It seems that some people don't like the way I ended The Wish. Let me explain. Barbara was not only frightened by her experience, but she was upset with Diane, because she thought talking about the romance novel was to blame for the experience. My test audience of four women understood the ending completely. Maybe it is a "woman thing". At any rate, I was trying to portray Barbara's feelings in a concise, humorous way. (All four women laughed when I read it to them.)
