Plot

A sexy but poor young girl marries a rich man she doesn't love, but carries a torch for another man.

Despite their different social class Ruby and Boake grew up together in the 1950s North Carolina. Ruby Corey lived with her poor family in the swamps while Boake Tackman lived in a mansion with servants. As long as their friendship stayed within the socially acceptable limits no one objected. In adulthood their friendship becomes a mutual romantic attraction. Ruby wants to marry Boake but he only seems interested in romantic play without commitment. Maybe conscious of his social status or maybe being afraid to offend his snobbish family and conservative hometown folk, he marries a rich girl. Out of revenge Ruby marries Jim Gentry, a recently widowed rich old man to whom many townsfolk and local businesses owe money. When Gentry dies in an accident, the town blames Ruby. A now rich Ruby takes revenge on the town's folk by calling in their debts and loans. The girl from the swamps has become the town's biggest nightmare.—nufs68

In Braddock, North Caroline, the free-spirited and poor Ruby Corey is a sexy woman in love with Boake Tackman, who belongs to a former wealthy family that lost their land that is flooded. Ruby has lived during high-school with the wealthy businessman Jim Gentry and his wife Letitia Gentry that had unsuccessfully tried to teach etiquette to Ruby. Later she returned to the house of her father Jud Corey and her pious brother Jewel Corey in the swamps. When Boake decides to marry the rich Tracy McAuliffe, Ruby is courted by Dr. Saul Manfred but accepts to marry Jim that has recently widowed. The population of Braddock does not accept the marriage of Ruby and Jim. Then, Ruby dances with Boake in a club and Jim has a fistfight with Boake and calls Ruby a tramp. On the next morning, Jim apologizes with Ruby and they go sailing. However there is an accident and Jim drowns in the sea. Ruby is accused by the population of murdering Jim and she decides to revenge, using the money she inherited from Jim and foreclosing on the debts of the hometowns. But Ruby is still in love with Boake and her behavior will lead them to a tragedy.—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

In a small town in North Carolina, lives Ruby, an orphan girl raised by wealthy local gentry. The young girl has a wild character and a boundless passion for Boake Tackman, owner of a family estate. Back from a long journey, Boake is now determined to drain the salt marshes that have invaded his land. For a long time, his family had abandoned the estate, which was gradually transformed into swamps following a great flood. Despite his attraction, the young man abandons Ruby to marry Tracy, a girl from a good family whose father wants to finance the project to clean up the marshes. Out of spite, Ruby marries wealthy industrialist Jim Gentry, whose wife has just died of a long illness. During a party, Boake and Ruby meet and dance together. Jim, jealous, provokes a fight. The next day, Ruby apologizes to her husband, but he dies in an accident while out on the water. The whole town accuses Ruby of murder and persecutes her: stones thrown at her door, anonymous phone calls... Now at the head of her husband's fortune, Ruby decides to take revenge on the community that has always rejected her by ruining all of her husband's numerous debtors. Boake was also in debt to Jim, Ruby goes to him and offers to pay off the debt. But he rejects her again. She then decides to drown Boake's reclaimed land in the swamp, which now belongs to her, thus ruining all the young man's dreams. During a final confrontation in the swamp, Boake wants to strangle Ruby but their desire resurfaces and they end up confessing their passion. Ruby's brother, a fanatical madman accustomed to casting aspersions on his sister, shoots them and kills Boake before being shot by his sister.