Porcelain [ ᴊᴏᴋᴇʀ ]

Chapter 1: Gotham City Bank

(Originally published: October 2020)
(Rewritten: November 2024)

Crime & Chaos

" GOTHAM CITY BANK "

by house_of_gia

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"I can't do this anymore, Robert!" A young woman of thirty screamed at the man in front of her, her face hot with rage. "We're finished! I've already filed for divorce and if you try anything to not make it go ahead, I will make sure you don't see your daughters ever again."

"Stace, come on." The man, Robert, pleaded. "Let's just talk about this, honey."

"Why did I even move here with you? The place is a fucking riot city," she spat at him. "We were fine in Soho, but no, you just had to fucking ruin it with your dream to the "big city"." Her face was scrunched up in lividness as she stormed towards him, pointing a slim finger into his chest repeatedly. "Well, guess what, Robert? It's a nightmare. Just the same as living with you."

"Julie and Belle are in the next room; I don't want them listening to this--"

"Fuck you, Robert. They're old enough to know what's going on," said Stacey. "And Belle's always been a daddy's girl. What a fucking shame to have you both under my roof, both talking shit behind my back!"

"Stacey, we never--"

"Shut up!" She screamed. "Shut up! Get out!"

Robert Evans finally left the house after Stacey Evans kicked him out--after years of trying to make it work with Stacey, he gave up. After becoming a single and newly divorced mum, they were left in a small, two-bedroom house with little income, forcing their mum to take on two jobs in Gotham City, of all places.

No matter how desperately they both wanted to leave the dreadful city, money was the biggest issue in the way of that. Back in SoHo, London, they were fine. Grandparents, family, friends... They all came to the Evans' family aid in a heartbeat, even helping them financially, but ever since they moved from the UK to the US when Juliet was 10 and Isabelle was 14, they slowly outgrew contact with their family back in London. Years later, Isabelle found someone to settle down with, and took the first opportunity to scurry away from the claws of their mother. She lived somewhere between Minnesota and Wisconsin; Julie wasn't too sure where exactly.

Then came the news of Robert's suicide, three weeks after Stacey had kicked him out of the house.

He was found by a dog-walker in a horrible state the family never wanted to picture again.

Juliet Evans, now 17, had skipped school to exercise her little hobby--photography. A typical teenager would skip school and party, drink, do drugs and what-have-you... but not Julie.

They'd probably even have a part-time job to help out with family or earn their own money, but Julie just wanted to take pictures. Ever since her dad had passed down his own camera to her, she barely let go of it. It was something of a keepsake--something to remember him by. He deserved that much, considering her mum rarely spoke a good word about him.

"He's selfish for doing what he did, leaving me with two kids..." she would say at least once a week, minimum. But Julie knew she was only using him for child support.

It wasn't the only thing her mum complained about. ("You won't get paid for taking pictures, hun. Why don't you go down to that nice café up the street? The manager always asks about you; he could get you a job.")