Page 16 of Bad Words

Hi Jenny. I do know you, haha—I loved your first book! Thanks for the message. Really means a lot.

No way? she said. That’s sweet. Nobody read that book!

Her debut had been a crime novel called Hurricane Cassandra, and I’d liked nearly everything about it, from its hard, muscular sentences to its unexpectedly pulpy climax. It deserved more attention, I wrote. When I recommend it to people, I tell them it’s their new favorite hidden gem. :)

Stop! Jenny said, followed by a few bashful emojis. I’ve already preordered High and Dry. Can’t wait to read it. Review by the Devil Herself notwithstanding.

I sent a laughing emoji back, then looked up as Arthur’s keys rattled in the lock. A moment later he’d barged inside, face alert. “Hey. Are you—”

“I’m fine. Everything’s fine.”

He relaxed as he bumped the door shut. “Okay. Just, I was watching you two get into it.”

“Yeah, five minutes ago I was ready to punch something.”

“You don’t still want to punch something?”

“A little. But this author just messaged me. We’re bonding over being Selina Chan victims.”

I tapped back to my profile and reread my replies to Chan with a twinge of unease. I’d never talked to anybody this way in my life. I sounded like such an asshole. “Should I delete this stuff I said to her?”

Arthur tossed his jacket onto the hook with an indignant flourish. “What, to Selina Chan? Fuck no. She deserves the heat.”

“Right … Yeah, you’re right. I just”—I let my phone clatter onto the table and rubbed my hands over my face—“it feels so weird to, you know, say shit like this.”

“Enjoy it. I bet every person she panned would kill to be in your shoes.”

I doubted that. Three years ago, I might have been a punchline, but I’d never been hated the way that some people in my mentions seemed to hate me now. You sexist pig, I hope your mother sees the video … You are what’s poisoning our culture … If only someone had paid you $1.2 million to never write again.

Arthur jogged down the hall, I returned to the kitchen to check the stockpot, and my phone chirped again. Jenny House had sent another message:

If you want some commiseration, I know a bunch of authors who are a hundred percent behind you. We could hop in a group chat.

Really? I replied. I’d love that. Honestly, I don’t know a lot of other authors.

Omg! Here, two minutes

A new group chat appeared in my DMs. I opened it to see the first notification: Jenny House renamed this group to Chan Pan Support Group.

Jenny House

Hey beauties! Meet Parker Navarro, the man of the hour

Aiden Linville

you mean my hero? defender of the innocent? avenging knight to selina chan’s accursed wyrm?

Carla Lew

Parker!! I’m Carla. It is SUCH a pleasure.

Parker Navarro

Wow, it’s great to meet you all!

JJ Purnell

I’m imagining you’re overwhelmed? Please know that however much hate you’re getting, there’s an even larger contingent of people silently cheering you along.