Blog

by Susan Anne Santo
Rating: R due to violence toward Ken. I recommend that this is not the first story that you read.

I’m sorry that I had to move this story. The format was all goofed up. This story is a sequel to “An Imperfect Marriage.” Ken and Barbie are human and living in the Real World and married. A beautiful but evil woman seeks to possess Ken.

Ms. Estella Morgan was determined to make Ken her fourth husband after meeting him at Barbie’s fashion show. She’d had bad luck with the first three, but their combined assets had made her a very rich woman. Ken was the most beautiful man she’d ever seen. She couldn’t wait to have him in her bed. Her strategy for marrying him was three-pronged: 1) bribe Ken till he agreed to marry her; 2) hurt Ken till he agreed to marry her; 3) threaten Barbie till he agreed to marry her. If the first strategy did not work, well, that was his fault, not hers! She was fortunate when she learned that Barbie had gone out of town. This was her chance!
#
On a beautiful summer’s Sunday in Los Angeles Barbie and Ken were sitting on lawn chairs in their front yard sipping lemonade while the children played hide and seek. The dog lay in the sun beside them. “I’d like to take the children to Barbieland for a few days on vacation,” Barbie said. “They’ve never been there, and I’d like to show them to the other Barbies and Kens. Besides I miss being there.”
“Do you want me to go with you?” Ken asked.
“No. I’d rather go alone. It will give me some time to think. You need to stay here and look after the dog.”
“That’s fine,” Ken said. “When will you leave?”
“I’ll get my hair done tomorrow morning and then we can leave the next day.”
“I’m sure Fred and I can take care of things around here.” He stroked the dog’s silky head.
On the chosen day Barbie drove her little pink car to Barbieland with the children in the back seat. They waved goodbye to Ken. He felt a little lonely after they had gone and got to work as fast as he could. Toward the end of the afternoon his cell phone rang in his pocket. He took it out; it was an unknown number. “Hello?” Ken said.
“This is Estella Morgan,” a familiar voice said. “I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner with me tonight at a restaurant.”
“Well, Barbie’s out of town so I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Yes, she told me she was leaving to get away for a while. She said to take good care of you.”
He doubted very much that Barbie had said that.
“What do you think, darling? We could meet at Oceanside Seafood.”
Oceanside Seafood was the most expensive seafood restaurant in Los Angeles. “I’m sorry, but I can’t afford it,” Ken said.
“Oh, you don’t need to worry about money. I’ll pay for both of us. Didn’t I ever tell you? I’m independently wealthy from all the alimony. All my husbands had well-paying careers.” Estella had been divorced three times. “Besides, I wanted to talk to you about Barbie’s performance in our women’s association. I’m a little worried about her.”
“Well…okay,” Ken said reluctantly. He really did not like Estella and had no desire to spend an evening with her.
“Six-thirty okay?”
“See you then.” He hung up. Look what you’ve gotten yourself into, he told himself. He left the office at 6:10 and drove to the restaurant. Estella was sitting inside near the back of the restaurant that was not well lit. That means she wants to talk about something private, he thought. It left him feeling uneasy. He went and sat down opposite her. “So what’s this about Barbie having problems?”
“That girl works too hard. She tired herself out with the fashion show. Now she’s lost interest and doesn’t want to do the slightest thing for us if it involves any effort.”
“That’s a shame,” Ken said. “What do you want me to do about it?”
“I’d like you to sign this form stating that you will get involved and help the association. That’s all she will need to motivate her. We’re trying to get more husbands involved.”
He took the sheets of paper and a pen she handed him. He saw that Barbie’s signature was already on the form. He turned the sheets over to the first page where he could read the fine print. Ken frowned. “Estella, these are divorce papers!”
“Yes,” she said, not seeming surprised.
“How did you get Barbie to sign this?”
“That girl never reads anything.”
“I don’t want to get a divorce.” He flung the papers back at her along with the pen.
“Yes, you do.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because you want to marry me.”
Ken stared at her, his mouth open.
The waiter chose that moment to ask if they’d decided what they’d like to order.
“Just bring me the special,” Ken said, hoping it was the most expensive thing on the menu.
“Me too,” Estella said, “the special.”
The waiter went away.
“Estella, you must be crazy to think that I would marry you. I love Barbie.”
“Wait,” she said. “You haven’t heard yet what I’m offering you.”
“Okay. Amuse me.”
“The finest suits of clothing you can imagine. You’ve always been a fashionable dresser but unable to afford the best of everything. That pink shirt you’re wearing is okay, but cotton? It should be silk. I will dress you like a prince. The chance to take trips to Europe. Imagine us in Paris at a little café. Or on a gondola in Venice. At the Coliseum in Rome. Walking past Buckingham Palace as we listen to the chimes of Big Ben. And the best of all!”
“I can’t wait. Tell me what that is.”
“All the great sex you could ever want. You look like a man who is starved for sex. Fortunately I happen to enjoy it very much. I’ve had three husbands and scores of lovers. I’m very good at it. And I would be all yours. I’ve heard Barbie express she’s left you alone more nights than not.”
“Estella, I am not discussing my sex life with you.” He stood up, getting ready to march out.
“Wait. I’m not finished. If you could have anything your heart desires what would that be?”
“Well…maybe…horses.” He sat back down.
“Horses?” she said as though she had never heard of the word.
“Yes. I like horses. They are magnificent animals, beautiful, fast, representing male energy. I’d like to learn how to ride a horse,” Ken said.
“I will buy you a whole stable of Arabian stallions,” she said.
“This conversation is ridiculous.” He slammed his hand down on the table. “Where would I keep a stable of stallions?”
“We’d find a place. Out in the country somewhere. I’m sure we can find a place where the rent is reasonable.”
“I do not want you to buy me horses, Estella. I do not want anything at all from you, in fact.”
“What about your children?”
“What about them?”
“Picture the fanciest, most reputable boarding schools that offer the finest education imaginable. Your children will be educated to become citizens of the world. I have the money to provide them with such an education.”
“My children are seven and five years old,” Ken said. “They are not going to boarding school. Their mother would never let them go away, for one thing.”
Estella leaned forward. “How about when they grow older? What about when it comes time for college? Don’t you want them to go to the finest schools?”
“I don’t even know if they’re going to college. I never went to college. Barbie never went to college. And we’re doing all right.”
“You could be doing so much better, Ken. And all you need is to be doing it with me. A man of your – fine appearance – needs to be moving up in the world.”
“No, I will not marry you,” Ken said. “That is final.”
The waiter brought their dinner.
She sulked the whole time while they ate in silence. Ken finished eating. “Good night, Estella, it’s been lovely.” He marched out.
That night he was in bed, tossing restlessly, thinking what an utterly irrational and impossible woman, when the phone rang again.
Not surprisingly, it was Estella. “Ken, could you be a dear and come over here?”
“Now?” Ken said. “It’s one o’clock in the morning.”
“Yes. I need to take care of some paperwork for the women’s meeting tomorrow and my circuit breaker has gone crazy. I’m sitting here in the living room in the dark. The light’s out in my bedroom and the guest bedroom on the first floor as well. I don’t know how to adjust it myself; my husbands did things like that. You know where I live, don’t you?”
“All right,” Ken sighed. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.” He got dressed in his favorite blue jean outfit with the sleeveless top open at the chest. Not the best of choices, Ken. He drove to her house in a wealthy, fashionable neighborhood. Her house was three stories high and made of stone and brick with white columns. He rang the doorbell.
Estella opened it, dressed in a nightgown that left little up to the imagination. “Good. You’re here. The circuit board’s in the basement.”
He went downstairs and fiddled around with it a bit till Estella told him the lights had gone back on. He went back upstairs.
“How about a cup of coffee for all that hard work?” Estella said.
“I suppose that wouldn’t hurt anything.”
She made him the coffee and set the cup before him. “I want to apologize to you for earlier today. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“It’s okay,” Ken said. “Loneliness can do strange things.”
“You’re a sweet man.”
“So I’ve been told.” He was beginning to feel very strange. He stood up and stumbled, nearly fell. Suddenly he was very dizzy. “I have to get home.”
Estella grabbed hold of his arm. “You don’t look able to drive. Come into the guest bedroom and lie down for a bit.” She walked him into a bedroom on the first floor and helped him lie down on the king-size bed. “Just rest.”
He was asleep almost instantly.
#
Barbie arrived in Barbieland late that morning. The Barbies came running to greet them. “Barbie!” they cried. “We can’t believe you’re here!”
Barbie stopped the car, got out, and pulled the children out.
“And who are these?” President Barbie said, smiling.
“These are my children, Kurt and Briana. Ken and I got married.”
President Barbie gave each child a hug. “Hello, Kurt and Briana.”
“Hello,” the children said shyly.
Each Barbie hugged the children and were hugged by them in return. Each Barbie was more beautiful than the last, but none were as beautiful as their mother.
“Barbie,” the President said nervously, “I have to tell you about your Dreamhouse.”
“I can’t wait to see my Dreamhouse!” Barbie cried. She ran, the children following her. When they reached the Dreamhouse Barbie went inside with the children. She ran into Ken Simu drinking a brewski beer. “What are you doing here in my Dreamhouse?”
“It’s my Dreamhouse!” Ken Simu said in surprise. “Ken said I could have it. He said that you didn’t need it anymore.”
“It’s mine! Ken had no right. I still visit here sometimes.”
“This is the first time you’ve been back. Who’s this?” He smiled at the boy.
“That’s Ken and my son, Kurt. And this is our daughter, Briana.”
“Ken’s son, really? Hi,” Simu said. “Are you guys staying the night?”
“We’re staying for several nights. So you have to get out of my Dreamhouse.”
“Hey, Kurt, would you like to have fun with the Kens?” Simu Ken asked. “You can even sleep with us on the beach.”
“Yes!” Kurt said instantly. “Can I, Mommy?”
“Go ahead,” Barbie said indifferently. “Briana will have fun here trying on different outfits and dancing with the Barbies.”
Simu Ken took Kurt by the hand and went out with him.
“No beer for Kurt!” Barbie called after them. “There’s some sandwiches for him in my car. Now, Briana, wouldn’t you like a pretty pink dress? Let’s see if there are some child size dresses in Mommy’s wardrobe.” They spent several happy hours trying on clothes.
“Mommy, I’m hungry,” Briana said.
Barbie realized there was no food here that a human girl could eat. “Let’s go get the sandwiches in the car.” Fortunately she had brought enough food for several days. She put it into the small Barbie refrigerator except for the sandwiches that they ate. “I’ve got some cake for you too.”
Simu Ken ran with Kurt to the beach. “Hey, guys, this is Ken’s son. He and Barbie got married. He’s not a doll.”
“Wow!” Ken Kingsley said.
“Are you really dolls?” Kurt asked.
“Yes, we’re all dolls,” Simu Ken said. “Your dad used to be a doll too.”
“I know, he told me.”
“You know, he and I were great rivals once. Then we got to be friends.”
They began to sing a song, “I’m Just Ken,” and to dance. Kurt laughed with delight.
At night the Kens slept all huddled together for warmth on the beach. Kurt slept in the middle of the pile, feeling safe and adored. Barbie slept with Briana on her soft pink bed, hand in hand. They were all very happy.
#
When Ken awakened he was lying on his back, spreadeagled, his wrists and ankles bound by chains to the bed. Dim light came in through the curtains, showing that morning had arrived. “Estella!” he yelled.
She was there in an instant. “Yes, darling.”
“You drugged me!”
“I did,” she admitted.
He struggled. “Unfasten these chains immediately.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that.” She sat down on the bed and massaged his face.
“Why not? What are you up to?”
“Before this day is out, you will be divorced and have agreed to marry me.”
“You are insane!”
She went to the dresser and picked up something lying there. It was a knife with a long sharp blade.
Ken stared at it as she approached him, with an evil glint in her eyes. “No. No!” He began to thrash, trying to free himself.
“I’m a big believer in the carrot or the stick. The carrot didn’t work with you. Let’s try the stick.” She reached out and made a shallow cut on his shoulder, then continued the cuts going all the way down his arm. Blood began to ooze out.
He swore. “Damnit, Estella!”
She put the knife onto his chest, pulling his shirt more open than it already was, and again applied shallow cuts, working all the way down.
“That hurts!”
“I know it hurts,” she said. “Are you ready to marry me yet?”
“No!”
She made the cuts across his abdominal muscles. A cry escaped his lips as she cut too deep.
“You could end this at any time. All you need to do is to promise to marry me. Are you ready to sign the divorce papers?”
“Leave me alone!”
She went to the other side of his chest and continued working on him. She was no longer being careful, and the cuts were getting deeper and deeper. He cried out with each one. She did his other arm and went down it with the knife from his shoulder nearly to his wrist. Then she pulled his pants partway down and made the same shallow cuts on his thighs.
“Stop hurting me!” By this time patches of blood were appearing everywhere that she had touched.
“Oh, no, my dear, we are just getting started.” She seemed energized.
“I have to go home,” Ken said.
“What?” she said startled.
“I just remembered. I forgot to feed Fred last night. I have to go home and feed him.”
“You have another child?”
“Fred is our dog.”
“You’re not going home to feed a dog.”
“Then let me call someone.”
“Fine. But you’re not calling Barbie. Who will it be?” She took his cell phone out of his pocket.
“Phoebe, the baby sitter.”
She dialed and put the phone to his ear.
“Hi, Phoebe, this is Ken. I had to go out of town unexpectedly and I forgot to feed the dog. Could you go over to my house and feed the dog for the next few nights? The key is under the mat.”
“Sure,” Phoebe said. Estella could hear her voice.
“And Phoebe – “ he yelled into the phone – “tell Barbie to go see Estella.”
Estella grabbed the phone from him, threw it onto the floor, and crushed it with her foot. “That was foolish,” she said. “This is your punishment.” She drew the knife and slashed his cheek.
He gave a cry.
“It seems a shame to make a mark on that pretty face of yours. But sometimes things are necessary. It may leave a scar. But scars make a man look so masculine, don’t you think.”
“You bitch!” he said.
“Oh, my dear, sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” She put the knife back onto the dresser, went into the bathroom, and came back with a damp cloth. She pressed it against his cheek till it had stopped bleeding, then pressed it against his chest, abdominal muscles, and thighs, wiped off the blood and stopped the bleeding. “Is that better?”
“Let me go.” He struggled.
Estella went to the dresser and got a container filled with cigarette boxes and a lighter.
Ken had a good idea of what they were for. “No.”
She lit the first cigarette and pressed it onto one of the cuts on his abs. A cry escaped his lips. Only after a long moment did she snuff the sparks out on his bare skin. After going over his abdominal muscles thoroughly she went to his shoulder. He was never sure how long the torture with cigarettes went on, only that it went on for quite a while. Every cut on his body was burned. She paid no attention to his cries. She snuffed out a cigarette on a spot on his chest that had already been burned.
He struggled. “Please don’t hurt me anymore.”
“You could stop this any time,” Estella said.
“I will never marry you,” Ken said fiercely. “I don’t care what you do to me. I would not marry you if you were the last woman on earth.”
She threw the cigarette down. “How about if I did this to Barbie?”
He stared at her. “What?”
“I’ve hired some men to keep track of Barbie’s whereabouts. Right now they’re pretending to be Kens in Barbieland. Do you see this?” She held out her wrist. “This bracelet is a communication device. All I have to do is to press this button and the men will bring Barbie here. What if they were to bring her here and I tortured her the way I have tortured you and forced you to watch? How would you like that?”
“You leave Barbie alone!” Ken shouted.
“I will promise to leave Barbie alone if you sign these divorce papers and marry me tomorrow. And don’t think that you can do anything to get rid of me. If anything happens to me, the men understand that they are to kill Barbie. You have the rest of today and tonight to think about it, Ken. The judge and a minister will be here tomorrow morning. Oh, and a couple of the women from the women’s organization – I thought it would be nice to have a couple of witnesses. By the way, are you getting hungry? Your first meal will be tomorrow at your wedding feast.”
She got the knife again from the dresser. “I’m going to undo your bonds for a minute. Don’t try to escape or I will stab you. And remember the danger that Barbie is in.” She undid the bonds and turned him over onto his stomach, the knife at his throat. “Put your wrists there. Good.” She fastened the bonds again. She got a hairbrush from the dresser, pulled his underwear down, and struck him hard on the hips. Being spanked was more humiliating than painful, but it was highly unpleasant. Tears of frustration ran down his face. She stopped only when his skin was red and raw. She reached out and touched his crotch. “You’re aroused. Part of you likes being hurt.”
“I don’t like being hurt,” he shouted. He could not control what his body did, that it responded to danger, but he did not like it.
“No sex till tomorrow night, love, after we’re married. Then you’ll get your fill.” She turned him back onto his back and left him alone the rest of that day. He struggled but could not free himself.
In the evening she brought him a glass of iced tea with a straw. “Here. You must be thirsty.”
His throat was painfully dry. He drank the tea and felt that familiar dizzy feeling overcome him. She had drugged him again. With that he fell asleep.
She sat on the bed, stroking his blond hair. “Tomorrow, love,” she said. “Tomorrow we’ll be man and wife. Oh, what a wonderful day!”
#
That same day Barbie got a strange phone call from Phoebe. “Ken said to tell you to go over to Estella’s house. He sounded very upset when he said it. Then the phone went dead.”
“Thanks for telling me this,” Barbie said. She called Ken’s cell phone several times. There was no answer. She thought about calling Estella but decided to go home the following day and seek her out in person instead. Something was wrong. Ken would not have given such a message unless Estella was causing him some kind of trouble. Barbie walked to the beach with Briana.
Kurt and the Kens were having a fun game of volleyball by the ocean.
“Hi, Kens.”
“Hi, Barbie!” they shouted at her.
Barbie frowned. She did not recognize two of the Kens. That’s odd, she thought.
Ken Kingsley said, “Is this Ken’s daughter?”
“Yes, this is our child, Briana.” She put her hands on the girl’s shoulders.
“Hi, Briana!”
“Hi, Kens,” the girl said shyly. “My daddy’s name is Ken also.”
“Yes,” Simu Ken said. “We’re all named Ken.”
“We’ve got to go home tomorrow,” Barbie said.
“Already?” Kurt was disappointed.
“I’ll bring the two of you back soon. I promise.”
#
The next day Estella took off the metal bonds. She was wearing a beautiful gray silk dress with a diamond necklace. “Come take a bath.” She led him to a room with a large bathtub filled with water. “Take off your clothes and get in.”
He obeyed. “It’s too hot.”
“You’ll get used to it.” She handed him a bar of soap. “Wash Barbie off of you.”
The water stung. When he got out his usually fair skin was pink from the heat.
She wrapped a thick white towel around him and dried him off. His cheek was bleeding again. She put a gauze bandage on it and taped it closed. Then she took him by the hand and pulled him into the bedroom. “I have a suit of my ex-husband’s that I think will fit you.” It fit perfectly. She tied a deep blue tie around his neck. “Remember Barbie and don’t try anything.” They went into the living room and sat down on the couch. She handed him the divorce papers and reluctantly he signed them. After a while the doorbell rang. Estella got up and opened it. Two giggling young women came in. They stared at Ken. “My husband to be, Ken Handler.”
“We got you the rings,” one girl said. “That blank check with your signature worked well.”
“Good.” Estella took Ken’s existing ring off his hand and threw it into the wastepaper basket. He stared at it mournfully but made no move to retrieve it. The doorbell rang again. Estella opened the door and let in the judge and the minister. “Here are the divorce papers,” she said. “As you can see, both parties have signed them.” The judge looked them over, drew a pen from his pocket, and signed. “The divorce is granted.”
“Just like that?” Ken said. “You’re not going to ask me any questions?”
“It says irreconcilable differences.”
“Yes, but we love each other.”
“It’s too late,” the judge said. “The divorce is granted.” He walked out stiffly.
“I have the marriage license,” the minister said.
“Good. Then we’re all ready to start our little ceremony,” Estella said. “Ken? Get up and stand beside me.”
He got up reluctantly. As if in a nightmare he heard the minister repeating the words of Ken’s and Barbie’s ceremony and himself repeating them.
“Do you promise to love and obey Estella?” the minister asked.
“Love? Never. Obey? Maybe,” Ken said.
“Your partner seems reluctant,” the minister said.
“He’s just having cold feet,” Estella said. “Aren’t you dear? He loves me very much.” She whispered into Ken’s ear “Remember Barbie” and Ken’s resistance faded.
Then came the moment for the rings. Ken felt as if he would die when he was forced to put the ring on her finger and Estella put her ring on his finger.
“You may kiss your bride,” the minister said.
Estella threw her arms around Ken and kissed him hard on the mouth. The girls clapped and smiled.
“Well, that’s one more wedding done,” the minister said.
“Aren’t you going to stay for cake?”
“Oh, no. I’ve got three more ceremonies to perform today.” He went out.
They went into the dining room where the wedding cake awaited them on a silver platter. Nearby on the table a light supper had been prepared with several kinds of sandwiches and salads. Ken felt sick. Estella took a slice of cake onto a small plate. “Open your mouth,” she said to Ken.
He kept his mouth firmly closed.
She forced it open and stuffed the cake into his mouth. He had to swallow to resist choking. He picked up a piece of cake and shoved it into her face.
“Darling, darling, you are so funny.” She was laughing. “Now let’s eat these sandwiches.”
“I’m not hungry,” Ken said.
“Girls?”
“I think we’d better just leave,” one of them said. They knew that something was wrong but they didn’t know what.
Estella walked them to the door and said goodbye. She came back and took hold of Ken’s arm. “All right, Mister. Now’s your chance.” She took him into the guest room. “Take off your clothes.”
He did so, looking at her with murderous intent.
“Make love to me.”
He threw her down on the bed and ripped off her clothes. There was none of his usual gentleness with the previous women that he had loved. His hands were strong and violent. He entered her roughly and pushed his way inside of her. Her cries of pleasure drove him mad. When it was finally over, exhausted, he rolled over and fell asleep.
Estella smiled, well satisfied. “At last. A real man.”
#
Barbie drove home that afternoon, confused by the strange message Ken had left her. When she turned her head to look back she saw another car with two Kens following her. She waved at them, and they waved back. Two Kens going to the Real World was highly unusual. They were the ones she did not recognize. When she got into Los Angeles, she quickly lost them in the traffic. Once home she parked the car, got out, and walked up the driveway with the children. She had the feeling that footsteps were following them, but when she turned her head no one was there. The dog was delighted to see them. She patted his head, then called Phoebe and asked her to come over and watch the children.
Barbie hurried over to Estella’s house. To her surprise she saw Ken’s car in the driveway. What was he doing there? Why had he wanted her to see Estella? She was about to ring the doorbell, then thought the better of it. She opened the door a fraction and looked inside. Estella was sitting there on the couch knitting blue yarn with her back to Barbie.

After a moment Ken came into the room wearing his favorite blue jean outfit. Barbie gasped in horror at the cuts and burn marks going across his chest, arms, and abs. He did not notice Barbie either. “What are you doing, Estella?”
“I’m knitting you a sweater. It can get chilly in the evening. You see, I can be nurturing.”
“You don’t have a nurturing bone in your body. What was that spanking for? You could already observe that I was giving in to you.”
“It was fun,” she said simply.
“It wasn’t fun for me! You’re a sadist, Estella.”
“Yes,” she said.
“The question is why.”
“I hate men.” She threw the yarn down, got up, and came over to him. Her eyes searched his blue ones.
“Even me?” Ken said bravely.
“Especially you. You make me tremble. You fill me with longing, ever since the first time we met. I want you, body and soul.” She ran her hands down his chest over the cuts and burns.
It hurt. He winced and pulled away from her. “You cannot have my soul.”
She did not look away. “Now that we’re married – “
“Married!” Barbie cried.
Ken turned and saw her. “Barbie!”
“You must leave,” Estella said severely. “You are not married to Ken anymore.”
“What are you talking about?” Barbie said.
“Barbie, she forced me to divorce you,” Ken said. “She tortured me. Then she forced me to marry her.”
“Is this true?” Barbie said.
In response, Estella ran into the kitchen, came back out carrying a large knife, and ran toward Barbie. Ken got in between them in an instant and Estella stabbed Ken by accident instead in the stomach. Ken collapsed onto the floor. “I’m sorry!” Estella cried, kneeling on the floor. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
Barbie shouted, “Shut up!” She took out her cell phone and dialed 911. “My husband has been stabbed. I need an ambulance right away.” She gave the address.
“My husband!” Estella shouted. “Oh, poor, dear Ken.” She gripped his hands and held them tightly.
“Leave him alone,” Barbie said, kneeling on the floor beside Ken. “Take your hands off him.”
Estella ignored her.
“Please stop fighting,” Ken said. “Barbie, I tried to stop her. I couldn’t – “
“Hush,” Barbie said. “Don’t try to talk. Take deep breaths.”
The ambulance was there within a few minutes. They took Ken to the hospital. Barbie got in her car and Estella jumped into the passenger seat. The car with the same strange two Kens was outside by the curb. Estella gave them a sharp wave with her hand indicating the job was finished. They drove away. Barbie and Estella drove to the hospital without speaking.
Inside they stopped by a desk and asked about Ken. The nurse spoke to them. “Which one of you is Mrs. Handler?”
“I am,” both women said.
“Your husband has been taken to surgery.”
“I want the police,” Barbie said. “This woman stabbed him.”
“It was an accident,” Estella said.
“She was trying to kill me.”
The nurse had already called the police at Ken’s account of the incident. A policeman showed up. “Which one of you is Mrs. Handler?”
“I am,” both women said.
“She tortured my husband and stabbed him,” Barbie said.
The policeman put handcuffs on Estella. “You are under arrest for assault and attempted manslaughter.”
“I am his lawfully wedded wife!” Estella shouted. “Not that bitch.” She was dragged off, kicking and screaming.
Barbie waited. Finally they wheeled Ken out on a stretcher. He was still asleep from the anesthetic. The gauze on his face had been removed, and there was a line of fine stiches across his cheek. His shirt had been removed, and there was a bandage on his stomach.
“We’ve stitched him up,” the surgeon said. “There were no internal injuries. He’s going to be okay. We stitched a few of those other cuts as well, including the one on his face. The orderly will take him to his room now. You can follow him if you like. I’d like to keep Ken overnight for pain management. I’ll send a nurse in with some ointment for the burns.”
“Thank God,” Barbie said.
“What happened to him anyway?”
“Don’t ask.” She followed the orderly to the hospital room and waited.
After a while Ken finally woke up. “Barbie,” he murmured.
“Yes, sweetheart. I’m here.”
Ken looked at her sorrowfully. “Barbie – we’re not married anymore.”
“I guess we’ll just have to get married again,” Barbie said.
“Estella will never grant me a divorce.”
“You can get an annulment if the marriage wasn’t consummated.” She looked at Ken nervously. “Ken?”
“I’m sorry,” Ken said. “I was trying to punish her.”
“You are stupid!”
“I’m not stupid!”
Barbie calmed down. “I don’t mean that. No judge hearing your story will force you to stay married to Estella.”
“We can hope so anyway,” Ken said.
The nurse came in and rubbed the burn ointment across his chest, arms, and thighs. He was sore, and it hurt. The worst pain he had was the sharp pain across his stomach. “How’s that pain medicine working for you?” the nurse said.
“Not well,” Ken said.
“You have to wait two hours before you can have more.” She went out.
Barbie took hold of Ken’s hand and held it gently. She brought it to her lips.
“How was your time in Barbieland?” Ken asked.
“The Kens asked about you,” Barbie said. “They were so happy to learn you were doing well. They loved Kurt. The Barbies all loved Briana.”
“That’s wonderful,” Ken said.
“How about getting remarried in Barbieland?”
His smile was his only answer.

#

An attractive black woman in her thirties dressed in a smart red suit approached Ken and Barbie’s house and rang the doorbell. Barbie answered the door. “You must be Thelma Parks, our lawyer.” She led Thelma inside to where Ken was sitting in the living room, waiting. What an attractive couple they were, Thelma thought, both blond, blue-eyed, and gorgeous. But Ken’s looks were marred by the marks going across his chest and abs, revealed by his open shirt. “Tell me your situation.” Barbie explained what had happened. “So you want to press charges, Ken, and you also want to get a divorce.”
“I don’t want to press charges,” Ken said.
“What are you talking about?” Barbie said. “Of course you want to press charges.”
“Let him speak,” Thelma said. “Tell us why, Ken.”
“I don’t want to have to face Estella in a courtroom. I don’t ever want to see her again. And all this will get into the newspapers and make me look like a fool. I want my privacy. I just want this to be over with.”
“What happened to you was not your fault,” Thelma said.
“Wasn’t it? If I hadn’t gone over to her house, none of this would have happened.”
“You were doing a good deed for a neighbor. None of this was your fault,” Thelma repeated.
“She called him this morning,” Barbie said. “She said she was out on bail and she wanted him to come home.”
“I told her that under no circumstances would I ever think of her place as home,” Ken said. “I told her that all I wanted was a divorce. She said she would never give me a divorce, not in a million years.”
“I see a restraining order might be a good idea,” Thelma said. “And as for the divorce, I don’t think that will be a problem – as long as you press charges. Otherwise it might be difficult.” She finally talked him into it. “I will let you know the trial date. You will have to testify. In the meantime, you two should not be living together.”
“Why not?” Barbie said.
“Because it looks like adultery. You two are no longer married. Either you go over to Estella’s house to live while we are waiting for the trial or find a separate apartment.”
“I’ll find an apartment,” Ken said.
“Ken – “ Barbie said dismayed.
“It can’t be helped, babe.” He got up and kissed her on the cheek.
“Wait,” said Thelma. “Before you leave. Let me get a couple of pictures. Can you take that bandage off your stomach?” He pulled it off. His skin was inflamed around the stitches. She got out a camera and took a photo of his stomach, then of the damage to his chest. “These exhibits will do nicely. I want to make sure the jury understands what you suffered.”
By the end of the day Ken had an apartment. That night the children both cried because their Daddy wasn’t there to tuck them in. They had little idea of what was happening; Barbie hadn’t wanted to scare them. “Daddy will be home soon,” she promised them. “He had to go away for a few days.” She even hugged Kurt good night as well as Briana. The calls from Estella to Ken finally cut off abruptly once she received the restraining order. He still worried though that the longer they were married the harder it would be to get a divorce.
Finally came the day of the trial. Ken and Barbie walked in separately. Ken was wearing a nice-looking gray suit, Barbie a flowered dress with short sleeves. Ken sat beside his lawyer, while Barbie sat a few feet away. Estella came in dressed in a gold skirt and white blouse with a long gold chain and hoop gold earrings. Her lawyer, an older man, sat beside her. The judge began the trial. First Ken was called up by his lawyer, Thelma, to give testimony. Ken explained everything that had happened, including the stabbing of his stomach. Thelma put up photos on the overhead screen of his injuries. “As you can see, members of the jury, these are quite serious.”
Then it was the other lawyer’s turn to cross-examine. “Is it usual for a married man to go over to an unwed woman’s house in the middle of the night while his wife is out of town?”
“She said she needed help,” Ken said. “She was friends with my wife. I didn’t see the harm in going over and helping her.”
“All we need to do is look at your muscles to see that you are considerably stronger than she is. Why couldn’t you overpower her and get away? She didn’t have you bound the entire time.”
“She said she would hurt or kill Barbie if I tried anything. She was constantly in contact with some men she had hired through a communication device she had on her wrist. I was afraid to try anything.”
“Sit down, counselor,” the judge said. “I think the victim has adequately answered your questions.”
The lawyer sat down, frowning. He gave Estella a comforting pat on the shoulder. Next it was her turn to be questioned by Ken’s lawyer. Estella stood up.
“Do you swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth?” Thelma asked. “Put your hand on the Bible.”
“I do,” Estella said.
“Tell us what happened on the 12th of June in your own words.”
“Well, first of all, Ken exaggerates. What I did to him was hardly torture. What’s more, it was consensual.”
“That’s a lie!” Ken shouted.
“Also, my stabbing him in the stomach was a pure accident. I had been cooking a steak. Good meals are very important for one’s husband, you know. I went over to say hello to Barbie, still holding the knife. Ken misunderstood my intentions and got between us. I tripped and by accident stabbed him.”
“That’s another lie!” Ken shouted. “You intended to kill my wife.”
“But she wasn’t your wife anymore, was she, dear? You signed those divorce papers willingly and you married me without a word of protest. You even made love to me. Don’t deny it.”
“Love had nothing to do with it,” Ken said.
“Order in the court!” The judge pounded his gavel. “Are you saying Mrs. Handler that everything that Mr. Handler just said was a lie?”
That was when Barbie lost it. She stood up and yelled, “I’m Mrs. Handler. She’s a fraud!”
The judge called for order once again and had the lawyers give their closing statements. Thelma pictured Estella as a very dangerous sadist who had preyed upon Ken’s kindness. Estella’s lawyer depicted her as a respected member of the community. Then the judge sent the jury out to deliberate.
Barbie and Ken went out with Thelma to the park. They sat down on a picnic bench. “It can take several hours,” Thelma said. “We might not even hear today.”
“How do you think it went?” Barbie said.
“It went about how I expected it to do. You can always expect your words to be twisted.”
Ken was silent. He was deeply worried over how it had gone and that he might not be able to get his divorce.
After three hours Thelma’s cell phone rang. She picked it up. “We’ll be right there. The jury has a verdict,” she said to Barbie and Ken. Nervously, the three went back to the courtroom.
“Do you have a verdict?” the judge asked the head juror.
“We do. We pronounce the defendant – Estella Handler – guilty of two counts – assault and attempted manslaughter.”
Barbie and Ken stood up and hugged one another in relief. There were tears of joy on their faces.
Estella’s face was furious. Handcuffs were put back on her.
“I sentence you to 15 years in a state prison,” the judge said. “That will account for both crimes.”
“No. No!” She screamed as she was dragged out of the courtroom. “No divorce, Ken. I’m never giving you a divorce. You’d better be quick with those conjugal visits.” Her screams faded as she disappeared down the hallway.
“Your Honor,” Thelma said, “under the circumstances I am asking you to declare the divorce between Ken and Estella legal and valid. I have divorce papers right here. I hope it won’t be necessary for Estella to sign.”
The judge took the papers and signed them. “I have signed for her. Mr. Handler, you and Mrs. Handler are now officially divorced. Try to be careful of the kind deeds you do in the future and whom you do them for.”
Ken and Barbie threw their arms around Thelma. “Thank you so much,” Barbie said.
“What will you do now?” Thelma said.
“It’s off to Barbieland to get married again! Would you like to come with us?”
“Is that anything like Disneyland?”
The couple broke into laughter. “Not exactly,” Ken said. “Come and see.”
“You can be my maid of honor,” Barbie said.
“Matron of honor.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were married.”
“You never asked.”
“We have to go pick up our children,” Ken said.
When they reached home, Kurt and Briana came running out to greet Ken. “Daddy, daddy!”
“Have you been good?” he asked them, hugging them both.
The dog came running out too and licked Ken’s hand enthusiastically.
“Let’s go pack,” Barbie said. “Thelma, I have a beautiful dress in my Dreamhouse that you can wear.”
“It all sounds wonderful,” said Thelma, laughing. “I’m not even going to ask what a Dreamhouse is.”
Once again they took Barbie’s little pink car. The children rode in the back seat with Ken, and Thelma sat in the front seat beside Barbie. When they arrived the Barbies gathered around them. “Back already?” President Barbie said. “Ken, that’s a nice suit. Pretty dress, Barbie.”
“I have to find a wedding dress in my Dreamhouse,” Barbie said.
“But I thought you two were already married!”
“It’s a long story,” Ken said. “We were broken apart by force, but we will be put back together again.”
“Can you marry us, President Barbie?” Barbie asked.
“Of course.” She smiled.
“This is our good friend Thelma. If not for her, today would not have had a happy ending.”
As they approached the Dreamhouse Simu Ken came out. He ran forward and shook Ken’s hand. “I’m so glad to see you!” he cried.
“You too,” Ken said. “Can you still do flips?”
“Absolutely.” Just to prove it, Simu did a back flip in the air.
“I hate that guy,” Ken said to his children, and they laughed.
Barbie found a beautiful wedding dress inside the Dreamhouse and a lovely lilac dress for Thelma. She found some pretty clothing for the two children. Ken already looked terrific in his suit and did not need anything else. Doctor Barbie held out two wedding rings for them, which Barbie and Ken accepted gladly. Then the Barbies decorated Barbie and Ken with flowers. The wedding was as beautiful as the first time, perhaps even more so as it was in Barbieland where everything is beautiful and perfect. Afterwards everyone sang and danced, even the children.
Barbie and Ken danced, their arms around each other. “I will be a better wife to you this time,” Barbie said.
“You’re already perfect. I will be a better husband.”
Just at that moment Weird Barbie approached. She held out both hands to Barbie and Ken, and each of them took her hand. “I’m sorry for any trouble I ever caused you two. I only wanted Kenny to be happy.”
“We’ve made up,” Barbie said. “Thank you – Barbie.”
Ken smiled at her. The children stayed with Weird Barbie that night while Ken and Barbie went into the Dreamhouse to make love all the night long.
THE END
Discussion Questions

1. Barbie was uneasy when Estella first met Ken in the prior story. Why didn’t she do anything about it?
2. Do you think Estella loves Ken in a sick way? Why or why not?
3. What do you think happened to Estella to make her the way she is?
4. Do you think Ken and Barbie’s second marriage will be better than the first? Why or why not?

Copyright 2024 by Susan A. Santo

Scroll all the way down past the story ads to leave a comment on this story.