Eventually, the neglectful Earl walks out on his wife and leaves town. When Betty Dupre, Billy's wife, slips into the bar to hear her husband sing, she is unwelcome, a hindrance to Dupre and a trespasser as far as Ruby is concerned. Betty's presence is enough to stir jealousy in Ruby and she throws her out of the club. With her husband Earl gone, there's nothing to hold Ruby back. Her attraction to Dupre grows stronger each time they meet. She knows she could be killed for being with a white man. Still, she invites him into her bedroom. Setting out to find her husband with gun in hand, Betty pounds on Ruby's door to confront the lovers. She shoots Billy fatally. Knowing that she will be found guilty for her involvement with a white man, while his wife is forgiven for her crime of passion, Ruby drives out of town with her daughter Emerald, leaving the only home she's ever known.
