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Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback.

Chapter Nine

Scarlett had gone to Uncle Henry's the next morning. She had signed the divorce settlement that very morning without any more hesitation. She had finally accepted that she was ruined in the South whether she divorced Rhett or not and therefore Wade and Ella were ruined also. She had known in that moment that she had been ruined the moment she married Rhett. It had been the worst mistake of her life. She had decided that moving North was what was best for Wade and Ella. She would send Wade to his father's alma mater in Boston, Estes Preparatory School.

Scarlett smiled. She had been at peace. Rhett might call her greedy, but she was still supporting everyone from there to Charleston including Ashley, India, and Aunt PittyPat. She was probably supporting Uncle Henry in a roundabout way. A half a million dollars was a lot of money to turn down just to stay married to that rat bastard Rhett Butler. The man that had once been her best friend then became her worst enemy. If he would treat her so badly when he thought he loved her, how badly would he treat her when he only felt pity and kindness for her. Especially if he felt resentment because she would not grant him a divorce.

Scarlett had finally realized that day that nobody in the old Southern society would ever receive her again unless she humbled herself and begged their forgiveness. Not Scarlett O'Hara. She was made of stronger stuff than Rhett Butler. She had also realized that they were never going to let her forget her mistakes. Darn it all, the matrons were still continuing to ask her where Rhett was as if to remind her that her husband had left her. Like she didn't know Rhett was no longer living in Atlanta.

After the family had come back from their time in the North, Scarlett had started crossing the street to avoid having conversations with any of the gentry. She got perverse pleasure out of basically snubbing the gentry. The only people she didn't snub were India and PittyPat. Not because she didn't want to but because she had to deal with them in regard to Beau and Wade.

No, the Yankees were the only people who would receive her now. In truth, it was the only course of action for her and her children. She had hoped to develop friendships with the people there. She hadn't planned on ever marrying again. The first three times were awful with the last one being sheer torture. She certainly had not wanted to have any more children, but she had learned her lesson with Rhett and would never ban Patrick from her bed. In a perfect moment she had told him she didn't want to have any more children. He had not wanted anymore children also. He had done his best to make sure she never had any more children.

Scarlett would never know but if she had talked to Rhett about not having any more children at a more ideal time, (not when she had just returned from Ashley's sawmill) would he have been more reasonable? She would never know. It was hard to say. Rhett was already filled with anger and frustration with her at that time. It didn't matter now but once again she had behaved like a child. Only concerned about what she had wanted at the time.

Scarlett had lost everything she had ever valued. Her family, her reputation, Tara, her innocence and even two of her four children. She was jaded and hard now. Even more so than when she had been married to Frank. She had thought she would have that happy, carefree life she had when she was a child back once she had married Rhett. She had stupidly thought the only reason she didn't have a happy life was because she didn't have any money and, of course, she didn't have Ashley.

Scarlett hadn't had that happy life. She had hell instead. She also hadn't learned yet that money and Ashley were not the answer to all her problems. Of course, in her defense she thought she would get fun loving, annoying Rhett. Scarlett smiled as she thought, 'Rhett told me he didn't love me. I accepted what he had said despite the fact that an observant person would have seen all the clues that the man did love me. The biggest clue being his hatred of Ashley Wilkes. He hated Ashley before he had even met the man. I was so stupid.'

Scarlett could not sell anything until the divorce was final, which would take anywhere from two to six months. Nonetheless, she and the children had packed everything up they wanted to keep and left Atlanta before May the first. Everything else had been left at the mansion except the mattresses and pillows she had sent to Hamilton House. She had sent them the items from the guest bedrooms. The rooms that had never been occupied except by Rhett. They had never had any guests.

During Scarlett's last week in Atlanta, she had seen her friend Cora Garett at one of the teas that were still being given by some of the Yankee wives that had put down roots in Atlanta.

Cora said, "I heard Rhett left town."

"Yes."

"Are you all getting a divorce?"

Despite the fact that Scarlett had signed the divorce papers, she said, "Of course not, Rhett is just traveling on business."

"Of course. If you decide to sale your mansion Kyle and I are interested in buying it."

"Really?"

"Yes, we both like the Swiss chalet design."

"I will let you know if I decide to sell it."

"Of course. Did you hear about Vera Mills?"

"What?"

"She was caught having an affair with one of her stable boys."

Scarlett put her hands over her mouth to stop herself from bursting out laughing. Finally, she said, "Vera is forty if she is a day."

"More like fifty. I hear it isn't the first time Mr. Mills caught her au naturel." This time Scarlett did burst out laughing. Cora continued, "It is also rumored that he can't get the job done and that is why she uses the hired help."

"Which one?"

"The Irish one."

"The Irish always get the job done."

"True."

"What else have you heard?"

"I have heard that James Bradley is interested in you if you were to get a divorce."

With a smile Scarlett said, "Unfortunately for Mr. Bradley I'm not getting a divorce."

"Well, if things change let me know, I can fix you two up."

Scarlett had laughed. Cora was one of those people that could say the most outrageous things, and nobody got offended. The ladies talked for the rest of the afternoon. Scarlett had been happy when she had left the tea. It was a happy memory of her time with the Scallawag and Republican wives. Yes, they had not been proper people but that was why they had been so much fun.

The children and Scarlett had spent a week at Tara before they had moved to Boston. As Scarlett was leaving, she hugged Mammy. The older woman said, "It will all work out."

Scarlett had smiled sadly and said, "No it won't. I will miss you probably more than anyone else. Nonetheless, it is time for me to finally grow up. 1 Corinthians 13-11. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child, but I have put away my childish ways and have begun to think like an adult. - I never understood what Rhett meant about me being a child because I was thinking like a child. He never explained. I understand now because I am thinking like an adult. Goodbye."

The passages Gerald had underlined were the entire book 1 Corinthians 13. Scarlett now knew the book very well.

"You certainly are no longer thinking like a child."

Mammy couldn't help but think that part of the specialness of Miss Scarlett was lost now that she was no longer filled with childish spirit.

Scarlett turned to Suellen and had said, "You may take over my room. I won't be needing it anymore."

"You aren't going to come visit anymore?"

"No, I am getting a divorce and moving up North."

"I can't believe you are going to live in the North."

"I certainly can't live in the South anymore after my divorce. No more questions, Sue. Henry Hamilton will know how to get in touch with me. Goodbye."

"But… Scarlett, wait."

Scarlett just kept walking to the wagon. Finally, Suellen said, "Goodbye."

Nobody spoke on the way to Jonesboro. As Scarlett got down from the wagon, she said, "Goodbye Will. Take care of Tara and everyone else. Here is a key to the mansion. It is at 106 Peachtree Lane. If there is anything you and Sue want from the mansion, take it. Tell the Fontaines and the Tarletons but not the MacIntoshes or the Slatterys."

Will had smiled and said, "A new beginning is a great thing. It worked out for me."

As Scarlett got on the train, she thought, 'If I am half as lucky as Will, I will have a good life.'

The residents of Clayton County had gone to Atlanta, and they had taken a lot of items. Nonetheless, there were still a lot of items still in the mansion when the Garretts moved in.

Scarlett had let all her servants go including Pork, Dilcey and Prissy. She gave Pork, Dilcey and Prissy a hundred dollars each. She said, "I'm going to miss you."

The servants had all said, "I will miss you too."

After the fact, Scarlett had realized that there had been a fifth reason to sign the divorce papers. At any time, Rhett could have decided to stop her support payments and started making her life a living hell until she signed the papers. He could have offered her nothing in the end. At least, by signing the papers when she did, she had over a half a million dollars. She had sold the mansion for eighteen thousand dollars. She had gone to New York and sold most of her jewelry including that tacky engagement ring Rhett had given her. One more practical joke at her expense.

After Scarlett had moved to Boston and started decorating her new home, she realized there was a sixth reason for signing the papers. Rhett could have decided not to give her a divorce but instead moved back in with her. Not to make their marriage work but to torture her for the rest of her life.

Scarlett took the money that she had made from selling the mills and bought a five-bedroom Brownstone in the Back Bay. It was only five years old. It was strange to her because it was attached to the Brownstone next to it. Theirs was on the end. She hired a small staff because for now she was not going to entertain. She was still getting Rhett's allowance checks, but she was very frugal with her money for she knew he could stop sending her an allowance any time he wanted. After she got her settlement check from Rhett, she had made some upgrades.

Unbelievably Cathy Calvert Hilton and her husband lived in Boston also. They, in fact, lived two doors down in a brownstone also. Cathy looked good. Cathy had done what she had to do to put food in her stomach and a roof over her head. Just like Scarlett had when she married Frank. Cathy had accepted her new life and was striving to make the best of that life. Just as Scarlett had finally accepted her new life. Scarlett had begun to accept it when she finally saw that Ashley had never been the man she had thought he was. She now knew that she too had been holding on to the dream. The dream of the life she should have lived. Ashley, Tara, and living her life on a plantation had all been part of the dream.

Neither Scarlett nor Cathy would ever live on a plantation and have the life they had always thought they would have. For sixteen years she had been groomed to be the mistress of a fine plantation. For three years she had really just waited for the war to be over so she could return to her former life. For the next four years she had done what she had needed to do to survive. The next six years she had done what she needed to do to survive then also but it was a totally different type of survival.

Cathy and Scarlett soon became friends again. They were friends again, but they would never be those naïve girls on the stairwell that day at Twelve Oaks. Scarlett knew that both she and Cathy were jaded by the events that had happened to them. Strangely Scarlett worked especially hard to make sure Wade and Ella didn't become any more scarred than they were already.