The moment Tammy, my adoptive parents’ biological daughter, was found, she began to stage the scene of a ‘real vs fake heiress’ drama.

Tammy had cameras installed all over the house. Nowhere was safe, not even in the privacy of the bathroom.

When one shorted out during her shower, Tammy landed herself in the hospital. Through tears, she told my parents that I was trying to get rid of her and demanded to call the cops.

During a dinner out at the hotel restaurant, Tammy lost her footing and fell into the pool, all the while dragging me down.

She cried and accused me of pushing her into the water. Apparently, had she not been smart enough to pull me along the ride, I would’ve gotten her killed.

While our parents were away taking care of our hospital bills, Tammy snapped me an intimidating look.

“I’m warning you. I’m different from the other heiresses in my position. I won’t put up with your antics. You can’t hide who you really are from Mom and Dad!

“I’m going to get you kicked out of this house!”

I smirked to myself.

The silly girl had no idea that the wealth of the family came from me.

She was no heiress once I took my riches away with me.

On Tammy Smyth’s first day back, she turned the family dynamics into something straight out of a spy thriller.

Exercising caution, John and Catherine Smyth led her into the house and pointed at the high-end furniture and décor while rubbing their hands together nervously.

“Tammy, this is our home. I know it hasn’t been easy for you.”

Dressed in a faded, washed-out denim, Tammy scanned every inch of the space.

Finally, her gaze fell on me.

“So this is the girl you adopted?” Tammy lifted her chin, her tone reflecting no hint of courtesy.

I set the financial papers down and extended my arm with a smile. “Hi, I’m Scarlett Smyth.”

Not returning the handshake, Tammy simply let out a scoff and turned to John and Catherine. “Mom, Dad, now that I’m back, it’s time to establish some rules. I’m not comfortable with strangers being around.”

John and Catherine gave me an awkward look.

Catherine, always the people-pleaser, jumped to mediate. “Tammy, Scarlett is your sister. She’s been keeping the family afloat for the last decade—”

“Keeping the family afloat?” Tammy cut Catherine off.

“I’m sure she’s been doing it with resources that should’ve been mine. She has occupied my place for long enough. Time to hand it back.”

Resignation washed over me.

Tammy had probably read one too many heiress stories and developed a victim mentality.

Nevertheless, I didn’t hold the whole thing against her.

She must have had it rough, being separated from her real family for twenty years and all.

Besides, I didn’t want to put my adoptive parents in a tough spot since they had done so much for me.

I chose to show some grace. “Tammy might need time to take everything in. She just got back after all. Mom, Dad, I have business at the office. I won’t be home for dinner tonight.”

By taking the high road, I hoped to keep the peace in the family.

Little did I know, it was just the beginning of a nightmare.

I came home the next day to find a major overhaul of the place.

Cameras were installed along the hallway, in the living room, and right outside my study.

The red indicator lights blinked like countless prying eyes.

Furrowing my brows, I posed a question to Tammy, who was busy bossing the workmen around. “What is this?”

Tammy, her arms folded, said self-righteously, “Duh, I need to keep myself safe. You never know when someone in this house is going to harm me since I’m standing in their way.”

I sank my head against my palm. “Tammy, the house is equipped with the best security system in all of Adriwoods. These cameras are unnecessary.”

“Of course, you’d say that. You’re the one with everything to gain,” Tammy sneered.

“Mom and Dad are on board with the idea. As the adopted daughter, you have no say in this.”

Catherine and John stood there, their faces etched with distress.

John tugged me on the sleeve and whispered, “Scarlett, Tammy talked about her traumatic experience at the orphanage. All the bullying left her seeking assurance… Just bear with her a little.”

Staring at John’s grizzled hair and apologetic eyes, I sighed without another word.

Unbeknownst to me, Tammy’s paranoia had already escalated to the point of madness.

That night, I was ready to turn in for the night when a blood-curdling scream rang out from the bathroom.

Then came a loud crash.

John, Catherine, and I bolted to the bathroom to find Tammy absolutely drenched and twitching on the tiles. Next to her was a surveillance camera, crackling with sparks.

I couldn’t believe that she’d have a camera installed in the bathroom.

As if that wasn’t enough, the cheap piece of junk had short-circuited from the damp.

An ambulance arrived, sirens piercing the air.

Tammy was taken to the emergency room.

Luckily, the timely intervention saved her life. She suffered nothing more than a minor shock and scare.

Yet, the moment Tammy regained consciousness, she put her finger up my nose and shrieked, “She’s trying to kill me! She’s trying to kill me!”

In the ward, the medical staff was stunned.

John and Catherine put their hands over Tammy’s mouth. “Stop it, Tammy. Scarlett called the paramedics for you.”

“It was her!” Tammy wept, her eyes menacing. “I put the house on surveillance, and suddenly, the camera shorted? I bet she has something to do with it! She tried to electrocute me for fear I’d uncover her dirty secrets!”

While screaming, Tammy dialed 911 and threatened to throw me in jail.

The forensics team checked the scene, and the verdict was out soon enough.

The surveillance equipment was unlicensed and improperly placed. Exposure to moisture caused a short, leading to an electric shock. There was no foul play.

Before leaving, the police officers gave Tammy a stern lecture.

“It’s never a bad idea to be careful, but putting cameras up in the bathroom is dangerous and an invasion of privacy. You might want to steer clear of the nonsense posts online.”

Tammy turned ashen in the face.

Catherine held Tammy and offered her comfort. “There, there. It’s all a misunderstanding. Tammy, we should hit pause on the installation. Scarlett is nice. She won’t harm you.”

Lying in her mother’s arms, Tammy narrowed her eyes dangerously at me through the crook beside Catherine’s neck.

Her gaze literally screamed that I only got lucky this time. She wasn’t going to stop.

Shaking my head, I walked out of the ward.

I instructed my secretary to upgrade Tammy to a private VIP suite, and the bill could be charged to my card.

There was no point picking a fight with a girl seven years younger than me. With time, Tammy would come to know that I wasn’t after anything of hers.

However, I never expected her to carry so much resentment.

On the day Tammy was discharged, she asked John and Catherine out of the blue, “Why didn’t I get a proper welcome into the family?”

John and Catherine exchanged glances, not knowing what she was talking about.

Furrowing her brows, Tammy said matter-of-factly, “The family runs a business empire, so the least you can do is throw a huge party to let the city know that you’ve found your real daughter. Why didn’t I get one? Is Scarlett stopping this? Is she scared that I’ll steal her limelight?”

My eyes snapped open while I was resting in the front passenger seat.

John and Catherine had been laid off ages ago. They ran a food truck to put me through school.

Later, I built my own business successfully, and when the Smyth Group went public, I brought the family to the life of luxury.

As we came from humble beginnings, we weren’t bound by elite social rules. Of course, her question threw us off.

Come to think of it, I reckoned the 20-year-old wanted a celebration to mark the occasion.

“Alright,” I said. “I’ll book a private lounge in the Hilton, and we can have a nice family dinner.”

Tammy let out a scoff. “That’s more like it.”

Little did I know, it was the start of another drama.

When it came time to order, she picked the most expensive items on the menu.

“The Australian lobster, the king crab, and bring a bottle of ’82 Lafite.” Tammy pointed at the menu like some tacky nouveau riche.

The server looked at me politely.

I nodded. “Go ahead.”

Tammy turned to me smugly, “I hope you don’t mind, Scarlett. I lived a hard time at the orphanage for two decades. I’m not asking for too much, am I?”

“Not at all, so long as you can finish the food,” I said indifferently.

Throughout dinner, Tammy kept feeding John and Catherine with her warped logic.

“Mom, Dad, you have no idea how terrible fake heiresses are. They act all sweet while transferring the assets behind your back. You might want to keep a close eye on the family money and property.”

I paused from cutting my steak.

Money? Property?

John and Catherine did, in fact, have a run-down property to their name and a few thousand dollars in pension.

However, the villa, fancy cars, and company shares belonged to me.

John and Catherine buried their faces in their meals in embarrassment, not knowing what to say.

Tammy couldn’t take a hint. “What do you do in the family business, Scarlett? What’s your pay like? I expect your assistance when I join the company in the future. The business will be handed to me sooner or later.”

I put my cutlery down and wiped my mouth. “I run errands around the office. As for handing the business to you, that can wait until you finish college.”

“What’s with your attitude?” Tammy slammed her cutlery down. “I’m the only heiress to the family. I’m free to join the company whenever I please!”

To ease the tension, Catherine suggested a stroll by the pool.

I was talking to John and Catherine when Tammy let out a yelp. “Ugh!”

A pair of hands grabbed me by the arm and yanked me back.

Losing her footing, Tammy fell into the pool, but judging by her firm grip on my arm, she wanted to take me down along with her.

A massive splash ensued. The water in late autumn was biting.

Though I could swim, the thick trench coat, absorbing the water, weighed me down.

To make things worse, Tammy clung to me like a parasite, screaming and pushing me under. “Help! Help! Scarlett is trying to kill me!”

Amid her struggles underwater, her nails tore into the skin of my throat.

I choked on water several times, my lungs burning.

Working fast, the hotel’s lifeguard jumped in and scooped us out to safety.

I sat by the edge of the pool, drenched and gasping for air.

Tammy had it worse than me. Her makeup was ruined, and half her false lash was gone. She was a soaking mess.

Nevertheless, she remained full of energy. Once ashore, she threw herself at John and Catherine, crying while pointing at me. “Mom! Dad! She pushed me! She’s trying to drown me!

“If I hadn’t thought fast and grabbed her, I would’ve drowned!

“She’s so mean! All because I said I wanted to join the company, she tried to kill me!”