Joy. Meaning? A great pleasure or happiness. For Joy DeVries, her great pleasure comes hand-wrapped with secrets and murder. Joy DeVries grew up a childhood star, and it came with as much baggage and scars as one would imagine. Nowadays, she's known as Joy Daisy, a kids show TV legend, and that's all she'd prefer people to see. If they look any closer, they might get a glimpse of the lust-driven, alcohol-consuming, unhinged woman she really is. However, Detective Colin Rooker is determined to get to know the woman behind the make-up and frills. He's taken with her, and she's intrigued by him. The only catch to this whirlwind romance? Detective Rooker is chasing a serial killer. And she's closer than he thinks. *** February 2021 Wattpad Editor's Pick! Open Novella Contest III Accolades: *Chosen as an Ambassador's Pick in Round 1!* *Round Two Winner!* Round 1 Milestone: Chapter three Round 2 Milestone: Chapter eleven Round 3 Milestone: Chapter twenty-one *** My entry for the Open Novella Contest III. Prompt #4. Because sometimes when I set out to write a nice fluffy contemporary romance... this happens. CONTENT WARNING: Mature rating for sexual situations, drug use, violence, murder, death, gore... **BLANKET TRIGGER WARNING** If you're offended or triggered by anything, ever, then you probably shouldn't be reading this.

Three children realize they're trapped in the basement of a crazy woman who claims to be their mother, and forces them to call her "Mommy". __________________ created February 4th, 2017 IMPORTANT NOTICE - if you're reading this story on a site that is not www.wattpad.com then you could be at risk of a malware attack. Furthermore, please go to this link: www.wattpad.com/user/z0mbies, and report to me where you are reading this story. Thank you. WARNING: This story contains distressing material. Reader discretion advised. The characters in this book are fictional. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.