Chapter 42: Rita's Revenge
Jeremiah's Penthouse.
The tension in the Adebayo mansion had not eased since the photo scandal broke. Tammy had tried to push through, holding her head high and refusing to hide, but the whispers hadn't died down. The blogs were still buzzing, and though Jeremy had defended her publicly and cleared his name, the sting of betrayal had carved itself into her chest. She was still raw, still vulnerable, still battling the storm of judgment swirling outside their gates.
Rita had watched her best friend break down in private, and it had ignited a fury in her veins she could not temper. The easygoing girl who used to laugh off petty gossip had been replaced by a cold strategist, determined to make whoever hurt Tammy pay in full. That was what best friends were for, wasn't it? To protect each other when the world sharpened its knives.
She sat cross-legged on the floor of her chic apartment, her laptop open, multiple tabs glowing in the dim light. She had already called in favors, activating her quiet network of friends, techies, and fellow society kids who had access to things most people didn't. Rita's background might have looked glossy and privileged, but she had long since learned that power came not just from money, but from knowing where the skeletons were buried.
"Come on, come on…" she muttered, tapping her manicured nails against the keyboard as she cross-checked IP addresses, burner accounts, and metadata. Her brown eyes narrowed as she traced another lead. Each link she followed only sharpened her suspicion: the person behind Tammy's humiliation wasn't some faceless troll. This was personal.
She finally sat back with a sharp exhale, a cruel smile curving her lips as her gaze fell on a familiar name buried in the strings of data. "Oh, you've messed with the wrong girl."
The burner Twitter account that had sent the photos to the blogs was connected to a recovery email. And that email—sloppy, reused for some forgotten subscription—was linked to none other than Tayo Coker. Tammy's sister.
Rita's blood boiled. She didn't even need the smoking gun; the motive had been written in Tayo's eyes for months. That jealous glint whenever Tammy's name was mentioned. That biting sarcasm that had always felt too sharp to be playful. But this? This crossed into cruelty. After trying to set her up to ruin her life now this?
She grabbed her phone and dialed Anjii.
"Babes, where are you?" Rita asked, not even bothering with a hello.
"At Tammy's," Anjii replied, her voice cautious. "Why? What's wrong?"
Rita's lips pressed into a thin line. "Get ready. I've got proof. Meet me there. Tonight."
---
When Rita arrived at the mansion later that evening, her heels clicking against the marble like war drums, she was in full avenger mode. She didn't even bother to sit politely in the living room. Instead, she marched straight into Tammy's room, laptop tucked under her arm, eyes blazing.
Tammy looked up from where she sat curled on the bed, clutching a throw pillow to her chest. She had barely slept the past few nights, the shadows under her eyes betraying her exhaustion. "Rita? What's with the face?"
Anjii, perched beside her, glanced between them nervously. "She came in like a hurricane."
Rita dropped the laptop on the bed and flipped it open, spinning it around so they could both see. "I know who leaked the photos."
Tammy's eyes widened, her heart lurching. "What? Who?"
Anjii leaned closer, peering at the screen. Rita navigated through the files and evidence she'd gathered, pointing at each damning piece. "Burner account. Linked to an email. That email belongs to your sister. Tayo."
The silence that followed was suffocating. Tammy blinked, shaking her head as though the words hadn't made sense. "No… no, Rita, you've made a mistake. Tayo might be… difficult, but she would never— not again…"
"She did," Rita cut in sharply, her tone leaving no room for doubt. "And don't even try to sugarcoat it. The receipts are right here." She tapped the screen again, her nails clacking like punctuation marks. "I've cross-checked everything. It's her. 100%."
Tammy's throat felt tight. She stared at the screen, at the damning trail that painted her own blood as the enemy. Her chest ached. Betrayal wasn't new—she'd experienced it in different forms since this marriage whirlwind began—but this? From her sister again? It felt like a knife twisted straight into her ribs.
"No," Tammy whispered, clutching the pillow tighter. "She's my sister. She can be harsh, but she wouldn't… She wouldn't try to destroy me totally."
"Tammy!" Rita snapped, frustrated. "Open your eyes. She already has. She fed the blogs those photos. She ruined your reputation. She made you question Jeremy. And you're still defending her?"
Anjii placed a gentle hand on Tammy's shoulder. Her voice was softer, but no less firm. "Babes, Rita's right. You can't just sweep this under the rug. This isn't some little sibling drama. She put your whole life on the line. And those babies too. This is the second time."
Tammy's lips trembled as she looked between them. A storm was raging in her chest. She wanted to scream, to deny it, to hurl the laptop across the room. She wanted to call Tayo and demand answers. But deep down, in that aching pit where intuition lived, she knew the truth. She had seen the envy in her sister's eyes too many times. Heard the barbs in her voice that no longer sounded like teasing. She had just chosen not to believe it.
"She'll change," Tammy said at last, her voice cracking. "She's not… she's not evil. She's just… lost. Maybe jealous. Maybe angry. But she's my blood. If I press charges—if I expose her—what happens to her then? She's still my sister."
Rita's jaw clenched. She folded her arms, pacing by the edge of the bed. "So what? She gets to keep stabbing you in the back because she shares your DNA? That's nonsense. Family or not, this girl wants you ruined. And you think giving her another chance will magically fix that?"
Anjii's eyes were glistening with frustration. "Tammy, if you won't protect yourself for your own sake, at least do it for your babies. You can't keep letting people walk over you, not when you've got more at stake now."
Tammy buried her face in the pillow, muffling a sob. She hated how broken she sounded, how weak. She wanted to believe the best in Tayo, to hold on to the memories of shared laughter and childhood secrets. But reality was a cold hand tugging her back.
Still, when she finally lifted her head, her decision was carved into her expression. "No. I won't press charges. Not yet."
Rita froze. "You've got to be kidding me."
Tammy shook her head firmly, though tears still streamed down her cheeks. "She's my sister. I can't destroy her life, even if she tried to destroy mine. Maybe… maybe if I talk to her, she'll realize what she's done. Maybe she'll stop."
"Or maybe she'll just sharpen her knives," Rita muttered bitterly, throwing her hands up. "Unbelievable."
Anjii sighed, rubbing her temples. "Tammy, you're too soft for your own good. And I love you for it. But this softness is gonna kill you one day."
Tammy gave them a tired smile, one that held no real joy. "Then let it be on me. If Tayo comes for me again, I'll handle it. But until then, I can't… I can't hand her over to the wolves."
Rita stared at her for a long moment, then exhaled sharply, pacing the room like a caged lioness. "Fine. But hear me, Tammy Coker: the second she makes another move, I won't wait for your permission. I'll drag her myself."
Tammy nodded faintly, her hands trembling as she wiped her cheeks. "Fair enough."
But deep down, she knew the war had only just begun.
And this time, it was her own blood drawing the battle lines.