!"
Nonsense...
Ha...
Scarlett laughed bitterly.
Fake, everything was fake!
Looking at Scarlett sitting there dazed and tearful, her eyes devoid of any previous expectation.
Atticus looked at her, his heart so painful that he could hardly breathe, but his face remained cold and indifferent, "Choose for yourself."
Choose for herself?
You dont want a divorce, then get rid of the thing in your belly!
Scarletts mind echoed Atticuss cold and heartless words again.
Instinctively, she protected her abdomen, her eyes full of pain and despair, "Atticus, do you have to be so ruthless? This is your own flesh and blood! How can you, how can you——!"
"My flesh and blood?" Atticus sneered, "Scarlett OHara, do you think about why you couldnt get pregnant for five years?"
"What, what?" She and Atticus had been married for five years, but before today, there had been no sign of pregnancy in those five years!
She had never doubted Atticus, even when she went to the hospital over and over again, and the physical examination report showed that she had no problems, she had never... doubted any issues!
Looking at Scarletts shocked eyes, pale complexion, the words that had already reached the tip of his tongue were swallowed back down.
After all, he couldnt say it, he had never thought that he would have such a day, such a day that would hurt her so much...
Atticus looked at Scarlett in silence and coldness, even though the pain in his heart was almost unbearable, he had to suppress his thoughts.
Only by doing this, by pushing her away from himself, was the best for her.
He could watch her quietly, from afar, the pain in his eyes almost uncontrollable...
As long as she could be happy in the future, as long as she could continue to smile warmly, then... no matter what hardships and pain he suffered, it didnt matter.
All he wanted in this life was her happiness... So, Atticus Finch, you have to hold on, since the play has come to this point, then there is no way back!
At this moment, a sudden ringtone from a mobile phone broke the deathly silence.
It was Scarletts phone.
Scarlett numbly picked up the phone, the call was from Tom Robinson.
"Scarlett, have you told Atticus about your pregnancy? Did he explode with joy when he found out?"
Ha... she looked up.
Explode with joy? He Atticus Finch never intended to have her child, how could he be happy?
Scarlett clutched the phone tightly, she wanted to tell Tom Robinson that Atticus had changed, that all of them were wrong, Atticus didnt love her, Atticus had never... loved her!
"Scarlett?" Tom Robinsons sensitive mind noticed something was wrong, his voice filled with concern.
But before Scarlett could answer, Atticus had already taken the phone from her and hung up directly.
Atticus held the phone, his eyes cold, "What? After getting pregnant, the first person you thought of was Tom Robinson?" Then he sneered, "I said, why did you suddenly get pregnant."
Atticuss words were stabbing her heart.
How could Scarlett not understand what Atticus meant, he obviously didnt believe that the child in her belly was his!
"How can you think like this? Atticus, even if you dont love me, you cant slander me like this! The child in my belly is clearly yours——"
"Enough, do I care whose child is in your belly?" Atticus interrupted her coldly, "No, I only care whether you used protection when you were in bed with those people, dont give me any diseases."
"What... what are you saying..."
Scarlett was almost out of breath from such insulting words, her pale face devoid of any blood color, her eyes filled with pain and bitterness.
How could he treat her like this?
In these five years, in order to be a perfect wife, she had paid so much that everyone could see, and the result she got was this insult.
She understood, the man in front of her had no feelings for her at all, or maybe he never had.
Scarletts thin body looked even more haggard under the dim light, her lips tightly clenched without a trace of blood color.
Facing Atticus, she felt so unfamiliar and dared not approach, the embrace she had relied on for five years was now as cold as an abyss, and the arms that once held her tightly would not open to her.
Atticus saw such a Scarlett and felt an unbearable pain in his heart, he could no longer continue to speak harshly, he could only throw the pen and paper in front of Scarlett and said, "Dont play tricks, I will send someone to pick up the agreement tomorrow."
After Atticus left, Scarlett sat in the room, hugging her legs, staring blankly at the divorce agreement in front of her.
Tomorrow... tomorrow she would have to face everything, she didnt want a divorce! She couldnt get a divorce!
The thunder outside the window sounded, and Scarlett suddenly thought of George Wilson, who had forced Atticus to marry her, and now this result, George Wilson must be able to help her! Only George Wilson could help her!
Scarlett panicked and picked up the phone to call George Wilson, as soon as the call connected, Scarlett said helplessly, "Dad! He, he wants to divorce me... Atticus wants to divorce me, what should I do?"
"Dont worry, Scarlett, I didnt expect the Finch family to actually raise such an ungrateful son..." George Wilsons voice paused on the other end of the phone, as if thinking for a long time, and continued, "You come over to my place first, tell me the details, and I will think of a way for you."
George Wilson hung up the phone without waiting for an answer, he had been worried that Scarlett was too well protected by Atticus and had no chance to start, and he couldnt help but send it to the door.
George Wilson waved behind him and said, "Go and pick up Miss Buchanan as well."
On the other side, holding onto George Wilson as a lifeline, Scarlett didnt think much, she just wanted to leave this prison before dawn, she couldnt wait for George Wilson to send someone over, she wouldnt be able to hide then!
Scarlett understood that there were bodyguards outside the door, she could only open the window and climb out.
But as soon as she touched the ground, the pouring rain immediately drenched her, she shivered from the cold, hugging her body and looking around, but the rain was so heavy that the world was blurred, and there was nothing but a faint light in the distance. She couldnt tell which road led to the Finch family, and she didnt know the direction.
But she couldnt think much, the voice inside the window was almost at the door, Scarlett could only bite her teeth and run towards the light.
She didnt know how long she had been running, Scarlett felt that her legs couldnt take another step, she could only find a bridge hole that could shelter from the rain and stop to spend the night.
So cold! She was so cold!
Scarlett was only wearing a drenched dress hiding in the bridge hole, the cold wind and rain were blowing straight into the hole. She could only grit her teeth and hold on, holding on until dawn to go to the Finch family.
And Scarletts whole body was cold, as if even her bones were permeated with the wind.
After a while, Scarlett curled up and fell asleep.
"Waste!"
Atticus shouted, his clenched fist slamming into the wall. He had only been away for a while, and such a large group of people couldnt even watch over a woman!
It was still raining outside, Scarletts health was not good to begin with, and she was pregnant now!
Atticus couldnt imagine how much determination Scarlett had to run away, and he didnt dare to imagine what she was experiencing now, he just wanted to find her as soon as possible, hold her in his arms, and never let go.
"Go and find her for me! Before dawn, even if you have to turn the earth upside down, find her! And remember, dont let my father know about this." Atticus turned to look at Nick Carraway beside him, his brows tightly locked, and his eyes filled with anger.
"Yes!" Nick Carraway slightly bowed, then left with a full room of people driving away.
Please note that this translation and adaptation maintain the essence and dramatic tension of the original text while transforming it into a narrative that fits within an American context.