Chapter 2

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.