By Susan Anne Santo Rating: R This story is a sequel to "The Very Fine Marriage of Estella Morgan." Ken’s and Estella’s daughter is a problem child and a hell-raiser. But even worse – she has a thing for her half-brother.
She was a beautiful woman. Everyone had always said so – certainly her three ex-husbands, then too her lovers, and of course Ken, who had behaved like an animal once he got into her bed, like a tiger, leaving bruises across her body where they couldn’t be seen by anyone else. Just before he fell asleep he murmured into her ear, “If you hurt me again or hurt Barbie, I’ll kill you. You got that?” Estella was left holding his sleeping naked body in her arms, his heartbeat finally slowing down. And now here she was entering prison because he too had betrayed her, just like all the other men in her life. Fifteen years! “Shouldn’t I file against him for assault?” she asked. But her lawyer had advised against it. All the sympathy lay on Ken’s side which she felt was totally unfair. Didn’t he have a sense of playfulness? Surely that spanking didn’t count against her. And as for the stabbing in the stomach, that was an accident. If only he’d stepped aside and let her get her real target, Barbie. Okay, she supposed he might hold the cutting and burning against her, but he was a big strong man and she only a feminine waif. Surely he’d get over it! As she entered the prison Estella felt the sense of nausea erupt again that she’d been feeling all week. “I have to throw up!” They let her run into a restroom and she threw up. Only then did she feel slightly better. They put her in a prison cell and introduced her to her roommate, a black woman named LaToya. The woman looked at her with sympathy as Estella complained about not feeling well. “Are you sure you’re not pregnant?” Pregnant! A wave of surprise ran through her. She’d had only one encounter with Ken but still. When she saw the guard again she asked for a pregnancy test. She looked at it numbly. It was positive. When she was allowed a phone call, she called Ken. “You have to come over here. I have something important to tell you.” “Can’t you just tell me over the phone?” “I think you’ll want to hear this in person.” Reluctantly he came. He stood on the other side of the barred window and picked up the phone. Estella looked different. She had always had long honey-colored hair that she piled on top of her head. Now she’d had her hair shorn short for convenience. She was wearing an orange prison jump suit in place of the elegant dresses that she favored. She picked up the phone on the other side of the barrier. “There’s no easy way to tell you this. I’m pregnant.” He felt ice water go through his veins. “You’re saying that I’m the father.” “Yes. There is no other possibility.” “You realize I’ll want a paternity test.” He thought about their sexual encounter. Physically he had desired her. Emotionally he had hated her and wanted nothing to do with her. But he had had no choice. He could not risk anything happening to Barbie. “Fine.” “How are you going to raise a child in prison?” “That’s just it. I can’t. I want you and Barbie to raise our child. I’ll give you money if money matters.” He stood there thinking. This was his child. He could not abandon him or her. “I’ll ask Barbie what she thinks. If she says yes, I’ll do it.” Estella had to be satisfied with that answer for now. To Ken’s surprise, Barbie did not immediately turn down the idea. “If the child’s a girl, I’ll agree.” “What if the child’s a boy?” “He can be adopted or go into foster care.” The child was a girl. Nine months later Estella gave birth within the walls of the prison. Ken and Barbie went to pick the baby up. She was the most beautiful baby they had ever seen. She lay sleeping in Ken’s arms like a perfect little angel. Estella cried when they took her away. “Surprise,” Barbie said. “The monster has a heart.” They brought her home. That night the peacefulness ended. The baby cried that night and for many days and nights after that. It seemed she was never satisfied, save when Ken held her in his arms. Her name, Estella had said, was Pauline. The other children stayed away from her. It was inevitable that they got less attention because of the baby which made them resentful, though Ken and Barbie tried to make up for it with special presents and treats. At three years old Pauline was a beautiful little girl, almost like a perfect doll. She had curly blond hair and pale blue eyes. She was more beautiful than either of their other children. But she was a holy terror. She pulled the heads off her Barbie dolls. She pulled the dog’s tail. She pushed her half sister so that she fell and then blamed her half brother for the mishap. She broke her other toys. She deliberately ripped her clothing and jumped in the mud. She wasn’t much better at four or five. As she grew it became clear she had a spiteful nature. She told lies about the other children. She ripped her books that Barbie had bought her. She once bit Ken so hard on the arm that he had to go to the Emergency Room and get stitches. She called Ken Daddy and Barbie Mommy, not understanding that Barbie was not her real mother. Ken brought pictures of her to Estella but did not take little Pauline to the prison. He and Barbie felt it would be harmful to the child. When she was ten years old they told her that she had another mommy. They took her to see Estella and Pauline cried. “I want to apply for permanent custody,” Barbie said, once again surprising Ken. “Estella will be out of prison in several years, and who knows the harm she could do to that child.” She had formed a tight bond with Pauline, despite the girl’s naughtiness. They hired their lawyer again. Estella fought back, but she lost. She was in prison and she was a criminal who had committed assault. Ken and Barbie would have custody till Pauline was 18 years old. Ken loved his daughter but he found her difficult. When she was 12 years old, she pulled her father to her and kissed him on the lips. After that he was sure never to be alone in the room with her. Like her biological mother, she had a strong sense of sexuality. When Pauline turned 13 Estella was released from prison for good behavior. She regularly had Pauline over to her house so they could get to know one another. Pauline regularly hung out with boys when Barbie and Ken thought she was with her girlfriends, attended wild parties where alcohol was served, and smoked pot. They noticed her behavior seemed odd sometimes but did not figure it out. Ken’s older children went away to college at Michigan State University to get away from home and their half-sister. Ken and Barbie went regularly to visit them as the children never came to Los Angeles. One spring night Barbie was away at a convention for clothing designers in another city. Ken was in bed asleep. Fifteen-year-old Pauline stole into his room and got into his bed wearing a thin nightgown. Ken slept shirtless with pajama bottoms. Pauline was removing his pajama bottoms when Ken woke up. “What are you doing?” he said, horrified. “I want to have sex,” the girl said. “Show me how.” That does it. “You are not having sex with me.” He pulled his pants back on, marched the girl to her room, and locked the door from the outside. The next day Ken took Pauline over to Estella’s. “You wanted her, Estella? Here she is.” He pushed the girl inside and slammed the door. Estella was delighted when she learned what the girl had done. “You’re as wicked as I was at your age. And you too can appreciate an attractive man. Never mind, my dear. I will find a boyfriend for you who is worthy of you.” Her devious mind was already spinning. She had learned that Ken’s son Kurt had just graduated from college and was coming home. He was 22 years old. Ken’s other daughter Briana was a junior in college and would also be home for the summer. Neither of them would recognize Pauline, nor she them, since they had not seen each other for several years. Casually Estella found out where the boy was working. It was at a local fast food place. Estella went there. That had to be him, the incredibly handsome young man with blond hair and muscles. Estella pretended to collapse in an epileptic fit. Sharing his father’s kindness Kurt rushed over to where Estella lay on the floor. He brought her a drink of ice water. Estella drank a sip. “Could you drive me home?” she asked. “I don’t feel able to drive and I don’t want to be alone. I’ll pay for a cab ride to get you back here.” Kurt did not know the history of his father and Estella, nor was he able to recognize her house. He drove Estella’s car to her home. Pauline was inside reading a book. “Kurt, this is my daughter Pauline.” The boy took one look at this blond vision and fell instantly in love. Pauline too fell in love with him. They spent their time together at Estella’s, hugging, kissing, and sharing their dreams of the future. They did not have sex. Kurt felt that Pauline was too young and wanted to wait till she was 18. It was hard for Pauline but she managed to be content with fondling. She no longer had any sexual interest in her father. Estella counseled her daughter not to let Kurt take her to his home. “His parents won’t like you. I know them. They’re too straightlaced.” It came time for Pauline’s 16th birthday. Now was the time to unleash Estella’s grand plan. She bought Pauline a white ice cream cake that said 16 in pink lettered icing. She invited Kurt over, who arrived bearing several splendidly wrapped presents, tied up with colorful ribbons. Her other guest invited was Ken. Ken arrived to find Pauline and Kurt cuddling on the sofa. Pauline was wearing a pink party dress. Kurt was wearing a lavender suit. “Dad,” Pauline said, breaking away from a passionate kiss, “I didn’t expect you to come.” “Dad,” Kurt said, “what are you doing here?” They both gasped in horror, took their hands off each other, and looked at each other. Both jumped up. “What are you doing?” Ken said in even more horror. “You can’t be involved. You’re brother and sister.” “Well, fancy that,” Estella said, beaming. “You planned this,” the girl said, turning to her. “You knew it all along. I hate you!” “You cannot date,” Ken said. “Incest is forbidden by every known country in this world. It causes horrendous birth defects.” “I don’t want to give birth!” the girl screamed. “I just want to have some fun. I just want to be loved. No one has ever loved me.” “I love you,” Ken said. “You’re my daughter.” “I love you too,” Kurt said, “but we can’t be together.” He started toward the front door. Estella ran to a cabinet, opened a drawer, and pulled out a pistol. She pointed it at Kurt. “Stop right there. You will not break my daughter’s heart.” “She won’t fire,” Ken said with certainty. “She won’t kill a child of mine.” The boy hesitated, then continued and walked out the door. He walked away till they could no longer see him. Estella took the gun and put it into her daughter’s hands. “Maybe I won’t fire but that doesn’t mean that she won’t.” She pointed the gun at Ken. “There. He’s the problem. He never told you anything about me. We were married for a few days. He broke my heart. Go ahead, sweetheart, fire. Shoot your father. Shoot Ken.” She stood there, triumphant, laughing, having finally gotten back at Ken for her years in prison. Pauline turned and pointed the gun at her mother. “What are you doing?” Estella screamed. Pauline fired. Estella collapsed onto the rug. A red growing smear went across her chest. Ken knelt down and felt her pulse. She was staring outwards in horror. “I think she’s dead,” he whispered. Pauline burst into tears. Her pretty party dress was spattered with blood. Ken got up and threw his arms around her. He held her as she sobbed. He took his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed 911. “I need an ambulance and the police. There’s been a shooting.” He gave the address. “Don’t worry sweetheart, I’ll make something up. You won’t go to prison.” The ambulance took Estella’s body away. The police began to question Ken. Pauline was too hysterical to question. “I’m her father. Estella was her mother. She was trying to show Pauline how to fire a gun in case she was in danger. We thought the gun wasn’t loaded. It turned out it was loaded and Pauline shot her by accident. She never meant to harm her.” “She’ll have to go down to the station,” the police officer said, “be fingerprinted and photographed. You can come post bail. You’ll have to get a lawyer. She’ll have to testify before a judge in a few days.” “I have a good lawyer,” Ken said. “I’ll contact her at the police station.” It was a long while before Ken and Pauline made it back to Ken and Barbie’s house. Ken was $500 poorer. Ken led Pauline to her old bedroom. “Here, sweetheart. Change your clothes and see if you can get some rest. I’ll have your mother [he meant Barbie] make you some dinner. Just tell the judge everything I said and you’ll be fine.” “What happened?” Barbie said. Kurt had told her the part about finding out his girlfriend was his sister but he didn’t know the rest. Ken explained everything to Barbie, Kurt, and Briana. “I can’t live here anymore,” Kurt said, “not while Pauline is here. I’ll go back to Michigan, I guess, and look for a job. Or maybe I’ll go to graduate school.” “Oh, honey, can’t you live closer than that?” Barbie said. “No, Mom, I really can’t.” He went to his room to pack. “I’ll help him pack,” Briana said and followed him. “How do you feel?” Barbie said to Ken. “Estella’s dead. I suppose I should feel relief. I never felt entirely safe with her living in the next neighborhood. But I don’t feel relief. I just feel vaguely sad. She had such promise. She was beautiful, brilliant. But she had a streak of insanity as well as cruelty. I worry about Pauline.” “She’ll be all right. You’re a good father.” “She killed her mother, Barbie. It was either her mother or me, and she chose to kill Estella.” “She barely knew Estella. I’ve been her mother most of her life.” “Could you make her something to eat? I’m going to go sit with her.” “Of course,” Barbie said. “She may not feel like eating though.” Ken went into Pauline’s bedroom. She was lying sobbing, clutching the pillow and a big white teddy bear. She had changed into shorts and a pale yellow t-shirt. Ken sat beside her on the bed, put his arms around her, and rocked her gently back and forth. “It will be all right, baby,” he said. “It will be all right.” THE END Discussion Questions 1. This is a revenge story. Explain why Estella wants to get revenge on Ken. 2. How would you have brought up Pauline? 3. What can be done to help Pauline get over her trauma at the end of the story? How about helping Kurt? 4. Did Estella love Pauline? Did Pauline love Estella? Why or why not? Copyright 2024 by Susan A. Santo Scroll down past the story ads to leave comments on this story.
