"You can go on in. I'll get the luggage," James called from behind the car.
"Okay." She rolled towards the front door, her wheels squelching across the slick pavement. Even its dark wood had stayed the same, albeit more chipped.
But as the door slowly revealed, she found some things had indeed changed.
Greeted by the rich, fragrant scent of earth and leaves, Barbara thought she had accidentally wandered into a forest for a second. The inside looked nothing like she remembered. Once cozy and simple, it now resembled more of a vast, untamed jungle with all the potted roses and orchids and other flowers Barbara could not possibly name. Plants of all shapes and sizes were stacked on the shelves and in every nook and cranny of the room, invading any space that laid empty.
"What the..." Barbara gawked at the ivy hanging down like a leafy curtain from the ceiling.
"James, is that you?" A woman in a bright green sundress appeared in the living room. "Oh, hello. You must be Barbara. Your father's told me so much about you." Her red lips curled into a charming smile.
Barbara could only blink in disbelief at the sight in front of her. This woman had to be the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Curled to perfection with not a strand out of place, her dark hair brought the paleness of her face out even more. Compared to Barbara's pumpkin-orange hair, hers had a luscious red sheen to it, like that of a rose. Her skin appeared as if it were made of porcelain, with no blemish or wrinkle to mar its creamy white complexion. Yet, none of this rivaled her most striking feature of all, her eyes. Burning a bright green, almost like a fire, her piercing stare sent an involuntary shudder through Barbara.
Nodding, Barbara swallowed the painful lump in her throat. "Yes, I am. And you are?"
"Pamela. Pamela Isley." She stuck out her hand with the utmost grace. As Barbara reached out to shake it, she suddenly froze when she saw the diamond ring wrapped around her finger.
"Well, I see you met Pamela." James stood in the doorway with the luggage and duffel bag in both hands.
"Oh, here. Let me help you." Pamela took the bag from him without so much as a groan. Not that it was heavy or anything, but Pamela looked so dainty that Barbara imagined she didn't even like carrying her own purse.
"Thank you." The way James smiled at her made Barbara want to gag. "Is that a roast I smell?"
"No, silly. I put a rack of ribs in the oven." Pamela's giggle reminded Barbara of how a schoolgirl would laugh in front of her crush, fake and irritating.
"Well, it's a good thing we didn't eat before." James turned to his daughter as if suddenly remembering she was there. "You still want your old bedroom, right?"
"No!" The chair jerked forward as she threw her hands up. "I mean, what is going on? Who is she?"
She might wear glasses, but Barbara wasn't blind. She had a strong feeling who Pamela was, even if she couldn't bear to admit it.
"Oh, James." Pamela pursed her plump lips into a frown. "You didn't tell her about us?"
"Us?" Barbara furrowed her brows at the two of them, unable to deny the sickening reality of the situation any longer. "You mean..."
"Barbara," James whispered. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I thought there was just too much going on, and it was never the right time. But... Pamela and I are engaged."
Engaged. The word was like a punch to the gut and kick to the heart. The knot that had long been tightening in her stomach finally reached its limit, and for a second, she thought she was going to need to rush to the bathroom. "What?"
James sighed. "I know this must come as a surprise, but-"
"A surprise?" Barbara wanted to laugh. "How long have you known her?"
"We met during the summer." Pamela took James's hand with a wistful smile. "I can still recall the night. I had just moved back to Gotham, and I was honestly nervous since I didn't know anyone." She covered her mouth as she laughed. "But then, I met you and all my nerves went away. You remember, James?"
"How could I forget? When you stepped into the room, everyone's head turned. You were wearing such a beautiful green dress that matched your eyes. I thought to myself, she's the most elegant woman I've ever seen." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze.
Barbara had to bite her lip to keep from screaming. They had only met a few months ago, and they were already engaged? What the hell? Since when was her father, police commissioner of the entire city, that stupid?
And just what the hell was this woman-this intruder doing here? With her potted plants and perfect skin?
Nothing against her dad, but James was not exactly fit to be on the next cover of GQ. He wasn't ugly, but someone like Pamela, who was fit to be a model, was definitely out of his league. And definitely out of his age range.
So then what was she doing here? Shouldn't she be with someone like-like Bruce effing Wayne?
No, something was up. But what exactly? Barbara wasn't sure... yet.
Unable to watch the two of them make googly eyes at each other any longer, she turned her chair around and faked a yawn. "Um, I'm going to my room. I'm tired and I didn't really sleep on the ride over here."
"Oh, all right." James followed after her with the luggage. To Barbara's dismay, so did Pamela. So much for this being the opportunity to spend some quality time with her dad and bond.
The thought angered Barbara more than she expected. This was supposed to be a journey she and her dad would take together, another chance to reconcile things left unsaid.
But now, with Pamela in the picture, there was zero chance of that happening.
"I hope you like your new room. I redecorated it." Pamela beamed as she strode past Barbara and into the bedroom. Much like the living room, the bedroom was filled with an array of plants stacked against the walls on shelves and atop the windowsill. There were even pots that dangled from the ceiling, soaking in whatever sunlight poured in from the nearby window. But unlike the living room, the plants on the wall were fed the pink UV light from a lamp above.
"It looks so much better, don't you think?" Pamela's eyes gleamed as she watched Barbara's gaze dart over the room.
Barbara felt her jaw clench, seeing what was once her room now turned into a greenhouse. "Sure."
"Pamela did such a great job. This place looks so much livelier." James grinned after putting the luggage to the side. It was as if he forgot it had been her and her mom who had decorated this room together. "Dinner will be ready soon, but in the meantime, try getting some sleep."
As the couple turned to leave, James wrapped his arm around Pamela's slender waist and pulled her close. It was a good thing their back was towards her or else they would've seen the daggers she had been glaring at them.
Damn it! How could her dad do this to her again? Why did he always have to let some woman come between his family and ruin things? This was supposed to be just the two of them, and once again, he went and screwed it up.
Nothing ever changed.
Now left with nothing but these overgrown plants, Barbara could only watch as a lone fly buzzed around the room. As it moved towards the plants on the wall, attracted to the sweet-smelling nectar, it made the fatal mistake of landing on a Venus flytrap. In a blink of an eye, its jaws snapped shut, and the fly was no more.
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