The Scarlet Letter Novels & Stories

SCARLETT I, Scarlett Hilary, never imagined betrayal could wear the face of the woman who gave me life. My mother, Maria, once draped in black mourning for my father, now wears a white lace as though grief can be erased with vows spoken too soon. She calls it love. I call it treachery.

Why couldn’t they just talk to her, just try to find out what was going on with her, instead of rushing to condemn her? Scarlet flew over her house, high above, and saw it, somewhere down below amidst the lights flickering between the trees. She knew it would be so easy to just dive down and enter it. And yet, the easiest route was also the hardest. Scarlet felt she couldn’t go home, felt that she didn’t really have a home anymore to go home to. Something inside her had irrevocably changed. She didn’t really trust her parents anymore, and she didn’t trust them to understand what she was going through.

She took her usual seat in the third row, hyper-aware of every movement. Today’s lecture was on The Scarlet Letter, sin, secrecy, and the delicious torment of hidden passion. How fitting. "Desire thrives in the shadows," Alexander said, his deep voice rolling over the room like velvet thunder. "It intensifies when it’s forbidden. Hester Prynne didn’t just wear the letter A out of shame. Part of her reveled in the knowledge that her lover carried the same burning secret." His gaze locked on Sophia again, holding her captive. She shifted in her seat, pressing her thighs together as warmth pooled between them. He continued speaking, but the words felt directed so

Hard pass. As I towel off, something catches my eye in the mirror, and my heart drops into my stomach. My back. I freeze, the air turning thick and heavy, like I’m suddenly trying to breathe underwater. My hands shake as I stare at what used to be my back, its now a ruined mess of angry red ridges and thick, ropey scars crisscrossing like a roadmap to hell.

The luxurious condo, once a symbol of our love, now resembled a tomb for our broken promises. The gentle radiance of the light only added to the haunting atmosphere, reflecting the devastating truth that was unfolding before me. Their blatant disregard for their surroundings only compounded the pain of betrayal that pierced my heart. My heart raced as my eyes widened in shock. Time seemed to slow down as I processed the heart-wrenching scene before me. Standing in the doorway, bathed in harsh light, I couldn't look away from the betrayal unfolding in front of me.

The way her gaze lingered with unspoken questions, the way her presence stirred something deep inside me that was both comforting and terrifying. I ran my hand along the cold banister as I climbed to my study, the familiar scent of ink and parchment greeting me. Maps of the old lands and records of my family’s legacy cluttered the table. My curse loomed over everything like a shadow I couldn’t escape. I remembered my aunt’s words from nights before, the prophecy that bound me: You will be freed only when you marry the one fate chose for you.

I kept my eyes on Marley, cautious but slightly reassured. “I should leave,” I muttered, moving toward the door. But Marley’s hand shot out, wrapping firmly around my wrist. His grip was strong. “You can’t go out there like this,” he said smoothly, his eyes darting to my torn gown. “Half your dress is hanging off you. Andrew wouldn’t like to see you that way.” I froze, staring at him. He wasn’t wrong. The thought of Andrew walking back in and seeing me exposed made my cheeks burn with shame.

Warning ⚠️ : some mature content present. He made her shiver. He made her melt. He made her want to give herself to him, something she'd sworn she would never do outside marriage. She felt his hand on the button of her dress, could feel the fabric loosening as each slipped through its buttonhole, this was everything she'd sworn she would never do, and yet when her bodice tumbled to her waist, leaving her shamelessly exposed, she gasped his name and arched her back, offering herself to him like some sort of forbidden fruit.

Milady, I know you don't know me and probably will never know me or hear from me after this, but there is something you need to know. My name is Scarlet and I am a bar wench down by the taverns. Your Austin talks about you often, and I know many things about you. The reason I do is because he has slept with me time and again while he was looking for you and assumed you never wanted to see him again. He has no intention of telling you any of this for fear that you will never trust him again. I hope you get all that you deserve, milady. Scarlet

When I went to school the next day, everyone gave me strange stares as expected. I could hear their mean whispers everywhere I went. “Did you hear? Cheryl Summers was the girl in the scandal!” “Seriously? Damn, she looks like such a nice girl too. To think she’s so shameless in private.” “The girl in the photo is so curvy. Phew, Cheryl hid it well.” Some boys stared openly at my body as they walked past, sniggering in a way that made me want to puke. I gripped my water bottle tightly and weaved through the crowd.