In the largest hospital of Maycomb, within the VIP ward, Scarlett OHara sat up abruptly, drenched in cold sweat, startling the person beside her.
"What are you doing! You scared me half to death!" A shrill voice pierced the air, and Scarlett instantly recognized it as her stepmothers—Calpurnias biological mother.
Regaining her composure, Scarlett turned to look at her stepmother, who was sitting with her legs crossed, looking at her with a sidelong glance. "I had a nightmare," she replied indifferently.
"Humph, youre dreaming about the time your sister died, werent you? It seems that those who do bad things cannot be at peace. You even have the audacity to marry your sisters husband. I have never seen a woman as shameless as you!" Her stepmother spoke with a mocking tone, without even looking at her properly.
Scarlett was used to such acrid remarks and did not argue. She looked around and realized that she was in a real hospital room, with only her and her stepmother present.
With no other choice, Scarlett turned to her stepmother again and asked, "How is my child?"
"Oh, you still know youre pregnant? You dont know how desperate you are. Youre not restrained even when youre pregnant, and now the child is gone. I think this is your retribution! Who told you to kill Winter back then? Now, God has opened his eyes and taught you a lesson!" Her stepmother said with satisfaction, but whenever she mentioned her daughter, she would glare at Scarlett maliciously.
"The child... is gone?" Although Scarlett had been prepared for this, when the moment finally came, her heart was still wrenched as if it had been torn out, leaving her with an empty shell.
"Am I supposed to lie to you? This is your deserved retribution! Humph, dont even talk about your child; even if you died, you couldnt pay for my daughters life!" The more her stepmother spoke, the more excited she became, quite satisfied with Scarletts half-dead appearance.
However, Scarlett could no longer hear what she was saying. All she could hear was the crying of a baby, getting louder and louder in her ears, as if it was her childs complaint about not wanting to leave.
Tears fell from the corners of her eyes, and her stepmother, seeing her like this, wanted to come forward to scold her more. At this moment, the door of the ward slowly opened.
A strong man in a white coat walked in. Seeing Scarlett, he rushed to her side and asked softly, "Summer, how do you feel? Is there any discomfort?"
However, Scarlett, with her head down and tears streaming silently, couldnt hear any sound and only thought about her unborn child.
"Hey, the real husband hasnt come to visit yet, and youre quite diligent, Dr. Nick Carraway. It seems that the doctor is very idle and has time to be a backup here!" Her stepmother snorted coldly, glanced at the two of them with disdain, and left.
At this time, the ward finally became quiet. Nick Carraway looked at the dazed Scarlett with heartache, his hands on her shoulders, and said softly, "Summer, dont be like this. Tom Joads child is better off not being born. Its just right to draw a clear line with him. Dont be silly again, okay?"
Hearing the name Tom Joad, Scarlett instantly came back to her senses, looked at the man in front of her, and tears flowed like waves, unable to stop. She choked, "Thank you, Nick, I want to be alone for a while, please go out, okay?"
"Summer, why are you suffering like this..." Nick Carraway wanted to persuade more, but he didnt expect to be interrupted by a cold voice from the door.
Tom Joad had already stood at the door of the ward, staring angrily at the ambiguous posture of the two, and said in a low voice, "My wife, when did it become your turn to manage, Dr. Carraway?"