Chapter 6 Tammy, Why Are You So Stingy?

• "I'm not drinking that!"
• Daniel stubbornly turned his face away. There was no way he was drinking water handed to him by this awful woman.
• Ivy offered the water to Lara. Even though she was young, Lara was different from Tammy. She might not have liked Tammy, but that wouldn't stop her from accepting the water.
• So, with a few quick sips, she downed some of the water, though her expression toward Tammy remained sour.
• Watching the rest of the family drink happily, Gloria's eyes glinted mischievously.
• She said, "Grandma, we're not much, but we managed to get you some soft bread. Are you thirsty?"
• She was clearly trying to provoke them. Tammy took a casual bite of her hard, dry bread, lazily watching Gloria's little performance.
• Melissa struggled to swallow her dry bite, her throat parched.
• In a low, hoarse voice, she muttered, "Well, I'm parched after that trek. Who wouldn't be?"
• Her mouth was so dry she felt blisters forming. She'd never experienced such hardship before.
• "Ivy, you can't just look after yourself and forget about Mom, can you?"
• Callie shot Ivy a pointed look, fully aware that Ivy was gentle and easy to push around. With just a few words, she could have Tammy's water pouch handed over.
• As she expected, Ivy hesitated and glanced over at Tammy.
• But Tammy said in a cool, detached tone, "Why didn't you say anything about helping us when you were trading for bread? If I remember correctly, we haven't split the family yet."
• It was just water, after all. Tammy wasn't being stingy, but she couldn't stand seeing these people so smug.
• Ivy, who had been about to offer the water, quickly pulled the pouch back. That's right, they hadn't divided the family yet—they were still one household.
• But long ago, it had become clear that they had drawn their lines.
• "What are you talking about?"
• Callie retorted with a twisted sense of logic. "We've all shown our respect to Mom. You should do the same."
• "Mom, we have to show our respect to Grandma," Lara chimed in.
• Having always been close to Melissa, she couldn't bear to see her purse her lips in thirst.
• Ivy grew more conflicted. She was naturally soft-hearted, but this water wasn't hers to give away.
• Tammy stepped forward, taking the water pouch in hand, her cold gaze falling on Gloria's bundle.
• "If I'm not mistaken, there's a water pouch in your bag."
• In addition to the water pouch, Gloria had hidden some food. She hadn't wanted to share it with the others, but now Tammy had exposed her.
• Gloria's face darkened as she clutched her bundle tightly, her frustration clear.
• "You're making excuses instead of showing respect to Grandma."
• "My water isn't the same as yours. Ours was fetched from the river. If we're going to show our respect to Grandma, shouldn't we use the best?"
• Tammy's sharp tongue left no room for argument. Melissa's eyes turned expectantly toward Gloria. Surely, she wanted the best.
• Gloria, clearly reluctant, felt the weight of Melissa's gaze. But her husband, Ryan, spoke first.
• "Gloria, as the younger generation, we can't let Grandma down."
• "Fine."
• With obvious reluctance, Gloria opened her bundle, trying to shield its contents from view. She quickly pulled out the water pouch and offered it to Melissa.
• "Grandma, it's not that I wasn't planning to give it to you. I was just saving it for later," she explained, shooting a pointed look at Tammy. It was clear she hoped Melissa would notice the difference between them.
• Melissa nodded approvingly. "I know you're a good girl, Gloria, not like some others."
• The insult was nearly direct. Lara glared at Tammy. "Tammy, why are you so stingy?"
• That was her grandmother, after all!
• "If you're so generous, then go find your own food!" Tammy shot back, her words turning Lara's face pale. "Fine! I'll find food myself!" Lara spat angrily.
• She had never been so wronged. The events of the day had driven her to tears.
• Tammy wasn't bothered by her crying. She turned her attention to Remus, who had his eyes closed, resting.
• Remus was severely injured, and living off this rough, dark bread wasn't going to help him heal. But this family was too complicated, and Tammy had no intention of taking care of so many people.
• The best solution was to split the household. But that would depend on Remus.
• Lost in thought, Tammy noticed the officers urging them to continue their journey.
• These pampered bodies were unused to such hardship, and by the latter half of the journey, everyone was struggling to keep pace
• Tammy was no exception. The woman whose body she now inhabited had been fragile, ill-suited to this kind of strain. But Tammy was determined, pushing herself forward with gritted teeth.
• In fact, she had secretly taken out a strengthening potion from her space, using the journey as a chance to build her stamina.
• According to the storyline, a disaster was fast approaching. Without a strong body, she wouldn't be able to protect herself.
• "Mom!"
• A scream tore from Lara's throat as she saw Ivy collapse.
• Ivy had always been weak. After pushing herself for so long, it wasn't surprising she had fainted.
• Even Melissa was stronger than her.
• "What's going on?"
• One of the officers stormed over, his face dark and impatient, his frustration evident.
• Lara, too frightened to speak, could only cry harder. Tammy had no choice but to step in. "My mother is frail. She must've passed out from exhaustion."
• "Sickly woman!"
• Callie muttered under her breath, earning a scowl from the officer, while Lara, seeing the whip in his hand, began sobbing again.
• "Sir."
• Tammy sighed. "I know this delays our progress. I'll carry her."
• She was starting to regret her decision to follow this family into exile.
• But then her gaze fell on Daniel, who was carrying Remus, his eyes full of helplessness and sadness. At that moment, Tammy felt certain she had made the right choice.
• "Fine, but don't fall behind!"
• The officer's mood lightened slightly. Daniel and Lara didn't stir up trouble this time, silently watching as Tammy lifted Ivy onto her back.
• Ivy was light due to her frail condition, but for someone as weak as Tammy, it was still exhausting.
• Yet Tammy carried her steadily, keeping pace with the group, earning a nod of respect from the officers.
• Ivy had only fainted from fatigue, so after a while, she woke up. Realizing she was being carried by Tammy, Ivy felt embarrassed.
• "Tammy, you can put me down. I can walk now."
• Seeing that Ivy had regained some energy, Tammy set her down. Sweat beaded on her forehead.
• Witnessing Tammy's effort, Ivy began to see her differently. Perhaps, Tammy's manipulative behavior wasn't entirely her fault. Maybe it was simply a product of the family she'd grown up in, and Tammy was more a victim of circumstance than a truly malicious person.
• Recalling how the family had cut ties with Tammy, Ivy felt more certain. Her attitude toward Tammy softened.
• "Thank you, Tammy. You're a good girl."
• "It's nothing," Tammy replied, casually brushing off the thanks as she moved to the back of the group.
• She discreetly took out a piece of chocolate from her space, biting into it to replenish her strength.
• She was careful not to eat too much—chocolate was a precious resource she had stored from her previous life and couldn't afford to waste.