The Red Thread and the Spiderman: The Mirage of Change (Part 2)

By Stella | True Story Series

Important Notice: This is a true story. All rights reserved. Strict prohibition on copying or reproducing this content. For any film adaptation, broadcasting, or media rights, prior official permission must be acquired via email at stellarenata1978@gmail.com.

Not long after that vivid dream, the unthinkable happened. Out of nowhere, a WhatsApp message from Spiderman flashed across Barbie Girl’s phone screen. She was stunned, staring at the screen in utter disbelief. Months before, when he first blocked her, she had desperately tried every possible way to reach him. She sent text messages, tried calling through Tango, and searched for his Facebook profile, but met only dead ends and digital walls. Now, he was back.

Keeping the mystical dream and the cloth doll a secret out of fear that he would mock her or get angry, Barbie Girl chose a gentle approach. She simply sent him a photograph—a picture of Spiderman’s photo safely enclosed within the circle of her own prayer beads (tasbih). Touched by the gesture, Spiderman replied with a simple, genuine "thank you." It felt like a fresh start, a sign that the heavy storm had finally passed.

Hope bloomed once more. Soon after, Barbie Girl planned a trip to Singapore accompanied by her 57-year-old friend, Lady Bug. While Lady Bug spent her days exploring the city-state alone, Barbie Girl spent her time with Spiderman. To her relief, he seemed completely changed. He was kind, attentive, and warm—so much so that it convinced Barbie Girl to plan a second trip to Singapore with Lady Bug shortly after.

But the second trip exposed a completely different reality. The illusion of the "changed man" shattered on the very first day. While they were shopping at Mustafa Centre, the moment they reached the cashier, Spiderman suddenly panicked and fled, running away as if terrified he would be asked to pay for her purchases. In truth, Barbie Girl was a kind, independent woman who had no intention of asking for his money.

The bizarre behavior escalated on the second day in Chinatown. Spiderman picked out three T-shirts and aggressively pressured Barbie Girl to buy them, claiming they were gifts for her two older brothers. Knowing she did not want or need them, Barbie Girl refused. Her refusal ignited his explosive temper. Once again, the bitter insults returned. He yelled at her, repeating the cruel words that had broken her before: that she was too old to change, and that an "old dog" would never change.

The final blow came on their third and last day in Singapore. In a fit of unexplained rage, Spiderman did something unimaginably cruel: he abandoned Barbie Girl completely, leaving her stranded on the unfamiliar streets of a foreign country. To make matters worse, before walking away, he demanded back the Singaporean SIM card he had lent her. Stripped of internet access, GPS, and any way to navigate, Barbie Girl was forced to find her way back to the hotel entirely alone, walking blindly through a city that suddenly felt cold and ruthless...

... To Be Continued in Part 3 ...