"I will think about it tomorrow. Tomorrow is another day." Scarlett had told herself this multiple times every day for the past few weeks since Rhett had left her. Rhett. Just the thought of him was enough to send Scarlett into fit of anger or depression; depending on how much brandy she drank that day. Days started to blur into weeks after the separation and Scarlett was no longer able to tell what day it was. She had never felt such crushing defeat in her life. At least when she was starving in the months after the war ended, she always held hope that she could find a way to no longer feel hungry. There was no hope of getting Rhett back.

The only thing worse than the knowledge that she could no longer get Rhett back was the sight of her body. It was as if she was withering away before her very eyes. Her soft, supple curves were gone and were replaced by a lank body so repulsive to her that she started to avoid mirrors, going so far as to have the house servants remove the mirrors in the hallways and foyer. God forbid she see her body nevertheless her face. Scarlett's once full face was now gaunt and devoid of color. Her luminous green eyes were now glassy and lacking the fire that had burned there for years. Hollow was the only way she could describe herself.

"Miss Scarlett, it's your birthday. Didn't you remember?" asked mammy in response to Scarlett's angry tirade at seeing a large birthday cake with a "29" painted on the top in the dining room. Seeing the cake didn't remind her it was her birthday, in fact, she had been counting down the days till it came; not out of excitement but out of sheer terror of what the day represented. Not only did it symbolize her final year in her twenties, but it also meant that Rhett had left her over six months ago.

"I didn't ask for this! Get this out of my sight so help me God!" Scarlett screamed at the servants. They immediately responded by taking the cake out of the room and into the kitchen. No one dared to emerge again for fear of becoming the object of Scarlett's fury. Witnessing her slow decline into alcoholism and insanity was scary enough without her going on the warpath.

Mammy, never one to hold her tongue, was astonished at the audacity of Scarlett's ability to threaten the staff and anyone who came over to see her. Alcohol had eaten away at what good was left in her after the separation and left behind an angry shell of a person.

"You need to see what you have become! Rhett is gone and it's time to move on child," Mammy stated before exiting the room, leaving Scarlett dumbfounded. She knew she had become hell on wheels, but now Mammy was putting her in her place. Easy for her to say, thought Scarlett as she left the dining room and started up the stairs.

The house was uncomfortably quiet and this was also due to Scarlett's alcohol induced erratic behavior. In the midst of her brandy haze, she had become even more negligent than usual towards the needs of Ella and Wade. Mammy and the house servants did what they could, but it was not enough. Somehow, Rhett found out about this and had the children forcibly removed from the house and taken to a boarding school in Charleston so he could keep an eye on them. Not only did this infuriate Scarlett, but it made her miss him even more. Here he was, showing how much he cared for her children, but yet he left her behind with only a note.

Dear Mrs. Butler,

I'm taking Ella and Wade to enroll them in a boarding school here in Charleston. They will be getting the best of care since you are not providing it yourself. I urge you from the bottom of my heart to get better. Expect a visit from me in the coming weeks. I promised you that I would keep up appearances and I intend to do so.

Sincerely,

Rhett

Having Rhett see her in the state she was in scared her more than the possibility of her seeing herself in a mirror. She had her servants go into town periodically to listen for murmurs of Rhett's coming visit and when he was coming to Atlanta, she ran away for an impromptu trip to New Orleans to avoid him. Rhett was furious when he found out what she did and left a threat behind with Mammy along the lines of cutting off Scarlett's access to his money and all payments to do with the property would be stopped unless she was there the next time he came to Atlanta. Scarlett was dreading this impending visit.

Fueled by the desire to avoid the significance of the day, Scarlett went back to her room and started in on a fresh bottle of brandy. As she got closer to the bottom of the bottle, she slowly started to forget it was her birthday and the pain of the last six months. The anger she felt towards herself for being so affected by a man leaving her started to lift and her heavy heart started to feel a little lighter. Just when Scarlett got to the point where she was swearing off ever seeing Rhett again, she passed out on her bedroom floor with the bottle of brandy still clutched in her small, porcelain colored hand and with the remaining brandy spilling on to the floor. It was because of this that she failed to notice that Rhett was attempting to break down the bedroom door.