Chapter 13

Summary

• The chapter begins with the protagonist preparing for her first day of rehearsals for Little Women. Her husband, Don, brings her breakfast in bed and wishes her luck, showing romantic gestures.
• The protagonist is depicted as living a carefree lifestyle, leaving her maid Paula to tidy up after her. She dismisses Paula, so she can get dressed privately, hiding a bruise on her ribs from a recent physical altercation with Don.
• The protagonist recollects the incident when Don pushed her down the stairs, causing her to land on a table and injure her ribs. She mentions her resentment towards Paula for possibly spreading gossip about her when the real issue was Don's abusive behavior.
• The protagonist eventually arrives on the set of Little Women where she and her co-star Ruby are determined to protect their roles from being overshadowed by actress Celia St. James.
• Celia approaches Ruby and the protagonist, expressing fears about her role, which the protagonist dismisses as an act. Despite this, she begins to view Celia differently when the latter accuses her of being cynical.
• The protagonist feels slighted when Ruby leaves her to handle Celia alone. The protagonist expresses skepticism at Celia doubting her ability to portray Beth March, despite industry rumors of Celia's potential award nominations.
• When Celia suggests the protagonist was too old to play Beth, it results in a tense exchange between the two, but this ultimately leads the protagonist to develop a liking for Celia.