Chapter 3

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!”