Chapter 3

Joanne was awakened by the soft voice of the Polish maid they hired in the house. She rose from the pink bed and followed the maid down to the dining hall. The significant increase in the number of people sure made her nervous. They all sat patiently facing each other while casually conversing. All of their attention shifted to her presence as she entered the room. She sat quietly beside the teenage girl. Then they all formally introduced themselves.

One thing Joanne noticed from everyone on the table was, the 2 teenagers both have gray eyes. She removed them from her list of potential siblings. After everything she had learned today, she could never be too careful. The little girl on the other hand, looks somewhat similar to her.

“I have talked to the principal and according to your previous grades and performance, you can transfer immediately. She said they were remarkable.”, Victoria giggled. “Unfortunately, you have to be under a close surveillance, since uhm… the curriculum in prep schools is different from the one you took back in Philly.”

Joanne scoffed. She could not help but feel offended when Victoria hesitated in continuing her well-rehearsed sentences. Joanne scanned around the table to find a trace of disapproval in any of their faces. When she could not find what she looked for, she knew it was obvious that they somewhat agreed with her evil step mother. Joanne failed to reply to Victoria’s remarks. Instead, she reacted with an insinuating manner.

John quickly reacted to this. Apologizing for his biological daughter’s unbelievable behavior. He believed she had to thank him. Of course, Joanne did not know what her father wanted, this is the first day of their encounter. Our poor girl knew nothing about the man sitting across from her. The apology got her even more vexed.

“You should not apologize for how I defended my people, my school. You all know nothing about me. I’ve worked hard to get to where I am right now.”

The atmosphere got drastically heated from the words that slipped through Joanne’s pretty little mouth. The room tensed up, but they failed to provide any response to what Joanne had to say. While she inhaled as much air as her lungs could take, she was ready to be brutally reprimanded by the whole family, especially the parents, but they kept quiet, as if they didn’t hear anything. She found it odd, yet she was grateful for the silence.

“I’m sorry”, Victoria said. “I’m never good with words”.

Joanne was in awe of how sincere the woman sounded. Although she knew that deep down, Victoria didn't mean it. To Joanne, she was just another good actress, covered in diamonds and gold. Joanne ducked her head down, contemplating whether or not she should forgive the woman right away. If she did, the dinner would be less awkward than it had been. If she chose not to, she would not be underestimated by the family.

Because Joanne felt the need to teach them a lesson about respect, she did the latter. Dinner sure did not go well that evening.

**

Joanne sat on the queen-sized bed. Lucky for her, her roommate was none other than a 7 years old child. Which all the tiaras and sashes belong to. Her name is Lucille and she is the youngest among the 3 siblings. The only person inside this house, aside from her father that Joanne suspected to have a biological relation to her.

“Joanne, what is it like trying to fit in our planet?”, asked the little girl.

Joanne was confused by the little girl's question. “Come again?”

“My father told us to behave in front of you because you are from a different world. If you’re looking for anyone to kidnap, I would be a perfect fit. I’m never fussy about my food. You certainly don’t need to worry….”

Joanne then got lost in her own thoughts. Perhaps she did not have to be coming from a different world if her father took his actual responsibility as a parent. Not only was he absent throughout all her 17 years of living, he also never called, wrote, or sent any cash. On some days, she had to beg for food to her equally impecunious neighbor. She found it preposterous, how he lived so comfortably with his new family.

Then she re-lived the awkward conversation she had during the previous dinner. This only fueled her anger.

“…anyone, I rest my case.”, Lucille was still babbling.

Joanne snapped back to reality. “Lucille, I don’t know what lies your parents have been feeding you, but I’m from Philly, which is only an hour away by car. You shouldn’t always listen to what they have to say.”, she answered unapologetically. Her tone was bitter, it had been, since the second she arrived here.

Lucille’s eyes widened. They were big, brown and a little slanted, the genetics she definitely inherited from her mother, Victoria. Joanne was not worried that she had offended the little girl. She was more concerned about her own feelings. When she laid on the other side of the bed, she could feel the warmth, not sure if it was the expensive comforter or the presence of someone close to her on the same mattress. As much as she hates to admit it, she liked it here. With no hesitation, she buried her face on the fluffy pillow. Then she drifted to sleep immediately. All the worries she had before were no match to the luxury this house has to offer. After all, money can really buy you everything.