chapter one: the beginning

"You don't understand," said Gatsby, with a touch of panic. "You're not going to take care of her anymore."

"I'm not?" Tom opened his eyes wide and laughed. He could afford to control himself now. "Why's that?"

"Daisy's leaving you."

"Nonsense."

"I am, though," she said with visible effort.

"She's not leaving me!" Tom's words suddenly leaned down over Gatsby. "Certainly not for a common swindler who'd have to steal the ring he put on her finger."

Jordan stepped forward. I looked at her, inquiring the purpose of her actions with a mere glance, and in that split second I knew I would come to accept the obvious fact that things were over between us.

"No need to worry about that happening, Tom," Jordan intervened. "Because Daisy is leaving you for me. Not Gatsby."

Tom and Gatsby were appalled, and looked into each other's eyes in panic, intensely and silently questioning the alarming event that was unraveling before them, seeking answers and wondering whether or not the other knew about it all along.

Daisy could not grasp the words she was eagerly searching for. She must delicately deliver the news that would change their lives as if a hurricane, and such a thing was difficult to do on the spot.

"I…" Daisy struggled to speak the truth for once, "It's true."

Daisy searched for Jordan's eyes, to be solaced by the one she loves. Jordan acknowledged this longing, and gravitated toward Daisy, placing her hand on her shoulder to confirm her devotion.

There was still a hint of alarm in Daisy's eyes. She had been wearing a guise her whole life, and she was not yet mentally prepared to shed this layer that had kept her hidden for so long. This first step would require all of the courage she could summon, so she took a deep breath, exhaled and then put her right foot forward, taking her first step into an unconventional life of happiness, devoid of structure or social status.

"It's true," she began, with tears in her eyes, "I…I love Jordan and we are leaving together," she admitted, with a hint of shame married to her newfound freedom.

Tom moved forward to object, but Gatsby in all his hurt and disillusionment, held him back. Gatsby had realized Daisy was finally being open to us, and that what he said was wrong: you cannot repeat the past. In this moment he quickly matured/grew to understand my loss as well, and that all of our lives would be changing in unimaginable ways. In order to move on, this change cannot be avoided nor ignored.

Jordan established intimate eye contact with Daisy, in lieu of directing her gaze to the door. Daisy nodded in agreement, and they left the building, hand in hand.

to be continued...