Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

Author's Note: When I read what Rhett said to Scarlett when he was proposing I want to shake Scarlett for marrying him. He insults her several times during his proposal and physically assaults her. Although Scarlett is offended, Rhett distracts her by talking about the huge ring he is going to buy her. Scarlett marries him anyway without making him apologize first. In this story she doesn't marry him anyway. She makes him work to get her to the altar.

The italicize words are from the book.

Scarlett said, "Well, don't fly off the handle so, because I didn't lie and make you feel conceited. You aren't in love with me, are you? Why should I be in love with you?'

'No, my dear, I'm not in love with you, no more than you are with me, and if I were, you would be the last person I'd ever tell. God help the man who ever really loves you. You'd break his heart, my darling, cruel, destructive little cat who is so careless and confident she doesn't even trouble to sheathe her claws.' He jerked her to her feet and kissed her again, but this time his lips were different for he seemed not to care if he hurt her—seemed to want to hurt her, to insult her. His lips slid down to her throat and finally he pressed them against the taffeta over her breast, so hard and so long that his breath burnt to her skin.

Her hands struggled up, pushing him away in outraged modesty. 'You mustn't! How dare you!'

'Your heart's going like a rabbit's,' he said mockingly. 'All too fast for mere fondness I would think, if I were conceited. Smooth your ruffled feathers. You are just putting on these virginal airs. Tell me what I shall bring you from England. A ring? What kind would you like?'

"No! You shall bring me nothing and I shall not marry you. Get out! And don't ever come back!" Scarlett was practically screaming not caring if everyone in the household heard her. She had enough of Rhett Butler. She had enough of him mocking her and treating her like a child. She had enough of him not treating her with respect or giving her respect. She didn't ever want to see him again.

Rhett smirked as he walked out the door. He said, "But I will be back."

Scarlett thought, 'And I will not be here.' In her drunken rage, she realized that no man had ever given her the respect that she deserved. Nobody gave her any respect. She had built that saw mill from nothing but was she given respect by anyone in the community. No! Not even Ashley! She was drunk enough that all the pain he had put her through burst through her mind. She practically screamed, "Not even that damn Ashley Wilkes!" She didn't care if everyone heard her. She was tired of nobody giving her the respect she deserved. Nobody did. Rhett Butler didn't. Rhett didn't respect anything or anybody except damn Melanie. She was tired of Ashley not giving her the respect she deserved also. After everything she had done for him Ashley was still as distant as ever if not more so. She was not going to wait around forever while that wishy-washy man kept stringing her along. She had given him so many chances and he had always chosen Melanie. In her drunkenness she had an epiphany right then and she knew that was the truth. It wasn't his honor that kept him with Melanie but God's Nightgown his love. He loved Melanie. As if she had been hit by a wet fish in the face, she knew it was the truth. She remembered something he had said in the library that day…." I never at any time said…" She knew! He knew that he had given her the appearance of courting her. That was why he knew he had never said anything binding toward matrimony. He had called on her every week for two years. She was his second choice. If Melanie died, he would marry her. Melanie was healthier than he had expected. Scarlett laughed. It was her that had kept Melanie alive.

As she walked up the stairs to her room a great sadness envelope her. It seems both Ashley and Rhett thought Melly was better than she was. She had to get away from both of them. They could both moon over Melanie Hamilton Wilkes for all she cared. She was going to move back to Tara. She was going to sell everything. She would go see Uncle Henry tomorrow. She laid down and went to sleep. She only woke to feed Ella. She slept without a nightmare. The first time since before she left Atlanta during the war.

She was woken up by Wade in the morning. She looked at his face and for a moment she thought it was Charlie. The tears sprang to her eyes so fast she couldn't stop them. She hugged her son until he squealed. Scarlett said without thinking, "Oh Wade. I've missed you." She saw so much love on that four-year old's face and she thought at least Wade prefers me to Melly.

She saw Melly in the door and with the light behind her she looked like an angel.

Scarlett said to Melly, "Rhett asked me to marry him."

Before Scarlett could say anymore Melly said, "Oh darling if you marry him you will be ostracized by society like him."

Scarlett thought another reason not to marry him. She said, "That is why I said no."

"How did he take it?"

"I first said yes then I changed my mind and said no. I don't think he took my no seriously. But I was serious. I will never marry again. Melly, I have to go see Uncle Henry can you watch the children or is it too much with Ashley being ill." The thought that Rhett had not taken her 'no' seriously made her mad at him all over again.

"Right now, Ashley is mostly sleeping so I can watch the children."

Scarlett got out of bed and said, "I will bring them over after I get them fed."

"I will just take Wade back with me."

"No. I want to stay with Mama." That statement made Scarlett feel so good.

"I will keep Wade with me."

Scarlett fed Ella and Wade then got dressed. She dropped the children off at Melanie's and hurried to Uncle Henry's. She was going to sell her mills today.

As she drove to Uncle Henry's she thought about what she had realized last night and she knew she was right. Ashley didn't love her. He just wanted her body and her admiration. She smiled at the ironicness of her situation. She had always held Ashley up as such a great gentleman to Rhett and he definitely was a gentleman. That was why he could not tell her the truth the way she had needed to be told the truth because he was too much of a gentleman to ever speak to a lady that way. Her Pa had told her, Old Miss Fontaine had told her. She had been so determinately blind to all the facts showing her the truth about Ashley. He had even told her the truth in the orchard that day. He had told her he didn't love her. He had not cared enough about her to stop her from going to Atlanta to sell herself to Rhett. With this acceptance of the truth a great sadness fell upon Scarlett. She was sadder than she had ever been. Frank was dead, Ashley wasn't what she thought he was, and all Rhett wanted of her was her body. She felt a tear run down her face but she didn't wipe it away. Everyone would expect her to be teary eyed.

When she got to Uncle Henry's office, he saw her right away. He offered his condolences.

Scarlett had thanked him taken out her handkerchief and finally wiped away the tears. She said, "I'm sorry to be so crude but how much money did Frank leave me."

"He had a life insurance policy that will pay out ten thousand dollars. He had the store. He did have a savings account at 1st Atlanta Bank with a little bit more than two hundred dollars in it and that is it."

"Ten thousand dollars. If I sold the store how much could I get?" She thought, 'That was my two hundred dollars.' And it made her mad all over again. Frank could take her money and she couldn't do anything about it because he was her husband.

"The store is worth maybe fifteen hundred but probably closer to twelve hundred."

"I want to sell the store and I want to sell the mills for sure. I want twenty-five hundred for my share in both mills"

"Why are you selling the mills? I thought you said they were a gold mine."

"Not any more. They are cursed."

Scarlett looked so serious that all Henry could do is say, "I think I know of a buyer. I will get in contact with him. Does Ashley want to sell his half?"

"I don't know. I didn't want to disturb him while he was sleeping this morning. You can ask him."

"I need to go visit him to check on his health so I will ask him then. My dear, one thing I want to tell you. It is none of my business what you do but I want you to know that if you remarry your husband immediately has legal control of everything you own, and he has custody of your children even though they aren't his children."

Scarlett smiled and said, "Then I better not marry again. Thank you, Uncle Henry." As she left the lawyer's office, she resolved that nobody was going to steal her hard-earned money away from her ever again.

As she was driving home, she saw Mrs. Merriwether and the older woman waved her down. Scarlett thought, 'She is probably going to lecture me on it being improper for me to be out in public so quickly after Frank's death. I am sad enough that I will just cry.'

Before Mrs. Merriwether could say anything, Scarlett burst into tears. Everything that had happened in the last week had just been too much for her. She had never felt so alone in her entire life. Mrs. Merriwether patted her hand and said, "There, there, child. You will survive this."

Scarlett said in between sobs, "I went to see Uncle Henry to find out, sob, sob, sob, Ella, sob, sob, sob, Wade and me, sob, sob, sob. Frank and Tommy, sob, sob, sob, I was such a dumb bunny. Sob, sob, sob.

Mrs. Merriwether said, "Child, you need to go home and rest. Things will be better tomorrow."

Scarlett nodded her head although she really didn't think so. She said, "No they won't but I will go home and rest."