Page 5 of Barbi and the Villain

My cute baby knows exactly what to do as she lets go of the wig just as Clarice pulls on it, the momentum making her lose her balance and fall to the ground. Once there, it’s game over.

PomPom jumps on her, biting her dress and tearing the material into shreds.

“Brandon! Do something!” She shrieks. “Take it off me. Do something.”

He moves toward my PomPom and I take a step forward, pinning him with my gaze.

“Don’t you dare touch my PomPom,” I grit my teeth.

They can insult me, but they won’t get away if they do anything to PomPom.

His eyes widen in alarm and he freezes.

“That’s enough, PomPom. We don’t need to bother with these”—I wrinkle my nose in disgust—“people.”

PomPom raises her head to look at me, giving a low bark. But before she comes to my side, she decides to debase Clarice further.

“W-what’s that smell?” Clarice whines as PomPom jumps off her.

“Agh!” she yells when she pats her body, her hand coming into contact with PomPom’s watery poop. In her attempt to wipe it off, she merely smears it more around the dress.

PomPom struts arrogantly to my side, swaying her hips from side to side.

I scoop her in my arms.

“Good girl,” I murmur, kissing the top of her head.

I look up at my former friends and shake my head.

“May you have a…a…” I wet my lips as I try to think of something witty. “May you have poop-filled day,” I say before I leave with a huff.

Okay, not the best line, but as long as I keep my head high, I can still make a good exit. After all, I’m not the one currently smelling of poop.

I manage to keep my composure long enough to get out of their sight. Tears roll down my cheeks, and not even PomPom’s sweet barks can make them stop.

I was a goddamn fool to think I may have found my crowd. I was even more foolish to think we were friends because we had a common hobby and we hung out every now and then. The more I look at it from that perspective, the more I realize this was all my fault. I thought that if I was nice and generous, I could make people like me. Instead, they only saw me as an idiot—a pathetic idiot.

My makeup is further ruined as I rub at my eyes, and given the pity looks I get, I assume I look like a mess. The only goal I have right now is to get out of here with what little of my dignity I have left.

But as I round the corner for the exit, I almost bump into an elderly lady.

“I’m so sorry,” I apologize.

“It’s fine.” She waves her hand at me. Her shrewd eyes study me for a moment before she nods to herself. “Here. You seem to need it.”

I look down at the book she’s offering—a hardcover edition of The Fate of Akkaya.

“But…” I blink repeatedly to make sure I’m reading the title right. “It hasn’t even been released,” I mutter.

It’s the much-anticipated thirteenth book and supposedly the last one in the series. Everyone has been going crazy trying to get any type of information about what to expect, but the author has been tight-lipped.

“A gift.” She smiles. “For a lovely Lady.”

“But... Is it okay to give it to someone? It’s an early copy, isn’t it? Aren’t you under contract or something?”

“I am free to give it away, child. Please,” she continues, placing it in my hand. “I hope it will give you some joy on a bad day.”

“Wow. I don’t know what to say.”

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