Chapter 4.2
1396 Words
Elijah had already dragged Scarlett out of his office.
The door shut behind her with a sharp finality that echoed in the hallway. She stood there blankly, staring at the closed door as if it might open again—if only she wished hard enough. Inside, Camila was still with him. Still touching him. Still where Scarlett believed she belonged.
Her tears fell without pause.
Since when? The question echoed mercilessly in her mind. Since when had they been deceiving her? Since when had Camila started crawling her way into her husband’s arms? Had it begun months ago? Years ago? Had she been blind the entire time?
Scarlett wiped her face helplessly, but the tears only kept coming. It felt as if countless tiny needles were stabbing her heart, over and over again. The pain was suffocating. She pressed a trembling hand over her mouth, refusing to let out a sob loud enough for anyone to hear. There were too many people in the building. Too many witnesses.
She leaned against the cold wall for support.
She couldn’t fight them—not like this. Not when her heart felt shattered. Not when she was carrying a child. The weight of everything was too much.
Slowly, she began to walk away.
She couldn’t feel her feet touching the floor. It was as though she were floating, drifting without direction. Her head remained bowed as silent tears streamed down her cheeks. Her vision blurred so badly that she barely saw where she was going.
She bumped into someone.
A soft groan escaped her lips at the impact, but she didn’t even pause. Compared to the pain in her chest, it was nothing.
“I’m sorry, miss,” a man’s voice said gently.
Scarlett merely lowered her head further.
“Are you okay? Are you crying? Did I hurt you?” the man asked with concern.
She shook her head without looking at him and continued walking.
The man frowned slightly as he watched her retreating figure. There was something familiar about her—something he couldn’t quite place.
“Miss, wait!” he called, about to follow her, but someone grabbed his arm.
He turned, irritated, only to see his secretary.
“Your father has been looking for you for a while now. Where have you been?” he asked.
Jared glanced back in the direction the woman had gone, but she had already disappeared into the crowd.
He exhaled and shook his head. Why did it matter who she was?
With a small nod, he followed his secretary.
Meanwhile, Scarlett walked aimlessly until she found a bench and collapsed onto it.
She had no idea where she was anymore. She had been walking for so long that time felt meaningless. Her mind was blank, hollowed out by shock.
If Elijah threw her out… where would she go?
She felt ashamed at the thought of approaching her grandfather’s friend for help—especially when Elijah was that man’s grandson. Lowering her head, she wiped her tears again and took a deep, trembling breath.
She felt like a stray cat—lost, unwanted, without a home to return to.
There was no one she could ask for help. No one she could run to.
She didn’t know how many hours had passed before her thoughts finally settled enough for her to stand. Once her breathing steadied, she made a decision.
She would go home.
She never imagined her life would turn out this way. She never imagined standing at the edge of losing everything.
For a moment, she felt as though her life had no meaning left. But then her hand instinctively moved to her abdomen.
There was a life growing inside her.
And that tiny life gave her the strength to stand again.
When she arrived home, she sat quietly on their bed. She didn’t pack her things. She didn’t touch her clothes or belongings. She wanted to talk to Elijah properly. She understood that he was angry—furious even—but she believed it was because of what had happened. She was ready to accept her mistake. Ready to accept any punishment he chose to give her.
As long as they didn’t separate.
As long as he didn’t abandon her—especially now that she was pregnant.
When she heard movement in the living room, she shot to her feet and hurried out of the bedroom. Elijah was removing his suit jacket when he looked up and saw her descending the stairs.
His face remained blank.
“What are you still doing here?” he asked sharply. “I told you I don’t want to see you here.”
“Let’s talk first, please,” Scarlett pleaded. “I know you’re angry at me, but can we at least talk about this? Please.”
His heart was unmoved.
“Leave while I still have some respect left for you,” Elijah said coldly. “You humiliated me, and you still expect forgiveness? You think I’ll accept you back into my life? Get out, Scarlett. Leave while I’m still being kind. Take your things and don’t ever show your face to me again. I’m disgusted with you. I can’t even bear to touch you. What if you infect me with something? I never thought you were that kind of woman.”
His words struck harder than any slap.
“Leave before I hurt you,” he added.
Scarlett’s tears fell rapidly. She thought she had already cried out every tear she possessed, but apparently not. It felt as though something sharp was carving through her heart. She remained standing where she was, staring at him as if memorizing his face.
“Sign the divorce agreement,” Elijah continued. “You won’t get a single cent from my assets. Leave with nothing but your personal belongings.”
Scarlett understood then—he had no intention of fixing their marriage.
She walked toward him, her legs trembling, and grabbed his hand before collapsing to her knees.
“Please,” she begged, her voice breaking. “Let’s fix this. I have nowhere else to go. No one else to turn to. Love, I’m begging you. If I have to pay for the pain I caused you, I will. Just don’t leave me. Don’t throw me away. Let’s fix this… please.”
Elijah yanked his hand away in irritation.
“Don’t touch me,” he said harshly, as though she carried something contagious. “You’re not leaving? Marie!”
The head housekeeper hurried over.
“Yes, sir?” she asked, her gaze immediately falling on Scarlett kneeling on the floor. Pity filled her eyes, especially knowing Scarlett was pregnant.
“Throw that woman out of my house,” Elijah ordered authoritatively. “I don’t want to see her here tomorrow. Gather her things and throw them outside.”
The housekeeper hesitated. It was already night, and Scarlett was carrying a child.
“Why don’t you talk about whatever problem you have first?” she couldn’t help but say.
Elijah shot her a furious look.
“There’s nothing left to talk about. Get her out now.”
“But, darling, your wife is pregnant—”
“I am not the father of the child she’s carrying!” Elijah roared. “Throw that shameless woman out!”
Not once did he show even a trace of mercy.
Scarlett could only cry, still kneeling on the cold floor. Her eyes silently begged the housekeeper for help.
Without another word, Elijah turned and went upstairs to their bedroom.
The housekeeper approached Scarlett and gently helped her to her feet.
“The floor is cold, child. You’ll get sick—and so will your baby,” she whispered. “He’s just angry. For your own safety, leave for now. He might hurt you. His anger will pass. When he calms down, I’m sure he’ll come looking for you. Stay at a hotel tonight.”
Scarlett could barely respond.
Suddenly, loud crashing sounds echoed from upstairs.
They both looked up as one item after another came tumbling down the staircase. Elijah was throwing her belongings down, along with a suitcase, the contents scattering across the steps.
Each thud felt like another blow to her heart.
And with every piece of luggage that fell, Scarlett realized that the home she once believed was hers… no longer existed.
- Writer
