Scarlett OHara was ensnared in a long and terrifying dream. In the dream, it was the day before her sister Calpurnias wedding to Tom Joad. Calpurnia, with a show-off attitude, had insisted on dragging her to try on a wedding dress. Despite her heartache, Scarlett had agreed, almost masochistically. She wanted to witness how Tom, who had always been blind to her own affection, would bestow his tenderness upon another woman, seeking to see when she could finally let go.
However, before they could reach the bridal shop, she and Calpurnia were kidnapped. Several rough men bound them, leaving them utterly defenseless. The two sisters were confined in a cold, dilapidated warehouse, clad in thin garments, hugging each other for warmth.
Before long, the rusty iron door in the darkness opened, and several menacing men strode in, forcibly taking Calpurnia away. Then, she heard her sisters woeful, heart-wrenching cries echoing in her ears, agonizing to the extreme.
She was terrified, guarded by men who wouldnt let her leave, so she could only curl up in the corner, hugging herself, desperately waiting for a miracle.
Perhaps it was a last shred of conscience, or perhaps her pleas stirred a sense of compassion, but one of the men guarding her covertly set her free, showing her the way to escape.
However, he refused to disclose Calpurnias whereabouts. She had no choice but to flee overnight, rushing straight to Tom Joads home, begging him to save her sister.
Without a word, Tom sped off in his car, but when they arrived at the broken warehouse, she found her sister lying unclothed in the snow, her eyes fixed on the sky, her body already cold.
"Scarlett! Is this why you brought me here? To show me this?" Tom Joad stormed forward, taking off his clothes to cover Calpurnia, his furious eyes glaring at her as he roared.
"No... no... how could this be..." Scarlett was too shocked to speak; she had never anticipated this scene.
But no matter how much she explained, she couldnt change the fact that Calpurnia was gone.
Scarlett collapsed to the ground, her eyes dull as she stared at her sisters lifeless body, consumed by self-blame.
If only she had taken Calpurnia with her when she escaped, perhaps this wouldnt have happened...
However, Tom Joad, out of his mind with grief and loss, vented all his resentment on Scarlett.
"Youve gone too far! Shes your sister, for Gods sake! Scarlett, how could you be so cruel! Was it because I loved her, because I was going to marry her? I didnt expect you to harm your own kin out of jealousy! You disgust me!"
Tom Joad was nearly frantic, his hateful gaze piercing Scarletts heart, leaving no room for her to explain.
She didnt plan to explain either; after all, she felt responsible for Calpurnias death and felt unworthy of justifying herself.
"I will never fall in love with a wicked woman like you. Scarlett! You will pay the price!"
Despite everyones objections, Scarlett married Tom Joad as she had wished, but on their wedding day, Tom Joad never showed up, leaving her to face a sea of ridicule alone.
From that day on, he tormented her relentlessly, often coming home drunk to berate her with his cold, cutting words and even beating her until her body was covered in bruises.
Over time, Scarlett began to fear him, fleeing like a trapped chick whenever she saw him, desperate to escape yet with no way out.
But more than fear, her heart ached because she loved him, and he hated her, with a resolute and indifferent hatred that was etched into his very bones, yet she couldnt help but love him despite it all.
Thus, the best five years of her life were buried along with her love for Tom Joad, gone without a trace.
"Scarlett! I want your life!" Tom Joad shouted, choking her by the neck. Her face turned scarlet instantly, unable to utter a word until she rolled her eyes back and stuck out her tongue, at which point he released his grip. "I wont let you die so easily; I want you to live in agony, worse than death!"
"Ah!" Scarlett screamed, jolting awake, her forehead drenched in sweat as she looked around in terror.
The memories of the dream kept replaying in her mind, each scene becoming increasingly vivid because that nightmare was, in fact, the reality...