Part 2, Chapter 13 Summary

Scarlett is now in month five, and her pregnancy is obvious. She is called into Mr. Averby's office at Milton's Market, and Halley goes with her for support. Mr. Averby cannot fire Scarlett by law, but he is clearly worried about what customers will think about a pregnant sixteen-year-old checkout girl. He awkwardly suggests Scarlett may want to quit. Scarlett cheerfully refuses. Laughing afterwards, Scarlett tells Halley that she isn't ashamed, and even if other people believe she is doing the wrong thing, they can't make her believe it. Halley wonders why the right thing is always met with so much resistance. It is nearing Christmas, and she still hasn't decided what to do about Macon. She has been able to avoid a decision largely because she hasn't seen much of him, but she misses they way things were before. A...