The thunder rumbled incessantly as Scarlett OHara clutched the bedsheet tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force of her grip. She felt as if she was holding onto the last shreds of her sanity amidst the chaos of her crumbling world. The words Atticus Finch had hurled at her were like daggers, each one piercing deeper than the last.
"So... all this time, I was nothing more than a pawn to you?" Scarletts voice trembled as she tried to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over. The room was spinning, and she could hardly breathe.
"No, in my eyes, you were merely a tool for a marriage of convenience. We both got what we wanted," Atticus replied coldly, his words devoid of any emotion.
"Atticus! Then all your kindness, your affection, your care for me over the past five years... was it all a lie?" Scarletts voice rose, her pain and anger bubbling to the surface.
"All of it," Atticus said with a sneer, "It was all for show. You should look at yourself in the mirror, Scarlett. Youre a mess, and quite frankly, youre repulsive."
The words hit Scarlett like a physical blow. She took a step back, her hand instinctively moving to her abdomen, where their unborn child lay. "But Im carrying your child, Atticus. How can you be so heartless?"
"Is it even mine? Or is it Tom Robinsons?" Atticus questioned with a mocking laugh, his eyes filled with disdain.
Scarlett felt her world tilt on its axis. She had never expected Atticus to doubt the childs paternity. The pain in her chest was unbearable, as if her heart was being ripped apart.
"You cant believe that, Atticus. Even if you dont love me, you cant possibly think I would betray you!" Scarlett pleaded, her voice breaking.
"Enough! I dont care whose child it is. If you dont want a divorce, then get rid of it," Atticus said harshly, pointing towards her abdomen.
Scarletts eyes widened in shock and horror. "How can you say that? This is your child! Your own flesh and blood!"
"Is it?" Atticus scoffed, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Scarlett, why dont you tell me why you never got pregnant in the five years weve been married?"
The question hung in the air like a guillotine, ready to sever the last threads of hope that Scarlett held onto. She stared at Atticus, her mind racing for an answer that would make sense of this nightmare.
"I... I dont know," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
"Because I didnt want us to have a child," a voice interjected from the doorway. Daisy Buchanan stepped into the room, her presence as unwelcome as a storm on a clear day.
Scarletts eyes snapped to Daisy, her heart pounding in her chest. "What are you talking about?"
"I made sure you couldnt have a child with Atticus," Daisy confessed, a cruel smile playing on her lips. "I paid off your maid to slip contraceptives into your food, and Atticus knew about it."
Scarletts legs threatened to give way beneath her. The betrayal cut deep, and she struggled to remain standing. "You... you did what?"
"I did what was necessary to protect whats mine," Daisy said, her voice icy. "Atticus has always loved me, not you. Our marriage was a mistake, a blip in our story. And now, its time to correct that mistake."
Scarlett looked from Daisy to Atticus, searching for any sign that this was all a cruel joke. But the cold indifference in Atticuss eyes told her everything she needed to know.
Her heart shattered into a million pieces, and with a broken whisper, she asked, "Is that true, Atticus?"
Atticus met her gaze, his voice as cold as the winter wind when he replied, "Its true, Scarlett. Its time for you to let go."
The room seemed to close in around Scarlett as the truth settled like a heavy weight on her chest. She had lost everything—her love, her family, her future. And as the storm outside raged on, so did the tempest within her, leaving her with nothing but the bitter taste of betrayal and the cold embrace of hopeless.