Breaking Bad News to Chapter Three

Me: Hey, Chapter Three. How are you doing?

Chapter Three: (nervous chuckle) Little worried, actually.

Me: So, you talked to Chapter 1, huh? Well, I wish I could tell you that you shouldn't be worried, but that would be dishonest... The good news is that I am going to keep one of your plot points.

Chapter Three (tearing up): One of them? I hit five!

Me: It was six. But the thing is, we only need one of them. The others are too repetitive, talk down to the reader by spelling out things that should be inferable, or simply don't need covering.

Chapter Three: (stunned silence)

Me: But don't feel bad. We're going to bring in parts of Chapters four and five for you to cover.

(On the other side of a doorway, Chapters four and five regard each other in horror.)