Then the Wolf Step In

Joy’s POV Even in October, Twilight Town is scorching hot. I locked the door and dragged my suitcase out of the alley where I had lived for eighteen years. The alley was narrow and long, with several households arranged in a straight line. The narrow road beneath my feet could barely accommodate two people walking side by side. The wheels of the suitcase rolled on it, making an annoying noise. On the way, some curious households greeted me, “Oh, so you'll be living with your mom from now on?” I managed a polite smile and nodded, “Yes.” “The Hope City, right? You will have a better life there. You’re so lucky that your mom remarried to a rich man.” Sensing the subtle envious tone, I kept walking and tried to leave the voice behind. I walked faster and faster, yet the discussions behind me didn’t simply fade away. The murmur haunted me like a restless ghost. “Now that Mike passed away, his daughter has to move to live with her mom. Poor little thing, life won't be easy for her.” “Yeah, who knew Mike would suddenly die? This is horrible. Why didn't Joy’s mom come to pick up her child but asked the little girl to travel herself?” Because my mom cared more about her new family than her own child. Isn’t this obvious? Are they too ignorant or they asked the question when they already knew the answer? Then they are either stupid or hypocritical. Although I was curious which would be the case, I was too tired to think more because of the sudden change in my life. I took the first train to the Hope City, hoping the place matches its name. At that time I was too optimistic, having no idea that the city won’t let me see a glimmer of hope. After I walked out the station, I spotted the car that was sent to pick me up. I quickly greeted the driver, suit myself on the back seat and looked out the window. Unlike the Twilight Town, the streets of the Hope City were exceptionally bustling, with tall buildings rising and a continuous flow of cars and crowds. Angry drivers were everywhere. They cursed the jaywalkers and the latter cursed back. Funny scene to watch. I observed them with great interest until a voice snapped me out of my thought. “Don’t look at them.”warned Ivy Davis. I tilt my head a little and glanced at the woman sitting next to me. Well, I couldn’t deny the simple fact that she was my mom, but I hadn’t seen this woman in years and I believed it was reasonable for me to treat her like an acquaintance on our first reunion. My mom looked very different from the woman in my memory. In the old days when my mom still lived in the Twilight Town, she preferred simple style of clothing. She usually smiled shyly at everyone regardless of their response. But now her friendly attitude vanished, replaced by an alertness as sharp as a dagger. I didn’t really know what happened to my mom, but it was clear that she was no longer the person she used to be. My mom has become a noble and elegant woman. She had her hair tied up and wore well-tailored garments. She exuded an aura of sophistication, which made me upset. It was ironic to admit that I feared her, my own mother. Following her instructions, I stopped looking outside, lowered my gaze and stared at my shoes. Satisfied by my obedience, the woman softened her voice and said, “You haven’t greeted me properly, Joy.” I looked at the woman who was both unfamiliar and familiar, suddenly feeling speechless. After moments of hesitation, I called out, “Mom”. She smiled and pat my head gently, “You’ve grown up. You look like a woman now.” Before I responded, she took out a jewelry box and handed me a sapphire necklace, “Take this.” “What?”I blinked at the shiny little thing, not knowing how to react. “It is a gift, hun. The color matches your eyes.”My mom said casually. She helped me wear the necklace and instructed, “Now that you are living with us, I expect you behave well. Don’t get yourself into any troubles, okay?” “Okay.”I nodded. “Very well.”My mom gave me a sorrowful smile and muttered, “I hope you understand it wasn’t easy to convince my husband to take you in. He is quite occupied by the business and he already had a kid. That is to say we can’t expect him to have much patience to take care of you…” “I understand.” I cut my mom off and asked tentatively, “So I had a stepbrother?” My question seemed to upset my mom. She pinched her lips tightly and replied, “Yeah. Don't worry. Ryan is a nice boy. You two will get along well.” She said so while the nervousness in her tone conveyed an opposite indication. I held back the urge to ask more, fearing my question would provoke my mom. Instead of throwing questions at her, I remain silent in the rest of drive. When we finally arrived the destination, my mom got off the car and instructed the driver to carry the luggage in the trunk. “Behave yourself and don’t get us kicked out.”She warned me one more time before we stepped into the house. The place is fairly large, larger than any bungalows I’ve ever seen. I couldn’t help but scan the house. The size of this villa was outrageous. I stood in the center of the first floor, with brilliant lights shining above my head, I felt dazed. I felt like I was Cinderella who had mistakenly entered the palace. Although I was wearing a princess dress and a luxurious necklace, I still didn't fit in here. That’s when my mom coughed and ordered, “Heads up.” I immediately stopped looking around and focused my attention on the man sitting on the sofa. As I watched him, he was also aware of our existence. He raised his head from the news paper he was reading and walked in our direction. Before he could speak, my mom reached out, holding his hand gently and said, “My love, this is the one I told you about, Joy.” The one. Noticing her way of introducing, I silently laughed. She is my mom and she is so reluctant to mention the fact that I am her daughter. My existence is a burden to her and she is desperate to prove to her husband that she and I have few connections. My mom abandoned me once when she divorced my father. And this was the second time that she made me feel I was disposable. I reviewed her words in my mind- if I do not behave well, I would be thrown out. I shuddered when I realized what she said was probably not a threat but a promise. I cast a glance at the door, wondering if I should directly see myself out and save her some trouble. Then I heard mom say, “Joy, this is Uncle Henry.” This woman left me no choice but to shift my attention from the door to the man. I managed to give him a polite smile, “It is a pleasure to meet, Uncle Henry.” Despite of the prejudice I held against Uncle Henry, I had to admit he looked like a gentleman. He was wearing a well-fitted white sweater and his composure, elegant and refined, completely different from the image that I had imagined. I had thought the man who stole my mom would be a nasty cunning man, but it turned out that he was polite and charming. “Nice to meet you, Joy.”Uncle Henry greeted me with a warm smile, “Your mother told me that you were coming, and the room has been prepared for you. Treat this place as your own and live as you wish, alright?' Touched by his sincerity, I smiled back and nodded. Before I could say anything, a malicious voice cut in, “What? Not only did the adult take over the nest, but now they also brought in a tag-along?” I squinted my eyes and looked in the direction the voice coming from, only to see a young man on the second floor. He was smirking, with one hand in his pocket, and the other lazily resting on the railing. Then he lowered his gaze, meeting mine. That was the first time I saw Ryan, my stepbrother. And I hated him already.