Sykes had a mistress named Bertha who he constantly spoiled, but the people in town always wondered why he never paid attention to Delia. Walter Thomas, one of the men in the store, said, "I would have married, eh, if he had not preceded me." (Hurston) All the men in town were jealous of Sykes because of Delia. But Sykes, on the other hand, didn't see what was in front of him. The plot for Delia's death was all done by Sykes. She went out of her way to catch a rattlesnake and put it in the lidded clothes hamper, hoping it would hit her while she was washing clothes. When Delia saw the snake, she ran outside and hid in the barn until Sykes got home. Delia calmly stated, “Ah done de bes 'ah could. If things don't go well, God knows it's not my fault. (Hurston) After the strange accident in which Sykes was struck by the rattlesnake and suffered a long and painful death, Delia, hearing all the screams and moans coming from inside her "broken" house, sat down under a Chinaberry tree which was in the courtyard. . She felt a sense of relief after hearing Sykes ask for her help and knowing there was nothing he could do to help her. Her 15-year fear of their relationship and him was finally over and she felt like she had achieved her goal.